Author: Mickael Rois

Mortgage originations in the U.S. fell to $1.45 trillion in Q3 2025 as Wells Fargo ($WFC) and JPMorgan Chase ($JPM) each reported double-digit declines. America’s huge mortgage market is slowly dying, upending banks, bond markets, and housing demand as rates soar past 7%. Analysts are shocked at the rapid erosion of activity. Mortgage Originations Plunge to Multi-Year Lows in 2025 The U.S. mortgage market, once the cornerstone of household wealth and consumer credit, continues to contract sharply. In Q3 2025, total mortgage originations fell to $1.45 trillion—down 18% from $1.77 trillion a year earlier and 42% below the $2.55 trillion…

China’s ($000001.SS) 2025 nominal GDP surpassed $19.5 trillion, while Aruba’s ($ARUBA) economy posted $3.5 billion. With analysts asking, can the Chinese economy match Aruba’s, surprising per capita discrepancies emerge. Investors are questioning the true measure of economic strength despite robust headline growth. China’s GDP Soars Past $19.5T, but Aruba Leads Per Capita According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China’s nominal GDP in 2025 came in at $19.5 trillion, solidifying its status as the world’s second-largest economy after the U.S. Meanwhile, Aruba’s economy, although much smaller in aggregate, posted a nominal GDP of approximately $3.5 billion in 2024 (latest available,…

Economists are getting cold feet about high minimum wages as U.S. wage floors surge to record levels, dragging labor costs for major employers like Walmart ($WMT) and McDonald’s ($MCD). New data reveal an unexpected cooling in job creation, prompting investors and policymakers to question the trade-offs. What’s fueling economists’ caution about this wage policy trend? High Minimum Wage Hikes Trigger Labor Market Reactions in 2025 In 2025, the U.S. experienced a wave of minimum wage increases, with 33 states and six major cities raising rates above $15 per hour, according to the Economic Policy Institute. California led the pack at…

Remittance flows from Indian migrants dipped nearly 4% in Q3 2025, as tougher visa restrictions in the US ($SPY) and UK ($EWU) slowed outbound movement. The focus keyphrase ‘visa restrictions are bad for Indians’ surfaces as policymakers debate economic gains versus personal setbacks, highlighting surprising winners on India’s domestic front. Indian Migration Drops 21% as Visa Hurdles Rise in 2025 According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, the number of new Indian overseas work permits in calendar Q3 2025 dropped 21% year-over-year. The US State Department issued just 82,300 H-1B visas to Indian nationals in the nine months ending…

The S&P 500 ($SPX) slid 8% in Q4 2025, triggering $120 billion in outflows from equity funds last month alone. As hard data signals mounting risk aversion, why investors are increasingly fatalistic is now driving portfolio realignments and fueling market volatility. The shift stuns even seasoned strategists. Equity Outflows, Bond Yields, and Spiking Volatility Fuel Fatalism The late-2025 market landscape underscores a profound shift in investor sentiment. U.S. equity funds reported $120 billion in outflows in October, the largest monthly exodus since March 2020, according to data from EPFR Global reported by Bloomberg on November 15, 2025. The S&P 500…

Billionaire tech investor Alexis Chiang ($CHIANG-PRIV) stunned the crypto market last week by acquiring over $22 million in rare NFTs, as digital art sales surged 35% in Q3 2025. The billionaire collector buys NFTs even as trading volumes plateau, raising questions on long-term digital asset value. Billionaire Collector’s $22M NFT Acquisition Signals Renewed Market Interest In the latest sign of confidence in digital collectibles, Alexis Chiang executed a series of headline-grabbing NFT purchases valued at $22.1 million, according to CoinMarketCap and OpenSea transaction logs (OpenSea, 2025). Exemplifying the shift, Chiang’s acquisitions included a Fidenza generative artwork for 1,700 ETH (approx.…

Bitwise Asset Management ($BITW) CIO Matt Hougan says most digital asset trusts (DATs) are headed for discounts rather than premiums, as trading volumes slip and regulatory scrutiny intensifies. The forecast surprised crypto investors after DATs like Grayscale’s GBTC once traded at 30% premiums. What’s driving the reversal? Bitwise CIO Says Most DATs Face Widening Discounts On November 23, Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan told Bloomberg that most digital asset trusts (DATs) are now trading at considerable discounts, a stark contrast to the premiums seen throughout 2021 and early 2022. The Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ($GBTC) discounted as low as 2.4% to net…

Bitcoin ($BTC) dropped for a seventh consecutive session, marking its longest losing streak since 2024 as US Federal Reserve repricing spurred heightened volatility. The world’s largest cryptocurrency fell near $34,700, surprising traders expecting resilience amid shifting macro conditions. Bitcoin Hits Seven-Day Slide Amid Fed-Driven Volatility Bitcoin’s extended decline saw its price retreat 5.4% this week, closing at $34,712 late Sunday on Coinbase, after slipping from last Monday’s high of $36,791. This notched the steepest stretch of daily losses since August 2024, when BTC tumbled over 13% in eight sessions, according to Bloomberg and CoinMarketCap data. Trading activity remained robust, with…

Shares of JPMorgan Chase ($JPM) held steady at $170.41 on Friday despite news that the bank abruptly terminated the personal accounts of Strike CEO Jack Mallers. This move highlights growing crypto debanking concerns, leaving investors questioning broader financial sector stability. JPMorgan ($JPM) Ends Strike CEO Accounts, Stoking Industry Alarm JPMorgan Chase ($JPM), the largest U.S. bank by assets ($3.9 trillion as of Q3 2025, per Reuters), abruptly ended all personal banking ties with Jack Mallers, CEO of Bitcoin payments firm Strike, on November 22. According to Mallers, whose company processed over $1.3 billion in Bitcoin payments in Q3 2025 (company…

The Department of Government Efficiency ($DGE) started winding down core operations months ahead of its slated closure date, surprising many stakeholders. The Department of Government Efficiency winds down initiative affects regulatory clarity for digital assets, raising major questions for crypto investors and market watchers. Department Winds Down Early, Shifting Timelines and Crypto Oversight In a move that caught observers off guard, the Department of Government Efficiency ($DGE) accelerated its exit from several key projects, including blockchain oversight programs, by at least four months ahead of the scheduled fiscal 2026 deadline. According to a Reuters report dated November 22, 2025, the…