The End of TACO PTSD: Markets Are Finally Facing The Inflation Reality
The End of TACO PTSD: Markets Are Finally Facing The Inflation Reality
YouTube47 min 30 sec
Watch on YouTube
Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights

Investors should rotate away from high-multiple software stocks like Microsoft (MSFT) and Amazon (AMZN), as AI disruption and rising inflation are expected to compress their valuations. Instead, overweight the "scarcity" sector by building positions in Silver and energy leaders like ExxonMobil (XOM) to hedge against a projected CPI rise to 4-6%. Within the AI space, focus exclusively on hardware and infrastructure providers like Micron (MU) and ASML, specifically targeting entry points during market pullbacks. Avoid private credit funds and firms like Blue Owl or Apollo due to increasing liquidity risks and potential valuation write-downs. Monitor the S&P 500 for a total drawdown of 15% to 25%, using this volatility to transition from "abundance" assets into physical commodities and data center infrastructure.

Detailed Analysis

Based on the podcast transcript with Jordi Visser, the market is undergoing a fundamental "Regime Shift." The era of low inflation and dominant software growth (2007–2023) is ending, replaced by a volatile environment defined by scarcity, high energy costs, and hardware-led AI development.


The "Scarcity" Sector (Energy & Commodities)

The analyst argues that we are in a structural commodity bull market. Unlike previous cycles, this is driven by the massive power requirements of AI and geopolitical hoarding.

  • Energy/Oil: Bearish on the consensus that oil will drop to $40–$50. Visser suggests oil could hit $100–$150 due to Asian shortages and supply chain disruptions.
  • Silver: Highly bullish. Visser identifies Silver as his top current conviction for both the physical commodity and mining stocks.
  • Agriculture: Bullish on Fertilizer and companies involved in food packaging (due to rising plastics/polyethylene costs).

Takeaways

  • Overweight Scarcity: Shift portfolio weightings toward energy, materials, and chemicals.
  • Silver Opportunity: Look for entry points in silver miners as a hedge against the "inflation reality."
  • Inflation Target: Prepare for CPI to hit 4% to 6%; the market has not yet fully priced this in.

AI Hardware & Infrastructure

Visser distinguishes between "AI Software" (which he dislikes) and "AI Hardware" (which he favors). He believes the "Agentic" phase of AI requires massive physical build-outs.

  • Key Themes: Focus on Semiconductors, Advanced Packaging, Optical Fiber, and Energy Infrastructure.
  • Micron (MU): Bullish. Despite recent volatility, he prefers Micron at a low PE (3.8x for 2027) over software companies like Salesforce.
  • The "98 Stock" Model Portfolio: Visser mentions a curated list of 98 names (including ExxonMobil, Eli Lilly, and ASML) that focus on hardware and "the rack" (data center infrastructure).

Takeaways

  • Buy the Dips in Hardware: Use technical analysis to find entry points in hardware-related AI names during the current 15-20% market correction.
  • Avoid "Edge AI" Laggards: Be cautious of cloud-only plays as "Edge AI" (running models locally on phones/devices) may reduce long-term cloud compute demand.

Big Tech & Software (The "Abundance" Short)

The transcript presents a heavily bearish outlook on traditional "Growth" assets, particularly software and the "Hyperscalers."

  • Microsoft (MSFT): Bearish. Visser claims he "wouldn't touch Microsoft Copilot with a 10-foot pole" and notes the stock has closed below its 200-week moving average for the first time in 13 years.
  • Meta (META) & Amazon (AMZN): Bearish/Neutral. Cites "horrible" charts and structural re-ratings. Notes Amazon has been effectively flat for five years.
  • Software Sector: Bearish. Believes AI disrupts software's business model. If a company can't guarantee it will exist in three years due to AI disruption, its high valuation multiple must compress.

Takeaways

  • Short "Abundance": Reduce exposure to high-multiple software companies that face AI disruption.
  • Multiple Compression: Expect "Magnificent 7" names to continue re-rating lower as interest rates stay "higher for longer."

Private Credit & Financials

A significant "Credit Cycle" downturn is underway, which Visser compares to the early stages of previous financial crises.

  • Private Credit: Bearish. Mentions liquidity issues and withdrawal limits at firms like Aries, Apollo, UBS, and Blue Owl.
  • Banks: Cites SoFi and general financials as being at risk. While earnings look solid now, he expects "marks" (valuation write-downs) on bad loans to eventually hit balance sheets.

Takeaways

  • Liquidity Risk: Be wary of private credit funds or "alts" that are limiting redemptions.
  • Watch Credit Spreads: If credit spreads widen significantly, it will signal the next leg down for the S&P 500.

Bitcoin (BTC)

  • Sentiment: Neutral/Wait-and-See.
  • Context: Bitcoin is currently trading in a range and behaving like a "software" asset (highly sensitive to liquidity).
  • Strategy: Visser is not interested in buying Bitcoin until "recession fears" peak. He believes that once the government is forced to print money to save the private credit market, Bitcoin will become the "pain trade" to the upside.

Summary of Market Targets

  • S&P 500: Expects a total drawdown of 15% to 20% (or up to 25% if inflation hits 6%).
  • Recession: Does not expect a US recession in 2024 due to high household net worth and the AI CapEx boom, but expects "recession fears" to drive the market bottom.
  • Rotation: This is not a "Bear Market" for everything—it is a rotation from Growth/Software into Value/Commodities/Hardware.
Ask about this postAnswers are grounded in this post's content.
Video Description
Find more at https://ai.22vresearch.com/ In this week's video, I lay out why this was the week investors finally shook off their tariff PTSD and started pricing in a fundamentally different market regime. The war continues, oil is spiking and monthly nimport prices for capital goods just hit the highest level on record back to 1988. Inflation is likely heading to 4–6% as crude's six-month rate of change feeds directly into CPI. Meanwhile, the S&P is down close to 10% off highs, the Nasdaq had its worst week since liberation week, and the global 60/40 portfolio is on pace for its worst month since 2022. But this is not a recession story, it's a rotation story. Six of eleven S&P sectors are up for the year. The big weights that have led since 2007 are down; the smaller, commodity-linked, hardware-oriented names are up. Growth is being rerated as AI software disruption accelerates, the credit cycle turns, and long-duration assets get repriced. Hyperscalers are breaking down technically. Microsoft just closed below its 200-week moving average for the first time since 2013, and the S&P software index since 2010. Private credit stress continues with defaults accelerating, redemptions surging, and withdrawal caps spreading across major funds. The structural thesis remains: AI capex is a trillion-dollar-plus boom that overrides the noise, but the alpha is migrating to hardware, commodities, energy, and materials. The growth-vs-value regime shift mirrors the 2007 commodity super-cycle, except this one is driven by AI. Edge AI developments like Google's TurboQuant compression paper add a new wrinkle, shifting inference from cloud to local devices, which pressures hyperscaler ROIC assumptions further. Meanwhile, Micron trades at 3.8x 2027 earnings after beating by 30%, and silver is the offensive position I'm adding to now. Timestamps • (00:00–02:12) Regime shift: Investors finally moving past tariff PTSD; the environment since 2007 is over. Long scarcity, short abundance is the framework. • (02:13–05:12) Structural forces: AI software disruption is real and spreading; labor disruption worsening with zero job creation over the past year; commodities in a bull market; credit cycle in a confirmed downturn. • (05:13–06:56) S&P sector positioning problem: Tech, discretionary, and financials make up 50%+ of the index but are on the wrong side of this regime; 6 of 11 sectors are up YTD, this is rotation, not a bear market. • (06:57–09:22) Model portfolio: 98 thematic names focused on hardware, chemicals, semiconductors, optical fiber, energy infrastructure. Up 75% over the past year; equal-weighted, skewing mid and small cap. • (09:55–12:06) Inflation incoming: Import prices surging on computers, peripherals, and semiconductors. Oil's 6-month rate of change implies 4–6% CPI. Capital goods import prices highest on record since 1988. • (12:07–16:01) Geopolitical risk: Iran invasion probability above 50% by April 30; Strait of Hormuz disruption risk; Asia-wide energy shortages spreading; Shell CEO warning of Europe next. If inflation hits 6%, S&P could fall 25% off highs. • (16:17–19:30) Market technicals & rates: PE compression underway; 2-year yields could approach 5%; high yield CDX blew out Friday; MOVE index approaching liberation day levels. • (19:31–21:13) 60/40 breakdown: Worst month since 2022 for global 60/40. Bonds, stocks, crypto, privates, and alts all declining simultaneously. • (21:14–23:32) Growth vs. value regime shift: S&P relative to commodities mirrors 2007 iPhone-era reversal. Growth underperformance vs. value could persist for years. Hyperscalers are software companies and face the same disruption risk. • (28:04–30:55) Deleveraging signals: Turbulence model flagged since Feb 3; Russell outperforming Nasdaq by 4% in a week; put-call ratio hasn't spiked enough for a sustainable bottom; VIX outside Bollinger band suggests short-term bounce early next week. • (32:55–36:45) Hyperscaler breakdown: Microsoft down 27% YTD with a near-40% drawdown; Meta, Amazon, Google all in steep declines. Oracle CDS blowing out. Software index at 15-year relative lows. • (37:12–39:59) Private credit crisis deepening: Monthly losses, withdrawal caps at Apollo, UBS halted real estate fund withdrawals, Blue Owl concerns, banks now offering hedge funds ways to short private credit. • (40:17–45:49) AI demand still massive: Rental rates spiking; TurboQuant compression paper from Google raises edge AI bear case for cloud capex, but near-term memory demand unchanged. Micron at 3.8x 2027 PE after beating earnings by 30%. • (46:10–47:20) Positioning: Bitcoin range-bound, waiting for recession fears to build before getting aggressive. Silver is the top offensive add right now, both miners and the commodity.
About Jordi Visser
Jordi Visser

Jordi Visser

By @jordivisserlabs

Empowering seasoned professionals to navigate the future of finance, technology, and AI. What We Offer: - Cutting-edge ...