The Global Hustlr Weekly Market Brief

👋 Hey Hustlr,

We are approaching the end of 2025. 

The next 7 days are officially the Santa Claus Rally period. .

The Santa Rally is a historical stock market trend where prices often rise in the last 5 trading days of December and the first 2 of January, driven by holiday optimism, bonuses, and tax moves. 

It's buzzing now as we're nearing year-end.

In this week’s brief, I’ll break down what happened in simple, friendly language so you can understand the big moves, why they matter for you, and how to position your portfolio for the next phase of this cycle.

Let’s get into it.

☕️ QUICK BREW: THIS WEEK’S TOP MARKET-MOVING HEADLINES

• 📊 Markets moved sideways while money shifted into value and financials 

• 🏦 Fed cut rates, but warned it’s not cutting again soon 

• 💼 Jobs softened, and shoppers became more careful 

• 🛢 Oil dropped on peace hopes and too much supply 

• 🪙 Gold stayed strong, while Bitcoin struggled 

• 🌍 Geopolitics stayed noisy, keeping investors cautious

🔑 THE BIG STORIES

1. Rotation Season — Money Moves Quietly

Think of the market like a school cafeteria. Everyone used to crowd around the “cool kids’ table” — the big AI and tech stocks. 

But this week, people quietly started moving to other tables: value stocks, financials, industrials, and small caps.

Investors took profits from the big winners of 2025 and looked for cheaper stocks with more stable earnings. 

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended slightly positive, while the Dow and small caps lagged.

Why it matters:

If most of your U.S. portfolio is sitting in the same big tech names everyone owns, you’re taking more risk than you realise. This is a good time to slowly shift some money into value stocks, dividend payers, and broad ETFs that spread your risk.

Oil Takes a Hit

Oil prices fell to their lowest levels since 2021. 

Traders are hoping for progress toward peace between Russia and Ukraine, and they also see that global oil supply is still high. Even with new tanker restrictions on Venezuela, the overall picture stayed weak. OPEC didn’t step in to tighten supply.

Why it matters:

Cheaper oil is good for consumers and many businesses, but tough for energy stocks. If you invest in oil companies or energy ETFs, expect more ups and downs. Stick with strong, low-cost producers or big diversified companies — not risky, heavily indebted ones.

Gold Up, Bitcoin Down

Gold hovered near record highs because investors wanted safety. When the world feels uncertain, gold acts like a “financial seatbelt.” Bitcoin, however, stayed in a downtrend after breaking a key support level. Many traders think it could fall further unless it regains momentum.

Why it matters:

Gold and Bitcoin play very different roles.

• Gold = stability

• Bitcoin = high-risk, high-reward

Treat them differently so one doesn’t throw off your whole plan.

💡 What This Means for Your Investments

• Diversify on purpose. Don’t let your portfolio depend on a handful of tech stocks. 

• Expect more swings. Use dips to add to strong, long-term positions. 

• Watch the signals. Weak oil + strong gold usually means investors are getting cautious. 

• Keep crypto small. Bitcoin should be a tiny, clearly defined part of your portfolio.

✅ Quick Action Steps

• Trim oversized AI/tech positions and spread that money into broad ETFs and value names 

• Add a small gold allocation as a hedge 

• Stick with high-quality companies that can handle slower growth • Invest in small batches instead of going all-in at once 

• Keep a watchlist of 5–10 U.S. stocks or ETFs you want to buy at good prices

🔍 IMPORTANT FINANCE EVENT (AND WHAT IT MEANS)

Gold Has Outperformed the S&P 500 Over ~30 Years

Long-term charts show that from the mid-1990s to today, gold’s total return has slightly beaten the S&P 500 — especially if you start measuring near the dot-com bubble peak. 

This doesn’t mean gold is “better than stocks forever,” but it shows how powerful long periods of money printing, crises, and low interest rates can be for hard assets.

What this means:

Gold isn’t just a shiny rock. It has acted like a long-term shield against currency problems, policy mistakes, and financial crises. 

For African investors who already face currency risk at home, gold (or gold ETFs) can be an extra layer of protection.

Long-term insight:

Over 100 years, stocks usually beat gold. But over certain 20–30-year periods — especially when starting at stock market peaks — gold can win.

The real lesson: Mixing productive assets (stocks) with scarce assets (gold) makes your portfolio stronger.

How to position:

Consider a small allocation to gold (5–10%) through gold ETFs. Keep your main growth engine in broad U.S. equity funds and quality stocks, and let gold act as your “panic and policy” hedge.

📈 TOP STOCK THIS WEEK: 

Micron Technology (MU);The AI Memory Workhorse

Micron had a huge week after reporting earnings that beat expectations. Think of Micron as the company selling “fuel” to the entire AI industry. Every time a big tech company trains a new AI model or builds a faster data center, it needs memory chips — and Micron is one of the main suppliers.

Simple Breakdown

What Micron does: • Makes memory chips used in AI, data centers, and high-end computers • Beat earnings and revenue expectations • Management expects strong future sales thanks to AI demand • Profits and cash flow are rising

How the chart looks: • Price is above key moving averages — a sign of an uptrend • Dips keep getting bought • Earnings pushed the stock to new highs

Where it could go: If AI demand stays strong, analysts see room for Micron to grow earnings and rise over the next few years — with normal ups and downs along the way.

Why it matters for you:

Micron is a “picks and shovels” AI play — it sells the essential tools everyone needs. For African investors wanting AI exposure, Micron is a cleaner, more stable option than speculative software names.

📈 Top ETF This Week: 

First Trust NASDAQ Semiconductor ETF (FTXL)

The Chip All-Star Team

Instead of betting on one chip company, FTXL lets you own a whole team of them. It’s like buying the entire starting lineup instead of choosing one star player.

What FTXL is:

• An ETF that owns many U.S. semiconductor stocks • Includes profitable companies tied to AI, cloud, smartphones, and cars • Gives you exposure to several long-term growth trends at once

How the chart looks:

• Has trended higher over the past year • Shows normal chip-sector volatility — sharp drops followed by recoveries • Often stays above long-term moving averages

Where it could go:

As long as the world needs more chips — for AI, EVs, cloud computing, and automation — semiconductor ETFs like FTXL can keep growing over time.

Think of it like a long road trip: there will be bumps, but the direction is forward.

📣 Final Sip

Wealth is built in seasons like this — when markets are shifting, headlines are noisy, and most people are either frozen or gambling.

Your edge is staying calm, informed, and intentional. You don’t need to predict every move. You just need a simple plan, steady diversification, and the discipline to follow it.

Keep going. You’re building something real.

🚀 Join the Movement

If this breakdown helped you see US markets more clearly from Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, Johannesburg, or the diaspora, share it with one friend who’s ready to start investing globally.

The Global Hustlr exists to help African professionals build real, dollar-denominated wealth through simple, smart investing in the world’s biggest markets—one weekly newsletter at a time.

This newsletter is strictly educational and not investment advice . The content provided does not constitute personal advice or a personal recommendation. No content should be relied upon as constituting personal advice or a personal recommendation when making your decisions. If you require any personal advice or recommendations, please speak to an independent qualified financial adviser.