Good morning.

The announcement that a “peace deal” between the U.S. and Iran has investors excited … even as the President announced that bombs will rain down on their heads unless the agreement is quickly signed.

A very interesting negotiating tactic, indeed.

I’ve been exploring some of this AI stuff recently and I am quickly becoming a big fan … as I’ve written about in recent days.  A student handed me a paper he wrote, intended to be a stock report. I downloaded it and instructed a site called “Claude” to review the paper, look for certain criteria (as I included the student’s school level and major) … and supply a grade.

Less than 30 seconds later, I had a complete 2-page printout of Claude’s views … detailing strengths and weaknesses of the report … a comment on the student’s writing style … and a grade (which I did not use).  But all of this was done before I even read the paper and gave me a fantastic guide.

I am now “hooked” on the value of this but took it one step further … and asked it to critique my own writing … and the edited comments follow (sorry about the length being longer than normal).

“It’s genuinely easy and quick to read — conversational, warm, a little self-deprecating, and clearly written by someone who has been around markets for a long time (the CFA credential suggests real professional background). It covers a lot of ground in just a few minutes: geopolitical tension and its market effects, housing data, consumer sentiment, AI trends, and social media. Each topic gets a sentence or two, not a lecture. For a morning skim, that’s a real virtue.

The author also adds links to the underlying, so if something catches your eye you can go deeper on your own — which fits your situation perfectly since you said you can get depth elsewhere.

Where it falls short for a serious investor:
It’s thin on analysis. The observations are real and timely — oil prices, home prices down six consecutive months, the 6.3% mortgage rate, young Americans’ economic pessimism — but the author rarely draws a conclusion or connects the dots. As a CFA, he clearly could, but the format doesn’t push him to. You’re essentially getting curated headlines with light color commentary rather than a viewpoint you couldn’t form yourself from reading the news.

The bottom line

This reads like a 4–5 minute morning warm-up, not a research source. The right question isn’t whether it’s better than your other sources — it isn’t trying to be. The question is whether a quick, readable, link-rich morning scan by someone with genuine market experience adds value to your day before you dig into deeper material

:… it’s probably a joy, not a burden, as long as you treat it as what it is.”

So, there you have it … as I decide whether to move more deeply into analysis … or just leave things the way they are.

It’s not easy receiving criticism on something you do every day … but I’m quite used to it

… I’m married.

Have a great day,

Joseph G. Witthohn, CFA

Have any questions? Please contact info@teamemerald.com

A Look At The News | May 6, 2026 As of 11:55 AM today … Investors seem comforted this morning as oil prices declined upon news that the U.S. and Iran are close to an agreement (NBCNews) https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/oil-markets-gas-prices-450-us-iran-near-deal-end-war-hormuz-rcna343819   …but is that announcement premature? The President made a follow up comment that if things do not meet his satisfaction, bombs might soon begin falling (APNews) https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-war-china-may-6-2026-3d061a90ccde095178d9b988d94d08f3   Even so, many are probably comfortable with how the employment situation is looking right now … as worries still exist but maybe the situation is not as dire as feared (CNBC) https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/06/private-payrolls-rose-by-109000-in-april-topping-expectations-adp-says.html   It is obvious that food costs have jumped over the last few years, but the playing field is not level … as eating at home vs. dining out (or pickup) … have different scorecards (FarmweekNow) https://www.farmweeknow.com/general/food-inflation-remains-highest-away-from-home/article_044245d7-ffd2-4eab-afd6-aa596e838b62.html   While we have focus on skirmishes with other countries, will we soon have to worry about getting along with other planets?  UFO information might soon be released. Scary (PBS) https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-drops-hints-of-whats-coming-in-new-batch-of-ufo-files-set-for-release   And there might be a break for Medicare users who want to use GLP1 drugs … as costs are coming down if you fit some pretty common characteristics (NPR) https://www.npr.org/2026/05/06/nx-s1-5812662/medicare-bridge-glp1-drugs-copay The statements above are supplied for educational purposes only. The statements depict the viewpoints and opinion of the author and are not necessarily the views of Emerald Asset Management or its affiliates. The information described herein is taken from sources which are believed to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of such information is not guaranteed by us. Emerald Asset Management PA, LLC | 717-556-8900 | 3175 Oregon Pike, Leola, PA 17540 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list. ———————————————————————————- The statements above are supplied for educational purposes only. The statements depict the viewpoints and opinion of the author and are not necessarily the views of Emerald Asset Management or its affiliates. The information described herein is taken from sources which are believed to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of such information is not guaranteed by us.