Hello and welcome to Insider Investing. I’m Joe Ciolli, and I’m here to guide you through what’s been happening in markets, as well as what to expect in the coming weeks. Here’s what’s on the docket:
Have thoughts on the newsletter? Just want to talk markets? Feel free to drop me a line at jciolli@insider.com or on Twitter @JoeCiolli.
Your weekly outlook
The past week saw the market zeitgeist shift somewhat away from the pesky day-trading rascals on Reddit and towards bitcoin, which repeatedly set new records. The red-hot cryptocurrency got a coveted co-sign from Tesla, which said that it bought $1.5 billion worth and would start accepting it as payment.
It then surged even more to all-time highs after further adoption from the likes of Mastercard and BNY Mellon. With bitcoin now back at record highs, some age-old questions will persist over the coming weeks: Can increasingly widespread adoption continue to offset concerns the coin’s price is overextended? And who else will follow the lead of these high-profile companies?
But the return of crypto didn’t mean all was quiet on the Reddit front. There was significant day-trader interest around cannabis stocks throughout the week, pegged to expectations that federal legalization will gather steam under the Biden administration. Volume for options – the preferred investing vehicle for risk-hungry Wall Street Bets users – surged to records.
The initial pop in cannabis names did quickly subside, raising questions of whether the Reddit crowd will again be able to achieve the level of consensus and interest that made its GameStop wager so effective. The sudden interest in the cannabis space also showed the unpredictability of the Reddit cohort, which seems to shift its focus at a moment’s notice.
Lastly, stimulus will remain at top of mind for investors this coming week, even if progress has been slow and frustrating at times. The market still responds immediately to any sort of incremental development, so keep an eye out for guidance from politicans or further package details.
