Meet your makers, America

[The beef 675] [I'm an image] “I just kind of assumed that everything was manufactured in China at this point...” - Raging Bull’s intern, probably [Read The Beef Online - Click Here]( Hey there carnivores, Markets fell again today following a worrisome manufacturing report. Today we’re diving into that very report. Keep raging, Jeff & Jason [Image] [I'm an image] Meet your maker US manufacturers faced another slowdown in November, according to the ISM Manufacturing report released yesterday. Investors expected a reading of 49.4 but got [a measly 48.1](. At least I'm not the only one letting people down this holiday season (spoiler: it's my parents). This isn't great considering its a decline from last month's piss poor showing (48.3). WTF does this number mean again? Apparently, per capita, opioid abuse isn’t the only way to measure a manufacturing decline... The ISM number is an indication of the percentage of manufacturers with goals to expand operations. Anything below 50 usually means that operations are slowing down, which was the case in November… for the fourth straight month. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation... just like the one you give your boss when he asks why that deck isn't done yet. So what’s the deal? Well, manufacturing firms reported a drop in new orders and inventories, which are the main culprits for the current slide. New orders saw a drop of 1.9 percentage points from the previous month. Inventories, on the other hand, fell 3.4 percentage points. Inventories, for the record, are a major indicator of GDP output. Woof. Cause and effect US stocks [took a beating]( thanks to the manufacturing industry’s poor showing. The Dow fell 0.9% on the day. Its brethren over at the S&P did the same. The Nasdaq, not to be outdone, fell 1% on the day. The S&P’s drop was the biggest one-day loss for the index since October. Just trying to help Donald Trump [jumped into the fray]( on Monday. As he is wont to do. Amid manufacturing’s current slide, DJT revamped tariffs on steel and aluminum being imported from Brazil and Argentina. According to El Presidente, those taxes will bolster US manufacturers and farmers. How a potentially expanding trade war will help manufacturers and farmers is TBD. The bottom line... The last time Donnie Deals put the pressure on foreign steel, US steelmakers saw a nice little jump in prices, while also increasing production. Farmers, for now, are still feeling the effects of China’s retaliatory tariffs on US agricultural goods, but the new taxes on steel and aluminum could help cut costs on farm equipment, since, believe it or not, farm equipment is made out of steel and aluminum. Most other investors have their eyes on December 15th, the US deadline to either greenlight new tariffs against China or reach a “phase one” trade deal (or a potential delay). Happy holidays! Bottom line: “I’ve literally never met anyone who works in a factory.” - Raging Bull’s intern, probably [I'm an image] Let’s be honest… you settled for that go nowhere job, the reliable car with great MPG, and that house in the ‘burbs with a white picket fence. But you should never settle when it comes to investing ... [Join us for Kyle’s Raptor5 event this]( [Thursday at 8:30 PM ET]( You’ll learn how to hunt down profits that are way out of your league. [I'm an image] ☑️ "Mind the store." Jack Dorsey sees Africa as the future of payments and plans to [spend 3-6 months there in 2020](, according to a Twitter post he put out last week. The Square and Twitter CEO has apparently been working with crypto entrepreneurs on the continent. Investors and analysts agree that there is an opportunity for growth but there is fear that his domestic companies will deteriorate if Dorsey spends too much time abroad. Just like a college kid's grades. The fact that Dorsey already runs two companies presents a risk, but he may have to decide if he wants to sacrifice appeasing investors for a potential boon to his companies. ☑️ What did you call me? McDonald’s is going all Biff Tannen on us, calling for chicken as a Popeyes and Chick-Fil-A battle have left Mickey D’s in the dust when it comes to sandwich options. The fast-food joint announced that [it is testing]( a Crispy Chicken Sandwich in Houston and Knoxville, Tennesee. The taste test which launched yesterday will run through January 26th. Franchisees have been asking for a Southern-style chicken sandwich as other restaurants have been cutting into their chicken business. ☑️ Jetstream. Roku’s stock got slammed Monday as [Morgan Stanley cut its rating](. MS expects Roku’s gross profit and revenue prospects to slow meaningfully over the next year, sending the stock down 17% on the day. Roku’s stock is up 350% this year thanks to the increase in streaming services that will use its technology. The problem now, according to analysts, is that its valuation has gotten too high and there is no place to go but down. “Hold my beer” - Beyond Meat. ☑️ Bad press is bad press. Peloton is [catching major backlash]( after its latest ad campaign hit the airwaves. It features a fit mother who documents her Peloton journey over a year. Did we mention the woman’s husband got her the stationary bike for Christmas? Somehow nobody on the Peleton creative team realized how much of an insult it is for a man to get his wife an exercise bike as a Christmas gift. The video has gotten more dislikes than likes on YouTube at a ratio of 15:1 ... yikes! Surprisingly, Peloton’s shares rose 5% yesterday and the stock has risen 47% since it IPO’d in September. Apparently, a lot of guys are going to be sleeping on the couch in 2020. 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