ON MIKE’S MIND
What a week!
As tensions simmered at the borders, we at the Co/Investors Club pulled off a major financial victory - the $75m Amaze/Fresh Vine acquisition/merger!
It took us 18 months to complete…
And, lo and behold, we announced it Monday just as the markets were tanking hard, drowning out our victory song.
Great news. Rotten timing.
Still, we are thrilled at the new opportunities we’ve opened in the creator and ecommerce economy.
You can read more about it here.
Then, wasting no time, on Thursday, I flew to NYC to explore partnership opportunities for the new entity.
While there, I connected super successful Founder, Chairman & CEO of Live One, Inc (Nasdaq:LVO) Rob Ellin to our friends at Branded Hospitality (remember the Shaq deal we offered you a couple months ago? Yes, that one, the one that has already drawn in an new infusion of $25m!). That was our friends at Branded.
Live One agreed to bring on Branded’s already popular hospitality Podcast to their network.
Another win.
That night, I had dinner with two longtime friends, shareholders, and business partners of Amaze/FVW who agreed to participate in a current funding round for the growth of yet another very special opportunity.
Friday AM, Rob Ellin was kind to host me for breakfast where we discussed all things Micro/Small caps and he agreed to be our newest Co/Investor Club member.
Then, in the taxi n the way to airport, I held conference call about a fascinating new Public Venture opportunity. MDB Capital (Nasdaq:MDBH), introduced to me by fellow Chanticleer and long-time business associate Matt Hayden and I explored MORE OPPORTUNITIES for the Club.
And that means more opportunities for you.
Look, I’m glad to be home and back at the gym.
But it sure was a gratifying week.
Please pay close attention in the coming weeks because we will be bringing you not only cutting-edge news but new opportunities to build wealth…
… opportunities you will only find in the Club.
- Mike
THE MARKETS
As I’m sure you know - the S&P 500 has reached correction territory, having fallen over 10% since February’s high at 6147.43
S&P 500: +0.73%, DJI: -0.58%, NASDAQ Composite: +1.79%
Interest rates rose throughout the week, with the 10-year yield rising 12 basis points to 4.32 and the 2-year yield rising 3 basis points 4.02
Consumer Sentiment was well below forecasts at 57.9, the lowest since November 2022
Bitcoin bottomed out at $76,642 earlier this week before bouncing back by the end of the week.
BTC: -2.09%, ETH: -11.74%, XRP: +2.76%
A Story The Club is Watching… Closely!
We’re not only watching this story — this week, we ARE the story! Here’s the official story from the Amaze Blog…
Fresh Vine Wine Acquires Amaze Software Inc.
WISE WORDS
“The antidote to trade deficits is not protectionism but more competitiveness.” - Warren Buffett
"Invert, always invert. Turn a situation or problem upside down. Look at it backward. What happens if all our plans go wrong? Where don't we want to go, and how do we get there?" - Charlie Munger
Reflections on the Week…
Once again, Trump has dominated of the news cycle. It’s what he does.
His announcement of fresh tariffs on steel and aluminum and his continued, eyebrow-raising claims about Canada and Greenland have kept markets - and Canadians (!) - on edge. Canada and the European Union wasted no time to retaliate, strategically targeting industries rooted in red states—agriculture, alcohol, and auto manufacturing.
Bourbon, a booming global export, is now caught in the crossfire of retaliatory tariffs from Europe and Canada. Smaller distilleries are especially vulnerable, forced to absorb the rising costs or pass them on to customers. The bourbon industry had barely recovered from the last round of trade wars before being thrown back into economic limbo.
“They’re happening. They’re not happening. They’re on. They’re off. It doesn’t allow us the timeframe we need,” Yarbrough said in an interview. “We can’t plan.” - Victor Yarbrough, CEO of the Kentucky-Based Bourbon Producer, Brough Brothers
For an industry that prides itself on craftsmanship, quality, and patience—where barrels of whiskey take years to mature—this instability is anything but welcome. Kentucky, the heartland of bourbon production, is a key political battleground. If history has shown anything, voters don’t take kindly to policies that hit their wallets—or their whiskey shelves.
Whiskey isn’t the only industry calling for the Trump administration to rethink its approach. U.S. automakers are also feeling the squeeze, and none other than Tesla has voiced concern. In an unsigned letter, the EV giant warned that the new tariffs would create major disruptions for the auto industry, raising costs for raw materials and increasing the price of manufacturing.
Of course, Musk’s antics have driven Tesla sales down globally. Bumper stickers apologizing “Sorry, I bought this before Elon went nuts” are popping up acros the country, Teslas are being vandalized, protests have been organized outside Tesla stores… so yeah. They’ve got a few problems.
With foreign retaliatory tariffs making U.S.-made vehicles more expensive in key global markets, competitors like European and Chinese automakers are likely to build on their edge.
In the midst of it all, Trump classified disruptive Tesla dealership protests as "domestic terrorism” and decided to buy a Tesla himself. Theatrics vs. mass revulsion? It’s your dollar.
How are tariff’s impacting agriculture?
China, one of the largest buyers of American soybeans, has responded to tariffs by shifting its purchases to other countries, such as Brazil and Argentina. In a grand irony, the Department of Agriculture is asking for help on egg imports from Greenland’s baby daddy - Denmark - as bird flu ravages the global supply of eggs.
Are these ripples in the Matrix of the beginnings of shockwaves?
While the U.S. relies less on international trade than many other nations, history has shown that aggressive tariffs can have unintended consequences. When President Hoover enacted 20% tariffs following the 1929 stock market crash, global trade collapsed by nearly two-thirds, exacerbating the Great Depression.
Today’s economy and global supply chain are far more intertwined. And the burden of tariffs is rarely shared equally. Lower- and middle-class Americans, already facing economic strain, are the most likely to feel the squeeze as prices rise and global demand shifts elsewhere.
As we know, history doesn’t repeat; it rhymes. Whether these trade policies result in a transformative moment, are meant to serve as a detox, or give us a dead cat bounce in American exceptionalism remains to be seen.
Stay alert.
The Savvy Investor…
An Update on Classic Value Investing
Is 2025 the Year of the Return of the IPO?? GS Thinks So!
And Private Debt Funds are GROWING. Want to know why?
Poor Cocoa Yield in Ivory Coast
Bring Him to the Greek… Investment Grade Bonds
Capitala Group reaches $1 billion in Commitments
Publisher’s Note:
First off - hat’s off to Mike Pruitt for pulling off the Fresh Vine Wine/Amaze acquisition.
Sooooooooooo much work goes into these things behind the scene and it’s been a win/win for everyone involved.
Out here on the West Coast, I had lunch with Issuance CEO Darren Marble who is bringing his game-changing “TV” series “Going Public” to X early this Summer.
We are exploring multiple ways to leverage growth together and bring our combined resources to create innovative new opportunities for you.
These are interesting times, to say the least, which means opportunities abound.
And more than ever, we see enormous opportunities continue to open in the private markets.
More to come on this.
Shout out to my Mom, who turns 96 years old today.
Still does the NYT crossword puzzle every morning.
Still corrects my grammar.
Love you, Mom.
To Our Co/Success!
Adam Gilad
Publisher, The Co/Investor Club
p.s. Again - Please go here to learn more about the many benefits of becoming a Premium Member of the Club now - while we still have our 83% discount for current subscribers.
And have a great week!
If you have not already upgraded your membership…
Chat with Mike
Whether you’re an executive with investment opportunities or a college student looking to network, we would love to chat with you! Email our Founder, Mike Pruitt, at mp@coinvestorclub.com with questions and ideas or schedule a meeting.
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