All aboard the trainwreck ??

Seems not even a frenzied mob may halt Netflix’s (NFLX) limp biscuit subscriber numbers. Yet while far from trainwreck territory, their subscriber slowdown is yet to make its toxic seep into Mickey’s house. Last week the more family-friendly affordable Disney+ (DIS) service announced they’d welcomed 14.4 million new subscribers to their 152.1 million in the quarter, beating analyst predictions by 44%. The news fired up the legacy entertainment company’s share prices 12%. ?? A stark contrast to Netflix 1 million subscriber losses in the same quarter.?

Meanwhile, as climate change continues to wreak havoc, turning even England’s green and pleasant lands into chariots of fire, it seems that sustainability efforts have yet to pull the brakes. ??? Chinese fast fashion giant Shein is hurtling down the tracks despite accusations of ‘unethical practices’. Their sales have grown 64% year-on-year, earning them the number two fashion ecommerce spot. And according to Apptopia, they’re 25% ahead of Amazon (AMZN) for app downloads, sliding into second place globally behind the ‘Amazon of China’, JD.com (JD).

Celebrity-backed plant-based foods that boast a cult-like status, Beyond Meat (BYND), Tattooed Chef (TTCF) and Oatly (OTLY), can’t seem to stop Mother Earth careering full steam ahead into climate calamity either. Beyond Meat is yet to curb our enthusiasm for beef, with consumers feeling inflation’s pinch choosing ‘cheaper protein options’. ?? Despite the Tattooed Chef’s revenue moving up 15.6% year-on-year, they’ve missed analysts’ expectations by 9.2% and fallen nearly 20% below their last quarter earnings, leading #finfluencer Daniel Pronk to trash talk them, saying their stock value may shrink to US$0.?

And yet despite dairy prices slowing down, Oatly’s share price is coming off the tracks, nearly 80% down since listing in 2021, and recently they’ve rejected claims by Spruce Point Capital that they’ve misled investors. Not great news for Coinbase (COIN) investor Garry Tan, who invested in the milk alternative, and who’s just seen the crypto exchange nearly derail after $1 billion losses. Here’s hoping we don’t find him under a bridge downtown warming his tootsies on an out of control fire. ??

Are demon meme stocks rising from the dead? ??

They’re backkkk!! ??

Just when we all thought it was safe to go to sleep, meme stonks are making a comeback like a trashy ‘80s horror movie that just won’t quit. The Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (BBBY) share price has exploded more than 170% in the last month and not because we’re all buying fuzzy bed socks. The company’s sales, in fact, plummeted in the most recent quarter, one which saw CEO Mark Tritton walk away from his job. ?? Other ‘classic’ meme stocks have resurrected too, finding their way into top spots among Fidelity’s most traded list last week.

Reddit speculators may be trying to conjure up some of 2021’s meme stock magic, but in China meme stocks go by a very different name. Stocks that trend in unusual ways or contrary to the general market are known as ‘Demon Stocks’. That’s the name given to Hong Kong based AMTD Digital (HKD), which blasted into investing folklore this month with a jaw-dropping 32,000% share price rise. Another case of mistaken identity? ?? The company’s name is awfully close to that of chipmaker AMD (AMD) and their ticker symbol ‘HKD’ could be confused with a certain currency by the same name. Or, yunno, maybe someone just whispered ‘AMTD Digital’ five times into a mirror? ??

Just like the All Blacks, the Nasdaq Index has also returned from the dead. The index has risen 20% from its deathly June lows. Too soon to break out the rocket emojis?? ?????? Hatch investors reckon we shouldn’t be too quick to celebrate. The recent revival could simply be a ‘bear market rally’. Sounds like a good time to dust off the official Hatch ouija board to find out. What could possibly go wrong? ??

Oil goes from pumped to dumped ??

After months of feeling pumped at the pumps, fuel prices are finally starting to come down, and we’re not mad about it. The price of oil has been on a slippery slope downwards over the last two months. Falling more than 20% from June to around US$90 per barrel. Good thing we don’t have to apply for that second mortgage on our metaverse real estate just yet! ??

Why’s oil gone from ‘pumped’ to ‘dumped’? Over in the US, President Joe Biden would like you to think it’s the result of divine, presidential intervention, after the White House sent a few strongly worded tweets to US oil companies and released some of its personal stash of oil reserves. ??? However, experts say the bigger driver is has likely been slowing demand as world economies cool and we all start debating whether it’s a recession or not. On one hand that seems bad. But on the other hand, falling US petrol prices helped to ease the squeeze being felt on our wallets from rising inflation in July. ??

Have energy stocks been dumped too? Hahahaha, no. In the world of cyclical commodity prices, oil prices can be notoriously volatile. This often extends to the giant companies pumping it out of the ground. However, the recent dip in oil prices hasn’t taken much of the shine off the share price of some oil major producers. Shares in Exxon Mobil (XOM) are still up almost 50% this year, while the share price of Occidental Petroleum (OXY) has more than doubled. That might be thanks to old mate Warren Buffett, who through his company Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) now owns more than 20% of the company. That’ll help ensure he has plenty of gas to fill his 2014 Cadillac next time he pulls up to the pump. ?

We’re not financial advisors and Hatch news is for your information only. However dazzling our writing, none of it is a recommendation to invest in any of the companies or funds mentioned. If you want support before making any investment decisions, consider seeking financial advice from a licensed provider. We’ve done our best to ensure all information is current when we pushed ‘publish’ on this article. And of course, with investing, your money isn’t guaranteed to grow and there’s always a risk you might lose money.