Finance Brief: Inflation’s 1970s Echoes, Tesla Sales Beat Estimates, Storage Stocks Under Pressure

Macro and markets

• An article argues that falling wages, soaring energy prices, and inflation are beginning to look a lot like the 1970s, and asks whether it is time to dust off the financial playbook from that dismal decade. ^[1]
• Data on partisan ETFs shows that such products result in higher fees and lower market returns. ^[5]

Company news

• Reports say Tesla recorded its best three-month period for vehicle sales this year, with sales far exceeding Wall Street expectations and the stock surging, though sales were still below year-ago levels. ^[4]
• Western Digital and Seagate shares fell sharply today as investors worried that Toshiba will boost production of a key AI storage product, potentially hurting the strong pricing power the two companies currently enjoy. ^[3]

Personal finance

• A 67-year-old big-box store employee earning $19.50 an hour, who started taking Social Security at 66 and receives $2,410 a month, has $214,000 in a 401(k), and asks: “When can I finally retire?” ^[2]
• Another person, 71 and still working, earns $108,000 a year, has $152,000 combined in IRA and Roth accounts, and asks whether they are doing the right thing. ^[6]