The January Effect or Affect

Dear Stock Pawnshop followers:

We hope everybody is having a good start to 2026, except for Putin, Ayatollah, and Xi. Dr. Rhesus is recovering from a wild New Year’s Eve party, but he plans on returning to work after Valentine’s Day. Rumor has it there is an upcoming hot date with a three year old golden doodle (that’s 21 in dog years, thus perfectly legal).

Your stock pawnstars attened the Consumer Electronics Show. We rode underground in a Tesla (aka Vegas Loop) to our destinations. Afterward, we were running in circles screaming “the robots are coming, the robots are coming”. We witnessed humanoids doing household chores like folding clothes, to giving tennis lessons, and yes, making whoopee with real mammal parts.

The advancements are happening faster than most people think. Automation and robotics along with a healthy shot of AI will negatively affect employment. Although, demand for other jobs will occur, think mental health counselors. Statifacts is forecasting the robotics market to be worth several hundred million dollars in size as we exit this decade and growing north of twenty percent per annum.

Magnets are a necessary ingredient for the coming revolution. Rare earths are used to manufacture them. Unfortunately, our country has underinvested in mining and refining rare earths and critical minerals. China has been the global supplier. It will take a while, but the United States and it’s allies (?) will establish supply chains that do not include China. To that end we spent some valuable time in the USA Rare Earth, Inc booth at the show. We stuck our toe in the water which ultimately paid for the CES trip. Yesterday, USAR took a loan and sold stock to the United States Department of Commerce aka Lutnickland. We think this stock can double in the next few years.

We find it noteworthy that a few of our hard asset write ups are doing well year to date:

US Antimony (UAMY) up 97.41%

Energy Fuels (UUUU) up 70.02%

North American Construction Group (NOA) up roughly 5%

Stay tuned, as the Outlaw Josey Graves has a story that will make your hair stand up. I think a suitable title will be 8 Weeks Til Waco

Stay Tuned