How are economies navigating the balance between global trade and long-term sustainability? 🌍
Our partner, @hinrichfdn, has released the 2026 Sustainable Trade Index, examining economic, societal, and environmental dimensions of sustainable trade across 30 economies.
Explore and download the full 2026 report: https://t.co/AbVTYzdwBj
Investor appetite for leverage is through the roof:
10 largest US leveraged equity ETFs have attracted +$12 billion in inflows over the last month.
This is despite the market cap of these funds falling -$20 billion over the same period.
Recent inflow growth has been led by the 3x leveraged long Semiconductor ETF, $SOXL, which attracted +$9 billion over the last 2 weeks, its largest 2-week inflow on record.
The 3x leveraged long Nasdaq 100 ETF, $TQQQ, posted +$1.3 billion in inflows, its 2nd-largest 2-week intake of 2026.
Over the last 5 months, the 10 largest US leveraged equity ETFs have attracted +$19 billion in inflows.
Investors are piling into leveraged ETFs at a record pace.
The picture is of a market with an increasingly powerful mechanical bid underneath it. Something that does not evaluate, that does not read a rally as useful information at all, and that shows up on declines with a size and a speed that has no precedent https://t.co/SfWc15mOPR
Nomura Report on Global Memory- 10.19.2026
Nomura's central thesis: The market is overestimating risks surrounding AI financing, slowing AI revenue growth and Chinese memory competition, while underestimating the earnings and cash-generation opportunity of memory manufacturers.
They expect memory supply constraints to persist through at least 2028, supporting an extended period of favorable pricing and profitability.
→ AI infrastructure demand is accelerating.
Nomura forecasts:
- AI data center capacity grows from 34 GW in 2026 to 74 GW in 2028 — approximately 118% expansion in two years.
- AI's share of facility capacity increases from 54% to 76%.
- Total global data center power usage rises from 60 GW in 2025 to 115 GW in 2028.
- Heavy-agent workloads become an increasingly important source of AI power demand.
Nomura considers market concerns surrounding CXMT's progress in 4F² DRAM technology excessive.
Its position:
- CXMT's technological progress does not invalidate the broader supply-constrained memory thesis.
- The breadth of AI demand is being underestimated.
- Global memory supply constraints should persist through at least 2028.
This is particularly relevant to the scarcity thesis for Micron and SK hynix.
They make stock recommendations for Samsung and SK Hynix
🔽 🔽 🔽
Outer Ninth's 3 most important takeaways:
1. The memory scarcity thesis remains intact.
Nomura's expectation of tightness through at least 2028 supports the possibility of an extended earnings cycle, rather than a short-lived pricing spike. This is constructive for Micron, SK hynix and broader memory exposure and inline with our views.
2. The separation between infrastructure spending and economic capture is becoming increasingly important.
The difference between semiconductor suppliers' cash accumulation and data center operators' indebtedness reinforces one of our core research principles: Participation in AI growth does not necessarily translate into equal financial returns.
I've been speaking to you guys more about this recently and I research it thoroughly- debt structure and capital return to shareholders will matter more heading into 2027.
Companies that control scarce, essential components may capture a disproportionate share of the economics.
3. For our memory ecosystem, the most important insight is the potential for an extended period of scarcity-driven earnings growth and economic capture by upstream semiconductor suppliers.
Companies highlighted on our latest memory ecosystem research w/c I reposted this evening:
SK Hynix 하이닉스 https://t.co/l3pqxdNlGQ | $SKHY
Samsung 삼성 https://t.co/uCSFtZz7KB
Micron $MU
Sandisk $SNDK
ESMT 晶豪科 https://t.co/9gQ5dBqaIw
Nanya 南亞科 https://t.co/K4wupSqEE8
Kioxia キオクシア https://t.co/Oo2fzSznto | $KXIAY
Winbond 華邦電 https://t.co/W0z2KrLi5S
Phison 群聯 https://t.co/NNpfiMsIFr
AP Memory 愛普 https://t.co/eTBN8ramTp
Etron 鈺創 https://t.co/1jANKaXPyE
Seagate $STX
Penguin Solutions $PENG
Western Digital $WDC
Transcend 創見 https://t.co/zCSFhND8Cy
PSMC 力積電 (6770)
ETFs- $DRAM & $DISK
AI Beneficiaries:
Investing in Second-Order Effects
I just read this great piece from Counterpoint Global, which puts out some amazing free research.
Highly recommend giving it a read. It’s light, easy to follow, and well worth your time. https://t.co/vuDq80BU33