1) Stock pickers must be glistening (sweating?) with excitement as they witness the HVAC Index climb up the charts, not unlike the temperatures outside. The index, which tracks HVAC manufacturers, is up ~20% since June, versus the S&P 500’s ~9%. This is not investment advice, nor do we want it to be, but it appears betting money on rising temps is a surefire strategy at the moment.
2) Could the ultimate meal combo be feeding yourself… and your electric car? With EV charging taking more time than filling up with gas, franchised restaurants with large geographic footprints are well-positioned to serve up a new item on their menus: battery juice. Subway, for instance, with 20k stores in the US, is planning to build Subway Oasis charging parks with car chargers, WiFi, picnic tables, and more.
3) The elderberry industry (which consists of nutritional supplements, flavoring, and coloring) is now worth $320m annually in the US. That’s according to the American Botanical Council — which, despite our hopes, is not a group of wise plants sitting around an old wooden table.
4) New York City is considering closing 20 acres of Van Cortlandt Park to house a temporary 34k-seat cricket stadium for six games of the 2024 T20 World Cup. The International Cricket Council estimates hosting the games would generate $163m for the city, including $129m for the Bronx, which seems a tad optimistic — and that isn’t how many locals feel. They are not thrilled by the idea.
