Prof G Markets: Is Breaking Up Intel The Right Move? + The New Gold Rush
Feb 24, 2025
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Josh Brown, co-founder and CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, shares his insights on the tech landscape and the potential breakup of Intel. He discusses how poor leadership has contributed to Intel's decline and the need for visionary guidance in the semiconductor industry. The conversation pivots to gold's surge, where Josh explains why banks are pushing gold into the U.S., while questioning whether it's a wise investment compared to stocks. The episode dives into the changing cryptocurrency strategies and their long-term implications for companies.
The decline in U.S. housing starts highlights significant challenges in the construction industry, driven by weather, high mortgage rates, and supply shortages.
Intel's potential breakup is fueled by leadership shortcomings and emphasizes the need for a visionary to restore competitiveness in the semiconductor industry.
The growing interest in Bitcoin among companies, inspired by MicroStrategy, raises concerns about market saturation and the stability of relying on volatile cryptocurrencies.
Deep dives
T-Mobile's Family Plans and iPhone 16 Promotion
T-Mobile is promoting its family plans that offer a 20% savings on wireless services, making it an attractive option for families looking to save on their monthly bills. Coupled with the release of the iPhone 16, this initiative is aimed at enticing more customers to switch to T-Mobile. The focus on providing competitive pricing and incentives demonstrates T-Mobile's commitment to retaining and attracting customers in a competitive market. This strategy highlights the telecommunications industry's competitive nature, with companies striving to offer exceptional deals to gain market share.
Housing Market Trends and Construction Challenges
The podcast discusses the decline in U.S. housing starts, which fell by 9.8% due to adverse winter weather and challenges such as high mortgage rates and supply shortages. Despite the downturn, it's noted that construction was up significantly in regions not affected by freezing temperatures, suggesting that the overall impact may not be as severe as indicated by the headline figure. The conversation highlights the urgency to build more homes to meet the housing demand, particularly for younger buyers. Rising labor costs and potential tariffs on construction materials are identified as ongoing obstacles facing the homebuilding industry.
Valuation Dilemma for Elon Musk's X Platform
Elon Musk's X platform is reportedly seeking funding at a $44 billion valuation, a figure that raises doubts given previous estimates of only $10 billion. Analysts question the rationale behind this inflated valuation, particularly since the platform's advertising revenue stream has been volatile. The discussion explores potential influences on investor sentiment, including Musk's high profile and associated ventures. Advertisers seem increasingly willing to engage with X, indicating a shift in perception that may contribute to the elevated valuation.
MicroStrategy and the Bitcoin Treasury Strategy
MicroStrategy's aggressive acquisition of Bitcoin has spurred a trend among other companies adopting a similar treasury strategy to bolster their financial positions. This tactic appears especially appealing for companies struggling to maintain market relevance, considering Bitcoin's volatile nature as a potential fix to their challenges. The discussion points to the risk of creating a saturation of firms using this strategy, which could diminish its value in the long run. Investors are encouraged to remain cautious, as these companies rely heavily on Bitcoin's price trajectory for their stability.
Intel's Struggles and Potential Breakup
Intel is facing a significant decline, with its stock price dropping dramatically over recent years and management decisions coming under scrutiny. Current discussions involve possibilities of splitting Intel into separate entities to enhance operational efficiency amid fierce competition from companies like TSMC and NVIDIA. The issues stem partly from leadership failures and poor strategic shifts, which left Intel lagging in innovative chip design and production. This potential breakup signifies a major shift in the semiconductor industry landscape, reflecting the urgency for revitalization and focus on competitive advantages.
Ed and Josh Brown, co-founder and CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, open the show by discussing January’s housing starts data, X’s latest funding round, and the growing wave of companies emulating MicroStrategy’s approach to bitcoin. Then Josh unpacks the potential breakup of Intel. He breaks down how Intel’s leadership struggles led to its decline and explains why having a true visionary at the helm is crucial for a chip company. Josh and Ed also break down gold’s record-breaking surge and explain why banks are rushing to fly the commodity into the U.S. Ed questions whether gold is really a smart investment, while Josh explains why owning it outright might not be as valuable as people think.