{"id":90607,"date":"2026-03-07T01:00:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T09:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lenpenzo.com\/blog\/?p=90607"},"modified":"2026-03-19T07:49:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T14:49:30","slug":"black-coffee-7-mar-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lenpenzo.com\/blog\/id90607-black-coffee-7-mar-2026.html","title":{"rendered":"Black Coffee: Currency Wars & Other Battles"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"It’s time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe …<\/em><\/p>\n

Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what’s been going on in the world of money and personal finance.<\/p>\n

I’ve got another busy weekend ahead of me, so let’s get right to this week’s commentary …<\/p>\n

From its creation in 1913, the most important Fed mandate has been to maintain the purchasing power of the dollar; however, it’s difficult to think of another government agency that has failed more consistently on its key mission than the Fed.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2013 James Rickards<\/strong><\/p>\n

Credits and Debits<\/strong><\/p>\n

Credit:<\/strong><\/span> Did you see this? Burger King is updating its Whopper<\/a> hamburger. According to the company, the quarter-pound burger patty will remain the same, and it will still be served with freshly cut onions and tomatoes, lettuce, tangy pickles \u2013 but it will now have “better tasting mayo\u201d and a higher-quality bun. Those updates will cost franchise owners about $4000 annually. For those not counting at home, the original Whopper sold for 37 cents in 1957 \u2013 but it has an average cost of $4.36 today. So the fast food war continues:<\/p>\n

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Credit:<\/strong><\/span> In other news, despite sweeping US tariffs, global trade climbed sharply<\/a> in 2025, defying doomsayer predictions that higher duties would choke off cross-border commerce. The volume of goods traded worldwide rose 4.4% last year \u2013 that surpassed the 2.5% growth seen in 2024. That being said, we’re anxiously awaiting the eventual impacts of the latest military conflict in the Middle East \u2013 although there are<\/strong><\/em> some early indications…<\/p>\n

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Debit:<\/strong><\/span> Over on Wall Street, war jitters led the major stock market indices to finish the week in the red, with the Nasdaq down 1.2%, the S&P 500 shedding 2.0% and the Dow losing 3.0%. And don’t look now, but it appears as if the previously invincible Magnificent 7 stocks are beginning to lose a bit of their luster. In fact, as a group, they’re down a cumulative 6.7% since the start of the new year. So who are the new<\/strong><\/em> market darlings? Here’s a hint: After more than a decade of being completely shunned and mocked by everyone on Wall Street \u2013 and, collectively, a huge<\/strong><\/em> year in 2025 \u2013 many of them are finally<\/strong><\/em> reaching brand new all-time highs<\/a> (ATHs)…<\/p>\n

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Debit:<\/strong><\/span> For those who are wondering what\u2019s going on with the shift in sentiment on Wall Street, consider this: With the National Debt pushing $39 trillion<\/a>, the Fed’s battle to protect the US dollar (USD) is becoming markedly tougher with each passing day. Ironically, they are only making their job tougher by continuing to monetize the ever-growing US federal debt that results from politicians\u2019 insatiable appetite to expand the government. Yes, that\u2019s crazy. But if you think that’s<\/strong><\/em> crazy, then you haven’t seen this:<\/p>\n