A Short Review Of The Hyperscalers -- August 5, 2026

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This is how it started this evening: 
 

Not only does Amazon need the memory but it also needs the LDCs. So that leads to this question: does Amazon have adequate data center capacity to meet its requirements? The short answer is no.

Google and Microsoft are facing similar problems. A chatbot query will explain how GOOG and MSFT are addressing this issue. It's a long reply so I won't place it here. I'm interested in something else.  

Notice in the lower right-hand corner: $MU $AVGO $NVDA.

One can go down that rabbit hole and be reminded how closely aligned AWS/AMZN and AVGO are.

This has been discussed on the blog previously.

And this leads quickly to this query: 

Musk said recently that Nvidia's GPUs are the best. How do they stack up with AVGO's TPUs? 

The reply: 

That led to this query: 

I know that you would not have any inside information on this, but with the close relationship between Broadcom and Amazon, and the size of Amazon, would it made sense for Amazon to acquire Broadcom, or does the current business model for both make better sense? 

The reply:

This is one of the nice things about chatbots. There is no dumb question. No matter how far-fetched, the chatbot will provide so much more information.

 

On another note, earlier in the blog today, it was noted in an excellent CNBC interview today that a talking head felt that MSFT, GOOG, and AMZN were the premier hyperscalers. Two other hyperscalers: Oracle and SpaceX.

 

Specialize "AI-native" hyperscalers include CoreWeave, Crusoe Energy, and Nebius Group and Lambda Labs.

 

And finally, in a league of its own, a consumer-scale  ecosystem: AAPL (Apple, Inc.).

 

This all helps me sort out where to invest for the grandchildren. 

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Disclaimer

Briefly: 

I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken and I am often well out Nofront of my headlights. I am often appropriately accused of hyperbole when it comes to the Bakken.

I am inappropriately exuberant about the US economy and the US market.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple.

See disclaimer. This is not an investment site. 

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. All my posts are done quickly: there will be content and typographical errors. If something appears wrong, it probably is. Feel free to fact check everything.

If anything on any of my posts is important to you, go to the source. If/when I find typographical / content errors, I will correct them. 

Reminder: I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken, US economy, and the US market.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. 

And now, Nvidia, also. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Nvidia. Nvidia is a metonym for AI and/or the sixth industrial revolution. 

I've now added Broadcom to the disclaimer. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Broadcom. Now, I've added Amazon. And QCOM.

Longer version here.  

 

 

 

 

Copper At All-Time Highs; Geo-Political; Huge Trump Effect; Neither SCCO Nor GLW Benefited; No New Permits But Active Rigs In The Bakken Have Jumped To 30 -- August 5, 2026

Locator: 51337B.

BRKB sold all AMZN shares earlier this year. Link here. 

Walmart: "back-to-school" sales are ... simply ... amazing. 

Mideast: if this is where it ends, it's a Pyrrhic victory for Iran. Inviting Oman to join in was simply a "ploy." Trump, of course, definitely knows what is going along, but for a number of reasons he is willing to play along. Fees to transit the strait, apparently, will be "voluntary," about 3% to 10% of value of the cargo. To be determined.   

Copper: high prices due to geo-political events (i.e. Trump) but there are also supply disruptions in Chile, which supplies 20% of global demand. The disruptions are due to weather, not labor, as far as I know. 

Jamie Dimon: CNBC interview -- sounded more bullish than I've generally heard him. Link here.

Chartists: bullish.  

MSFT, GOOG, AMZN: in a good CNBC note this morning, the talking head suggested there are the three "clouds" that have the biggest moat (moat = lots and lots of money). It doesn't seem out-of-line to suggest these three companies are the places to park money for your grandchildren.  Cramer says to buy SpaceX for your grandchildren. I prefer MSFT, GOOG, AMZN and many others before I would purchase SPCX.

For the record: Nvidia makes the best GPUs. Link here. 

Tech memory: something is not making sense. Sandisk in correctio. I have no interest in it but it is very, very interesting. One wonders if state moratoria on LDCs having an effect.  

Human memory: 

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Back to the Bakken

WTI: $75.07.

Active rigs: 30. Significant jump.

No new permits per se, however one permitted for recompletion:

• 41137, CLR, Shadowcat 1-31H, SESE 31-162-95, Divide County, wildcat; the well was drilled to establish oil production from the Winnipeg formation. Initial production: dry. Winnipeg is an exploratory play; tends to be natural gas than oil.

*********************************
Disclaimer

Briefly: 

I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken and I am often well out Nofront of my headlights. I am often appropriately accused of hyperbole when it comes to the Bakken.

I am inappropriately exuberant about the US economy and the US market.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple.

See disclaimer. This is not an investment site. 

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. All my posts are done quickly: there will be content and typographical errors. If something appears wrong, it probably is. Feel free to fact check everything.

If anything on any of my posts is important to you, go to the source. If/when I find typographical / content errors, I will correct them. 

Reminder: I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken, US economy, and the US market.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. 

And now, Nvidia, also. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Nvidia. Nvidia is a metonym for AI and/or the sixth industrial revolution. 

I've now added Broadcom to the disclaimer. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Broadcom. Now, I've added Amazon. And QCOM.

Longer version here.  

Testing. … 1 … 2 …. 3 ….August 5, 2026

Locator: 51336CRASH.

AI Overview 

A “spent” SpaceX Falcon 9 upper-stage rocket drifted in an uncontrolled orbit for over 18 months following a deep-space lunar lander mission in January 2025. A mix of Earth's gravity, solar activity, and a lack of remaining fuel eventually pushed the 4-metric-ton piece of space debris onto a collision course with the Moon. 

The Mission and the Drift

The Launch: The Falcon 9 lifted off in January 2025 to carry commercial lunar payloads toward deep space. 
The Upper Stage: While the first-stage booster separated and returned, the second-stage upper body remained in space after delivering the required heavy-thrust energy.
Uncontrolled Orbit: Because deep-space missions require high energy, the spent segment missed standard atmospheric reentry paths and was left floating without fuel or active steering. 

The Impact

The Collision: Astronomers tracked the object as gravitational forces and solar radiation pressure slowly altered its path, leading to an impact near the Moon's Einstein Crater at roughly 5,400 mph (8,700 km/h). 
Safety: Space agencies confirmed the crash posed zero threat to Earth, providing scientists a unique chance to study high-velocity impact dynamics and crater formation on the lunar surface. 

Remember The Disclaimer -- Time To Take A Breath; Consolidate -- August 5, 2026

Locator: 51335AMGN.

Tag: Amgen 

This is not an investing site. We've discussed this before. See disclaimer.

AMGN: chart of the day -- completely unexpected -- 

This particular blog is meant for my extended family. It's not for the general reader. 

With regard to investing: much of the following has been posted before. 

Thoughts:

• after a very volatile, manic two weeks, it's time to slow down, take a breath
• a new month; lots of dividends to digest 
• the word for the day: consolidate -- time to add to your favorite positions
• watch the price of WTI very closely for the next six days
• if everything goes well, WTI will trend toward $60;
• if things go badly, WTI will trend toward $80, if not $90 but I'm not betting on $90 any more 
• it's time for companies like CVX to reward stockholders with a higher dividend or a special dividend -- but I doubt it will happen 
• new money? If you are unsure what to do, park your money in an ETF -- SCHD, SCHG, SCHB, IHE 

*********************************
Disclaimer

Briefly: 

I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken and I am often well out front of my headlights. I am often appropriately accused of hyperbole when it comes to the Bakken.

I am inappropriately exuberant about the US economy and the US market.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple.

See disclaimer. This is not an investment site. 

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. All my posts are done quickly: there will be content and typographical errors. If something appears wrong, it probably is. Feel free to fact check everything.

If anything on any of my posts is important to you, go to the source. If/when I find typographical / content errors, I will correct them. 

Reminder: I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken, US economy, and the US market.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. 

And now, Nvidia, also. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Nvidia. Nvidia is a metonym for AI and/or the sixth industrial revolution. 

I've now added Broadcom to the disclaimer. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Broadcom. Now, I've added Amazon. And QCOM.

Longer version here.  

SpaceX Rocket Believed To Have Crashed Into Moon -- August 5, 2026

Locator: 51334SPACEX.