Happy Valentine’s Day! The chart above is from The Economist and highlights the 5 most expensive cities in the world, for dinner for two. Not surprisingly, New York City gets the top spot in the US, with a dinner date coming close to $600.

What stands out to me, however, is how inexpensive a bottle of wine is in both Shanghai and Paris - good to know for future travels.

What do Valentine’s Day and the stock market have in common?

Initially, I had nothing, so I leveraged technology and turned to ChatGPT. Here’s what artificial intelligence had to say:

“Valentine's Day and the stock market, seemingly unrelated, share unexpected similarities. Both involve emotions, unpredictability, and the potential for gains or losses.

Managing relationships and portfolios both demand careful planning, risk management, and adaptability. Just as couples navigate the complexities of love, investors navigate the complexities of financial markets.

Surprises are inherent in both realms. Couples speculate on the success of romantic gestures, while investors speculate on stock performance. Uncertainty adds an element of risk and excitement to both Valentine's Day and the stock market.

Despite their apparent differences, love and financial investments intersect in the realms of emotions, risk, and unpredictability. Valentine's Day and the stock market remind us that navigating relationships or investments requires a blend of strategic thinking, adaptability, and a willingness to embrace the unexpected.”

This week’s unexpected: Inflation came in hot

On Tuesday morning the monthly inflation data was released and the readings were higher than expected. The chart below shows that the stock market wasn’t pleased with the results. Immediately after the release the market sold off, which you can see in the big red bar called a “candlestick”, which represents the 30 minutes of trading between 8:30 am - 9:00 am.

The S&P 500 continued to decline throughout the day, finishing down -1.37%. Not great, but perfectly normal after some less-than-perfect news.

Just like in successful relationships, investing in the stock market requires a long-term commitment. There will be ups and downs like we’re experiencing this week, but it’s how we handle those ups and downs that makes all the difference.

Thanks for reading, have a great day!

Brian