Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. (STAR)
DJT - Nasdaq
Attention MAGA patriots! Get out your chequebooks, because the “God Bless the U.S.A. Bible” endorsed by Donald Trump is now available for just US$59.95! “All Americans need a Bible in their home, and I have many,” the former U.S. president said on his Truth Social platform. That’s not all! You can now invest in Truth Social’s owner, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp., whose market value soared to nearly US$8-billion this week after it merged with a blank cheque company. Of course, the lying mainstream media will tell you US$8-billion is an absurd valuation for a company that generated just US$3.4-million of revenue in the first nine months of 2023, but the liberal elites will say anything to bring down Donald J. Trump. Don’t let them! Invest now!
Dow Jones Cocoa Index (STAR)
Investors are suddenly cuckoo for cocoa. With crops in West Africa, the largest producer of cocoa beans, devastated by a combination of disease and extreme weather, cocoa futures for May delivery surged to a record intraday high of US$10,080 per metric ton this week and have more than tripled in the past year. Chocolate prices haven’t climbed to the same extent thanks to commodity hedges that major producers put in place last year, but it’s only a matter of time before chocolate bars and other treats will cost you more. All the more reason to devour as many chocolate eggs and bunnies as you can this Easter weekend, kids! Tell mom and dad to buy as much as they can – while they can still afford it!
Krispy Kreme Inc. (STAR)
DNUT - Nasdaq
You’ve had a Big Mac, large fries and a Coke at McDonald’s, but you’re still hungry. Solution: Stuff your face with a Krispy Kreme doughnut or two for dessert. Shares of Krispy Kreme Inc. rose after the company announced it will be supplying glazed and chocolate doughnuts to McDonald’s restaurants across the U.S. following a successful test in Kentucky. The phased rollout will begin later this year and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. This is a good start, but I’d like to see chocolate-dipped fries and Krispy Kreme doughnut burgers on the menu as well. Run with it, Mickey D’s.
Argonaut Gold Inc. (STAR)
AR - TSX
The Toronto Argonauts: a Canadian Football League team that was favoured to win the Grey Cup last year but was upset in the semi-finals by the eventual champions, the Montreal Alouettes. Argonaut Gold Inc.: a struggling mining company that chalked up its own win this week. Shares of Argonaut jumped after it agreed to be acquired by Alamos Gold Inc. in an all-stock transaction for about US$325-million, or 40 cents a share – 34-per-cent premium to Argonaut’s share price before the takeover was announced. Unless Argonaut investors intercept the deal at a shareholder vote in June – which seems unlikely given that two large investors have already indicated their approval – you can give Argonaut the W. Let’s go Ar-go!
Hammond Power Solutions Inc. (STAR)
HPS.A - TSX
Business quiz! Shares of Hammond Power Solutions Inc. rose after the manufacturer of electrical transformers: a) announced that it had developed a “proprietary technology that uses high-voltage electricity to convert raw sewage into gold and silver”; b) won an exclusive contract to supply electrical equipment to hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas strip; c) announced that fourth-quarter sales jumped nearly 30 per cent to a record $187-million and net income rose 9.2 per cent to $19.9-million or $1.68 a share, prompting the company to hike its dividend. Answer: c.
John Heinzl