Click here to have Wit & Wisdom sent directly to your inbox

Good morning:.

“I bomb you, you bomb me.  We both bomb too easily. Too easily to let it show. I bomb you and that’s all I know.”

NBC News is reporting that the situation in Iran has taken on a more serious tone in the last 24 hours as Iran fired missiles at U.S. bases located in neighboring countries, while the U.S. launched a wave of “large and powerful” strikes … according to President Trump.

As a result, Brent crude is now over $95/barrel and AAA reports the national average price of a gallon of gas jumped to $4.12.

The obvious questions of course relate to whether or not both sides have just let off steam and will now get serious on an agreement … even another temporary one.  There are sanctions in place and The Guardian reports these are severely hurting Iran.  Additionally, Secretary Bessent made a statement on TV that in 2 years, the Strait will be “worthless” as plans have started to bypass this important waterway and bring oil through pipelines … but that, of course, assumes those pipelines are devoid of political extortionary actions.

And bonds … oh boy … bond yields have gone up at the same time though the President of the New York Federal Reserve feels this is strictly due to a strong economy although he does say he sees, “no clear sign … whether monetary policy currently is sufficient to make sure we bring inflation back to target in the next year or two.”  What concerned me about this was the comment, “in a year or two.”  I am an impatient man. That’s far too long for me to wait.

I included an article today that seemed quite balanced (a rarity) on the topic of AI Data Centers … as the author visited an area in Virginia known as “Data Center Alley” where residents seem to enjoy lower property taxes and higher home prices due to the many large Data Centers, but admit that there is a certain quality of life sacrificed as trees are removed, landscapes redesigned and some hear a constant hum from the machines.  And it appears on a national level that regardless of the many protests in many communities, they are coming.

Speaking of AI (on a positive market day), Daily Shot reports a majority of survey respondents feel AI stocks are right now “in a bubble” … but it will not pop within the next year.

Meanwhile a story is in the news this morning that Hirosaki Castle in Japan … built in 1611 and weighing around 800,000 pounds needed to be moved around 250 feet.  To involve the community (and not cause damage to the building) the solution was that volunteers, using ropes, would pull the important castle into position.

Think about this for a moment …

1800 volunteers, young and old alike, successfully dragging a 400-ton castle without objection.

Please share this with any employees who loudly complain about the difficulty caused by moving a Zoom meeting.

Have a great day,

Joseph G. Witthohn, CFA

Have any questions? Please contact info@teamemerald.com

New and want to subscribe to Wit & Wisdom? Subscribe here   A Look At The News | September 2, 2026 As of 11:57 AM today … Bond yields continue to rise … and even as borrowing costs go up the economy is still growing. Is this the price we pay for success? (APNews) https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-trump-federal-reserve-52d5e82d851a624b95bc142a0c90d924   … even so, the jobs market is not moving in lockstep with the stock market and the economy as the private payroll employment number is weaker than was anticipated (CNBC) https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/02/private-payrolls-rose-by-38000-in-august-fewer-than-expected-adp-reports.html   Iran is facing economic concerns as not only is the U.S. trying to choke off their financial air supply, but one cabinet member claims the Strait will eventually become “worthless” (Benzinga) https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/26/09/61566631/scott-bessent-strait-hormuz-worthless-piece-of-water-two-years-economically-asphyxiate-iran   People are losing faith in the government … but one main item is the growing belief that corruption is widespread … and getting worse (Gallup) https://news.gallup.com/poll/713933/record-high-say-government-corruption-widespread.aspx   As Americans age (with the number of “centenarians” projected to grow substantially) health problems increase making it quite important to look for early signs of problems (RollingOut) https://rollingout.com/2026/09/01/signs-your-cholesterol-dangerously-high/   Data Centers … evil? Beneficial? This article discusses in what appears to be a balanced article the situation seen in what is now known as the “AI Data Center capital of the world” (TheVerge) https://www.theverge.com/cs/features/975597/loudoun-county-virginia-data-center-backlash 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.