📉 Down and outage

CrowdStrike outage causes worldwide IT chaos, OpenAI looks beyond Nvidia, and the new era of exorcisms | [Finimize](   TOGETHER WITH     Hi {NAME}, here's what you need to know for July 20th in 3:10 minutes.   📣 They say patience is a virtue – but not this time. Be one of the first 1,000 to get your early-bird ticket to our [Modern Investor Summit](, and you'll be in the running to win an Echo Dot speaker. [Grab your free ticket]( Today's big stories - A swing and the biggest of misses for CrowdStrike led to global IT chaos - There’s a lot going on in the world, but BlackRock’s keeping its focus on these four things – [Read Now]( - OpenAI cozied up to Broadcom for a fresh supply chain connection to reduce its reliance on Nvidia CrowdStrikeout [CrowdStrikeout] What’s going on here? A software update from US cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike [sparked]( a massive global tech outage on Friday, grounding 21,000 planes, halting business, and generally wreaking havoc. What does this mean? Software updates are irritating at the best of times. But when they snarl millions of Microsoft devices, shutting down airlines, banks, grocery checkouts, and logistics all around the world, that’s next level. Now, CrowdStrike’s tech is used by dozens of industries to protect against disruptions, hacks, and outside breaches. So the irony wasn’t lost on folks that it was an update to its system that sent Microsoft Windows crashing, with users encountering the dreaded “blue screen of death” error. Why should I care? For markets: Help desks. The good news is that the snafu wasn’t the result of a cyberattack, according to CrowdStrike. Markets hate uncertainty, and an attack at such a scale would’ve brought plenty – along with fears of retaliation. After just a few chaotic hours, life slowly returned to normal, and US markets kept a mostly even keel. CrowdStrike, on the other hand, didn’t fare so well: its share price plunged more than 10%. And it’s not just that the flub was a bad look for the company: there’s also the expectation that someone will have to foot the bill for the things that went wrong. Bigger picture: Predict the unpredictable. It was a tough end to a difficult week. Investors have become increasingly jittery about AI overspending and tariff threats, and they’ve been selling off tech stocks. That’s left some folks nursing pretty heavy losses. Still, there’s a lesson in all this: a balanced portfolio can help weather unforeseen “black swan” events like this one. And that means looking across different industries and countries for your stock mix, adding in some bonds, and considering other assets like crypto, commodities, and real estate. You might also like: [Your “Global” index fund is basically just a fancy US club](. Copy to share story: [( 🙋 [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question: Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=CrowdStrikeout&utm_campaign=daily-global-20-07-2024&utm_source=email) Analyst Take BlackRock’s Four Things To Keep An Eye On In 2024 [BlackRock’s Four Things To Keep An Eye On In 2024]( It’s a split-screen kind of year with [pivotal moments]( playing out in politics and tech. Half the world’s population will have voted in national elections by the end of 2024. And, alongside that, a wave of spending is happening in the race to build AI, rewire supply chains, and transition to a lower-carbon planet. It’s a lot to [keep your eye on](. So it’s helpful that BlackRock – the $10 trillion asset manager – has come up with a short list of things you should pay attention to. And I’ve pulled together some [investments]( that can help you do just that. That’s today’s Insight: [the four things to watch in 2024](. [Read or listen to the Insight here]( SPONSORED BY STREETBEAT Not everything in finance has to be complicated If you work in finance, you’re probably faced with a ton of difficult decisions day in, day out. So [Streetbeat]( is making one choice easier, by building an [AI-powered platform]( that’s essentially a one-stop shop for finance professionals. StreetbeatPRO’s [AI agents]( are available 24/7, and they’re designed to simplify – sometimes even eliminate – your business tasks. The platform integrates [real-time stock data, alternative data sets, and customer information]( to automate processes, so you can work more efficiently and glean better customer insights. StreetbeatPRO’s cost-effective, easy-to-implement tools are designed to keep things simple – on the surface, anyway. [See how it could change your days, and your business, for the better.]( [Find Out More]( Streetbeat, LLC ("Streetbeat") is an SEC-registered investment adviser. All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of money you invest, and past performance does not guarantee future performance. Any historical returns, expected returns or probability projections are hypothetical and may not reflect actual future performance. See Terms and Conditions at [Streetbeat.com](. When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. If you want your brand featured here, [get in touch.]( OpenAI’s Chatting Up Someone New [OpenAI’s Chatting Up Someone New] What’s going on here? OpenAI is buddying up to Broadcom, roping in the semiconductor whiz to whip up a new chip that could help it stay ahead of the competition. What does this mean? The mastermind behind ChatGPT plans to put some space between itself and the uber-popular Nvidia, broadening its circle of friends across the supply chain. After all, the name of the AI game is capacity – whether that’s chips, energy, or computing. And though Broadcom’s tech may be no match for Nvidia’s right now, that could soon change. In the meantime, OpenAI’s playing like it’s multi-dimensional chess, widening its sphere of influence while launching new chatbot formats. Just this week, the firm debuted GPT-4o Mini: a smaller, 60% cheaper version of its flagship service. Until now, it’s been all about launching the biggest and baddest AI models – but smaller is useful too. Compact models can be more profitable for business clients using AI just for specific tasks. Why should I care? Zooming out: Princes or paupers. Innovation is king in the AI race, and you can’t fit too many bottoms on the throne. Plus, those crowns don’t come cheap: investors are fretting over whether Big Tech’s eye-watering AI spending spree will ever pay off. The likes of Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon are betting massively on AI being the ultimate game-changer. And that’s led to the fastest and biggest infrastructure rollout in history – with more and more data center projects in the works. All the while, investors are still waiting for payoffs from virtual reality, the metaverse, and blockchain. The bigger picture: Showstoppers. Understandably, some tech-weary investors have turned their beady eyes to smaller companies. That’s pushed the small-cap Russell 2000 index up over 9% in the past month. The real test will be whether those little guys can hold folks’ attention: earnings season is just kicking off, and superstar tech stocks have a way of stealing the spotlight. You might also like: [How to stay vigilant and keep momentum on your side](. Copy to share story: [( 🙋 [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question: Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=OpenAI’s Chatting Up Someone New&utm_campaign=daily-global-20-07-2024&utm_source=email) 💬 Quote of the day "Many a trip continues long after movement in time and space have ceased." – John Steinbeck (an American writer) [Tweet this]( Get your mind in the right place, and your portfolio will follow Mindset matters: your perspective on life can affect your work, relationships, and your money. But it’s easy to settle into a comfort zone, even if it’s not your most productive state of mind, and overhauling your way of thinking is no quick task. That’s why Belong’s cofounder and behavioural economist Samantha Rosenberg is presenting our [Secret Strategies Of A Long-Term Investor event](. Join, and you’ll discover essential tools and [habits that can help you build long-term wealth](, and practical advice for implementing them into your existing strategy and day-to-day life. Plus, you’ll be presented with Samantha’s tips for shaping a durable investment journey, which she’s vetted during her career in behavioural economics. [Grab your free ticket to join the event.]( [Get Your Ticket]( 🎯 On Our Radar 1. Satanic panic. TikTok, demons and [the new age of exorcisms](. 2. There’s no shortage of acronyms in crypto. [This guide walks you through two biggies](: DeFi and CeFi.** 3. Queens of the jungle. Meet some of the animal kingdom's most impressive [female-led societies](. 4. Crypto projects thrive on network effects. Here's [what to look at in a crypto project]( to see how much it’s worth.* 5. Yes Chef. Eater asked four chefs to [review the website Yelp]( on its 20th anniversary. **Stocks is a derivative product offered by Change Securities B.V. that replicates the performance of your favourite companies’ shares - full or fractional. When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. 🌍 Finimize Live 🤩 Grab your tickets... 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