Will AI Create an Overall Job Loss: NO!

by Fred Fuld III

The “Net Gain” Argument: Historical Precedent

Historically, every major technological leap—from the steam engine to the internet—was met with “automation anxiety.” However, these technologies consistently created more jobs than they destroyed by lowering the cost of goods and services, which increased consumer demand.

Technology doesn’t just destroy jobs; it creates entirely new categories of work that were previously unimaginable (e.g., social media managers, cloud architects). 

The World Economic Forum (WEF) Future of Jobs Report 2025 projects that while 92 million jobs may be displaced by 2030, 170 million new roles will be created. This results in a net gain of 78 million jobs globally. (Source: World Economic Forum, “Future of Jobs Report 2025.”)

Augmentation vs. Replacement

A critical distinction is that AI is automating tasks, not jobs. Most jobs consist of a “bundle” of tasks; AI handles the routine ones, allowing humans to focus on high-value, complex work.

AI acts as a “co-pilot,” making workers more productive. When workers are more productive, their labor becomes more valuable, often leading to higher wages and more hiring to handle the increased output.

A PwC 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer found that industries most exposed to AI are seeing 3x higher growth in revenue per worker. (Source: PwC, “2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer.”)

The “Productivity Paradox” and Economic Growth

Higher productivity through AI leads to lower prices for consumers. This “saved” money doesn’t disappear; it is spent elsewhere in the economy, creating demand for jobs in sectors like healthcare, leisure, and personal services.

AI-driven efficiency boosts Global GDP, which inherently expands the labor market.

Goldman Sachs estimates that AI could eventually increase the total annual value of goods and services produced globally by 7% (roughly $7 trillion) and boost productivity growth by 1.5 percentage points over a 10-year period. (Source: Goldman Sachs Research, “The Potentially Large Effects of Artificial Intelligence on Economic Growth.”)

Addressing the “Labor Shortage”

In many developed nations, the bigger threat is not a lack of jobs, but a lack of workers due to aging populations. AI is a necessary tool to maintain economic output as the human workforce shrinks.

AI isn’t “taking” jobs; it’s filling the gap left by a global talent shortage and declining birth rates. 

According to the Korn Ferry Institute, by 2030, there will be a global human talent shortage of more than 85 million people. AI is the only way to prevent economic stagnation. (Source: Korn Ferry, “The Talent Crunch.”)

The Resilience of the Labor Market

Since ChatGPT was released in November 2022, the U.S. economy hasn’t seen a wave of mass unemployment. In fact, the labor market remained historically tight through 2024 and 2025.

  • Job Gains: While some tech firms saw layoffs, these were often corrections from pandemic-era over-hiring rather than “AI replacements.” Broadly, sectors like healthcare, construction, and hospitality continued to add hundreds of thousands of jobs monthly.
  • The Unemployment Rate: In the years following the “GenAI explosion,” the U.S. unemployment rate hovered near 50-year lows (between 3.4% and 4.0%). If AI were truly a “job killer,” we would have seen a structural climb in these numbers.

The “Income Effect” and New Demand

When AI makes a company more efficient, that company becomes more profitable. Those profits are usually reinvested in one of three ways, all of which create jobs:

  1. Expansion: The company opens new branches or develops new products, requiring more staff.
  2. Lower Prices: Efficiency allows for cheaper products, leaving consumers with more disposable income to spend on other sectors (gyms, travel, entertainment), which creates jobs there.
  3. New Roles: Companies now need “AI Prompt Engineers,” “AI Ethics Officers,” and “Data Curators”—roles that didn’t exist in 2021.

Structural Adjustment vs. Mass Unemployment

The “adjustment” mentioned refers to the shift in skills. We are seeing a “hollowing out” of routine tasks, but a surge in demand for people who can manage the AI.

  • Complementarity: For a lawyer, AI doesn’t replace the lawyer; it replaces the 10 hours they spent summarizing documents. This allows the lawyer to take on more clients or focus on high-level strategy.
  • The Jevons Paradox: As a resource (in this case, data processing or content creation) becomes more efficient, the demand for that resource actually increases because it is now cheaper and more accessible.

Key Data

Even with AI integration, the BLS continues to project job growth in most professional categories through 2032.

If AI were a net job destroyer, we would see a rising unemployment rate alongside rising AI adoption. Instead, we see the opposite: businesses are using AI to bridge the gap in a labor-starved economy. We aren’t losing ‘jobs’; we are losing ‘drudgery,’ and humans are moving toward more creative, interpersonal, and strategic work.

Total US Nonfarm Employment (2022–2026)

PeriodTotal Employed (Millions)Context
Nov 2022154.16MChatGPT Released
May 2023155.61MRapid AI integration starts
Dec 2023156.93MOne year post-GenAI boom
May 2024158.01MTech “efficiency” layoffs peak
Jan 2025158.27MLabor market remains resilient
Jan 2026158.63MSustained growth in services/care

Source: Data compiled from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and FRED Economic Data.

As you can see from the table above, we have had three years of the most rapid AI adoption in history, yet we have 4 million more people working today than when ChatGPT was released.

The Skill-Biased Technological Change (SBTC)

AI is not deleting jobs; it is changing the composition of skills required for those jobs. While routine tasks (data entry, basic coding) are automated, the demand for “human-plus” skills—strategic oversight, emotional intelligence, and complex problem-solving—is increasing.

The Yale Budget Lab (2025) found that the “occupational mix” is shifting only slightly faster than it did during the 1990s internet boom. This is a standard evolutionary process, not a sudden collapse.

The Jevons Paradox in Action

Named after economist William Stanley Jevons, this paradox suggests that as a resource becomes more efficient to use, the total consumption of that resource actually increases.

The Software Engineering and Code Generation sector is a perfect example. This is particularly relevant because it is the industry most “threatened” by AI today, yet it perfectly illustrates how efficiency creates more work, not less.

Before Generative AI, writing a complex piece of software was expensive and slow. A company might have a backlog of 100 features they wanted to build but could only afford to hire enough developers to build 10.

AI coding assistants (like GitHub Copilot or Devin) make writing standard code 50% faster. An opponent would argue: “Now you only need half as many programmers!”

The Paradoxical Reality:

  • Lower Costs = Higher Demand: Because it is now 50% cheaper and faster to build software, the “cost of entry” for new projects drops. Companies that previously couldn’t afford custom software now commission it.
  • Expanding Scope: The company with 100 features in its backlog doesn’t fire its staff; it finally greenlights all 100 features because they are now economically viable.
  • The Complexity Ceiling: As code becomes easier to generate, systems become more complex. We don’t need fewer people; we need more people to architect, secure, and integrate the massive influx of new code.

Since the release of ChatGPT in 2022, we haven’t seen the ‘job apocalypse’ predicted by alarmists. Instead, we have seen 4 million more Americans enter the workforce. We are not seeing the disappearance of work; we are seeing the evolutionof work.

AI is doing to the ‘mental cubicle’ what the steam engine did to the field. It is liberating us from the rote, the repetitive, and the mundane. By automating the ‘how,’ AI allows humans to focus on the ‘why’—the strategy, the empathy, and the creativity that no silicon chip can replicate.

The ‘Lump of Labor’ fallacy—the idea that there is a fixed amount of work—has been proven wrong in every century of human history. As long as humans have dreams, we will have work. We aren’t heading toward a future of unemployment; we are heading toward a future of unprecedented productivity and new industries that we are only just beginning to imagine.

Don’t bet against human ingenuity. Plan for a future where technology doesn’t replace us, but empowers us to do more than ever before.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend in March of 2026

The following is a short list of some of the many stocks going ex-dividend during the next month, which can be helpful for traders and investors interested in the stock trading technique known as “Buying Dividends” or “Dividend Capture.” This strategy involves purchasing stocks before the ex dividend date and selling them shortly after the ex-date at a similar price, while still being eligible to receive the dividend payment.

Although this dividend capture strategy generally proves effective in bull markets and flat or choppy markets, it is advisable to exercise caution and consider avoiding this strategy during bear markets. To qualify for the dividend, it is necessary to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date and refrain from selling it until on or after the ex-date.

However, it is important to note that the actual dividend may not be paid for several weeks, as the payment date may not be until two months after the ex-dividend date.

For investors seeking a comprehensive list of stocks going ex-dividend in the near future, WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable list containing numerous dividend-paying companies. Here are a few examples showcasing the stock symbol, ex-dividend date, periodic dividend amount, and annual yield.

Wendy’s Company (WEN)3/2/20260.147.48%
PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL)3/4/20260.141.23%
PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP)3/6/20261.42253.40%
Domino’s Pizza Inc (DPZ)3/13/20261.991.97%
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (PECO)3/16/20260.10833.30%
Walmart Inc. (WMT)3/20/20260.24750.80%
Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. (KDP)3/27/20260.233.03%

To access the entire list of over 100 ex-dividend stocks, subscribers will receive an email in the next couple days with the full list. If you are not already a subscriber, you can sign up using the provided signup box below. Don’t miss out on this valuable information, and the best part is that it’s free!

Dividend Definitions

To better understand the dividend-related terms, let’s define them:

Declaration date: This refers to the day when a company announces its intention to distribute a dividend in the future.
Ex-dividend date: On this day, if you purchase the stock, you would not be eligible to receive the upcoming dividend. It is also the first day on which a shareholder can sell their shares and still receive the dividend.
Record date: This marks the day when you must be recorded on the company’s books as a shareholder to qualify for the dividend. Typically, the ex-dividend date is set two business days prior to the record date.
Payment date: This is the day on which the dividend payment is actually made to the eligible shareholders. It’s important to note that the payment date can be as long as two months after the ex-date.

Before implementing the “Buying Dividends” technique, it is crucial to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the respective company to ensure accuracy and avoid any unexpected changes.

In conclusion, being aware of the stocks going ex-dividend can be advantageous for traders and investors employing the “Buying Dividends” strategy. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com provides a convenient resource to access a comprehensive list of such stocks, allowing individuals to plan their investment decisions effectively. Remember to stay informed and consider market conditions before employing any investment strategy.

Disclosure: Author may have positions in some of the above at the time the article was written. No investment recommendations are expressed or implied.

The “Cash-Rich” Bargain: Trading Below Cash per Share

by Fred Fuld III

In the world of value investing, few metrics signal a potential “steal” more than a stock trading below its cash per share. This scenario suggests that if a company were to shut its doors today, pay off all its obligations, and distribute the remaining cash, you would potentially walk away with more money than you paid for the stock. Essentially, the market is valuing the actual business operations at less than zero.

Why Investors Hunt for “Negative Enterprise Value”

When a stock’s price is lower than its net cash (cash minus total debt) per share, it provides a unique margin of safety.

  • Liquidation Value: The company is theoretically worth more dead than alive.
  • Acquisition Magnet: These companies are prime targets for buyouts, as an acquirer could use the company’s own cash to help fund the purchase.
  • Buyback Potential: Management can use that excess cash to buy back shares, drastically increasing the ownership stake of remaining shareholders.

The Red Flags: Why the “Bargain” Might Be a Trap

If it sounds too good to be true, sometimes it is. A stock trading below its cash value is often a signal of extreme market pessimism. You must watch out for:

  1. High Debt Loads: If a company has $10 in cash per share but $15 in debt, it isn’t “cheap”—it’s underwater. Always look at Net Cash (Cash – Total Debt).
  2. Cash Burn: In industries like biotech or tech, a company might have a mountain of cash today but be losing so much money monthly that the cash will be gone in a year.
  3. Governance Issues: Sometimes cash is “trapped” in foreign subsidiaries or controlled by management that refuses to return it to shareholders.

Profile of Potential Value Stocks

While some companies often have high cash balances, it is vital to distinguish between Gross Cash and Net Cash (after debt).

Harley-Davidson (HOG)

Harley-Davidson often appears in value screens due to its massive financing arm (HDFS), which holds significant cash but also carries substantial debt.

  • Market Status (Feb 2026): Trading around $20.14.
  • The Profile: HOG is currently viewed as a deep-value play, trading at a P/E of roughly 4.7x, significantly below its peers.
  • Watch Out For: The company faces declining motorcycle shipments (down ~17-22% recently). Its cash is often tied to its financial services wing, meaning the “cash per share” can be misleading if you don’t account for the debt used to fund those motorcycle loans.

Interactive Brokers (IBKR)

As a brokerage, IBKR’s balance sheet is unique. It holds vast amounts of client cash, which can inflate “cash per share” metrics.

  • Market Status (Feb 2026): Trading around $74.90.
  • The Profile: IBKR has seen a massive run-up (up 30% in the last year). It holds over $105B in cash and short-term investments, but its debt-to-equity ratio sits at about 121%.
  • Watch Out For: Valuation. While cash-rich, many analysts consider it overvalued at current prices because the market is already pricing in high interest-income margins.

TriNet Group (TNET)

TriNet provides HR solutions and often carries a “light” balance sheet with significant cash flow.

  • Market Status (Feb 2026): Trading around $42.00 after a recent 28% plunge.
  • The Profile: Following a lowered 2026 outlook, the stock is currently in the “doghouse.”
  • Watch Out For: Rising healthcare costs are eating into their margins. While they have a history of aggressive buybacks, the current net loss in Q4 2025 suggests the cash pile might be needed for operations rather than being “excess.”

WEX Inc. (WEX)

WEX operates in the financial technology space, focusing on fleet and corporate payments.

  • Market Status (Feb 2026): Trading around $157.00.
  • The Profile: Analysts suggest the stock is significantly undervalued based on future cash flow models (some estimates as high as $400/share).
  • Watch Out For: High Leverage. WEX has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.49, which is much higher than the industry average. This is a classic example of where “cash per share” can be a trap if you ignore the massive debt obligations.

Keep in mind that cash may not always be king.

Disclosure: Author owns HOG.

Green Bay Packers Stock Certificate to be Auctioned: Estimate $100,000

by Fred Fuld III

A few months ago, I wrote an article about investing in antique stock certificates, mentioning some that have been signed by Wells & Fargo, J.P. Morgan, and Harry Houdini.

Now sports fans, and fans of stock market and investment related collectables have the chance to acquire an extremely rare item, a Green Bay Packers stock certificate from 1923.

The certificate was issued for 20 shares by the Green Bay Football Club, from Green Bay, Wisconsin.

This extremely rare historical document will be auctioned off by Heritage Auctions in their 2026 February 28 – March 1 Winter Platinum Night Sports Catalog Auction. Pre-bidding is already taking place.

At the time this article is being written, the current bid price is $40,000, and with the buyer’s premium, $48,800.

The certificate is estimated to hammer at $100,000 or more.

Now is your chance to bid!!!

Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Can You Predict the Future of Predictive Markets?

by Fred Fuld III

In 2026, the world of prediction markets has moved from the fringes of the internet to the center of global finance.These platforms are essentially information exchanges where users buy and sell contracts on the likelihood of real-world outcomes. If you think a candidate will win an election or a tech giant will hit its earnings target, you buy a “Yes” contract. If the event happens, the contract pays out; if it doesn’t, it expires worthless.

The beauty of these markets is their accuracy. Because participants have “skin in the game,” the price of a contract serves as a real-time, crowd-sourced probability that often outperforms traditional polling and expert analysis.

Here is a breakdown of the primary prediction market platforms available today.

1. Kalshi

The Regulated Heavyweight Kalshi is currently the dominant player in the U.S. market. It operates as a federally regulated exchange overseen by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). This regulation allows it to offer a high degree of trust and seamless integration with U.S. bank accounts.

  • Availability to US Citizens: Fully Available. Kalshi is a U.S.-based company and is legal for residents in most states (though some states like Massachusetts and New Jersey have recently challenged or geofenced specific sports markets).
  • Event Types: Known for “macro” events. You can bet on Federal Reserve interest rate hikes, inflation data, Box Office totals, Rotten Tomatoes scores, and—most famously—elections. In late 2025, they expanded significantly into sports event contracts (e.g., NFL, NBA).

2. Polymarket

The Crypto Giant Polymarket is the world’s largest decentralized prediction market. Built on the Polygon blockchain, it uses the USDC stablecoin for all transactions. After being restricted in the U.S. for several years, it began a regulated comeback via a new legal framework in late 2025.

  • Availability to US Citizens: Limited / Phased Rollout. As of February 2026, Polymarket is returning to the U.S. through a regulated channel. While many U.S. users are still on waitlists, the platform is increasingly accessible compared to its previous “offshore-only” status.
  • Event Types: Unrivaled variety. Polymarket covers everything from global geopolitical conflicts and crypto price movements to pop culture “memes” and scientific breakthroughs. If it’s being talked about on the internet, there is likely a market for it on Polymarket.

3. PredictIt

The Political Laboratory PredictIt is a project of Victoria University of Wellington and serves primarily as an educational and research tool. Because it operates under a “no-action” letter from the CFTC (though this has been the subject of intense legal battles), it has strict limits on how much a single person can invest.

  • Availability to US Citizens: Fully Available. It is specifically designed for the U.S. market, though it has a $3,500 position limit per contract to keep it focused on research rather than institutional speculation.
  • Event Types: Politics only. PredictIt does not offer sports or weather. It focuses exclusively on U.S. elections, Supreme Court rulings, and legislative outcomes.

4. Robinhood (HOOD) & Interactive Brokers (IBKR) [ForecastEx]

The Traditional Entrants In the last year, major traditional brokerages have entered the fray. Robinhood now offers election and event contracts directly in its app, often routing orders through Kalshi’s infrastructure. Interactive Brokers launched ForecastEx, a dedicated exchange for economic and climate-related predictions.

  • Availability to US Citizens: Fully Available. These are standard U.S. financial institutions.
  • Event Types: Mostly focused on “serious” data: Economic indicators (CPI, unemployment), climate data (global temperature averages), and major political milestones.

While prediction markets are powerful forecasting tools, they are not “safe” investments like savings accounts. Because they are binary (paying out either $1 or $0), they carry unique risks that combine the volatility of tech stocks with the “all-or-nothing” nature of sports betting.

As of early 2026, these are the primary risks you face when trading these markets:

1. Regulatory & Legal Risk

The “legal status” of these platforms is a moving target. Even if a platform is federally regulated, state-level challenges remain a major hurdle.

  • State-Level Shutdowns: In early 2026, several states (including New Jersey and Maryland) issued cease-and-desist letters to platforms, claiming they bypass state gambling laws. You could find your account geofenced or restricted with little notice.
  • Tax Uncertainty: The IRS has not yet issued formal guidance on whether prediction market gains are “capital gains” or “gambling winnings.” This could lead to unexpected tax liabilities or penalties if you misreport your earnings.

2. Insider Trading & Information Asymmetry

Unlike the stock market, where insider trading is a strictly enforced crime, prediction markets often rely on insiders to move the price toward the “truth.”

  • The “Whale” Effect: Large traders with deep pockets or non-public information (e.g., a political staffer who knows a bill will fail) can move the price before you have a chance to react.
  • Enforcement Risk: On February 5, 2026, federal prosecutors in New York signaled they would begin charging traders who use “material non-public information” with wire fraud, moving toward a stricter enforcement era.

3. Liquidity & Execution Risk

Liquidity refers to how easily you can enter or exit a trade without significantly changing the price.

  • The “Exit” Problem: In “thin” markets (low volume), you might buy a contract at $0.60, but when you want to sell, the best buyer is only offering $0.50—even if no news has changed.
  • Slippage: If you try to place a large bet on a niche topic (like a specific scientific discovery), your own buy order might push the price from $0.30 to $0.45, instantly destroying your potential profit margin.

4. Platform & Technical Risk

Because many of these platforms use “Web3” or hybrid infrastructure, they face unique technical vulnerabilities.

  • Oracle Failure: A “Yes” or “No” payout depends on an Oracle (the data source that confirms the outcome). If an Oracle is hacked or provides ambiguous data, your funds could be locked in a dispute for months.
  • Account Security: In late 2025, a major breach of a third-party authentication provider highlighted that even if the “blockchain” is safe, the login screen might not be.

5. Manipulation & “Noise”

Prediction markets can be susceptible to intentional distortion.

  • Wash Trading: Some participants may trade back and forth with themselves to create the illusion of high volume and interest.
  • Propaganda Bets: Political campaigns or wealthy donors have been known to place massive bets to make their candidate look more likely to win in the media, creating a “narrative” that isn’t backed by actual data.

Keep these risks in mind before dipping your toe into predictive markets.

Disclosure: Author didn’t own any of the above stocks at the time the article was written. No recommendation are expressed or implied.

Is Stock Market Margin Debt Too High? Will It Cause a Crash?

by Fred Fuld III

You may think that investors use a lot less margin debt than in the past because of the increase in the use of put options to play the downside of stocks and ETFs.

However, margin debt has grown from $701 billion to $1.23 trillion since 2023.

Margin debt as a percentage of market cap of the stock market has gone from 1.6% to 2.3% $1.23 trillion over the last three years.

Tracking margin debt as a percentage of market capitalization is a classic “canary in the coal mine” for market analysts. Because the NYSE and NASDAQ combined represent nearly the entire US equity market, researchers often use the Wilshire 5000 or the S&P 500 as a proxy for total market cap.

Historically, FINRA (which took over reporting from the NYSE in 2008) provides the most reliable data starting from 1997. Below is a reconstructed table showing the approximate margin debt as a percentage of total US market capitalization (proxied by the Wilshire 5000 or S&P 500) over the last 30 years.

Historical Margin Debt vs. Market Capitalization (1996–2026)

YearApprox. Margin Debt ($B)% of Market CapMarket Context
1996~$1001.1%Pre-Dot-com buildup
2000$2782.6%Dot-com Bubble Peak
2002$1301.3%Post-bubble bottom
2007$3812.5%Pre-GFC Housing Peak
2009$1731.6%Post-GFC bottom
2014$4652.1%Steady recovery
2018$5542.3%Trade war volatility
2021$9352.0%Post-COVID Peak
2023$7011.6%Interest rate hike cooling
2024$8991.8%AI-driven rally
2025$1,2252.2%New Nominal Record
2026*$1,230+2.3%Current cycle highs

*Data through early 2026 based on recent FINRA January reports.

Key Observations

  • The 3% Ceiling: Historically, margin debt rarely exceeds 3% of the total market capitalization. When the ratio approaches or exceeds 2.5%, it is often viewed as a “yellow flag” indicating over-leverage and high speculative fervor.
  • Nominal vs. Relative Peaks: While the current 2026 nominal debt is at an all-time high (exceeding $1.2 trillion), the percentage of market cap is still lower than it was at the peak of the 2000 and 2007 bubbles because the total market value has grown even faster.
  • Forced Liquidation: The danger of high margin debt isn’t the borrowing itself, but the “feedback loop” it creates during a downturn. As stock prices fall, margin calls trigger forced selling, which further lowers prices and triggers more margin calls.

Disclosure: No investment recommendations are expressed or implied.

Do Companies that Pay Their CEOs One Dollar a Year Perform Better?

by Fred Fuld III

While the “one-dollar CEO” was once a popular trend among Silicon Valley elite (like Larry Page and Mark Zuckerberg), it has become a rarer breed in the 2020s. Most CEOs who famously took $1 salaries have either stepped down or shifted their compensation structures.

Steve Jobs is often credited with popularizing the modern “$1 CEO” trend. After rejoining Apple in 1997, he famously took a $1 annual salary for 14 years until his resignation in 2011.

While his salary was a single dollar, his performance—and the stock’s performance—was anything but nominal.

Apple’s Performance Under the $1 Salary (1997–2011)

When Jobs returned, Apple was weeks away from bankruptcy and trading at split-adjusted prices that are today measured in pennies. By the time he stepped down, he had transformed it into the most valuable company in the world.

  • Stock Growth: Apple’s stock (AAPL) grew by approximately 6,700% during his tenure.
  • vs. S&P 500: During that same period, the S&P 500 returned roughly 4.5% per year (heavily suppressed by the Dot-com bubble burst and the 2008 Financial Crisis). Apple averaged a staggering 33.6% annual return.
  • Revenue: Apple’s annual revenue exploded from $7.1 billion in 1997 to $108.2 billion in 2011.

Was he actually only making $1?

While the salary was symbolic, Jobs was compensated in other massive ways that aligned his wealth with the company’s success:

  1. Massive Stock Ownership: Jobs held about 5.5 million shares of Apple. He didn’t sell a single share between 1997 and 2011, meaning his “paycheck” was effectively the billions of dollars in value added to his holdings.
  2. The “Bonus” Jet: In 1999, Apple’s board gave him a $90 million Gulfstream V private jet and reimbursed him for all expenses related to it.
  3. Disney Stock: Jobs was also the largest individual shareholder of Disney (following the sale of Pixar), which paid him millions in dividends annually—far more than any CEO salary could.

The Verdict on the $1 Salary

Jobs is the ultimate success story for this model because his $1 salary signaled a “sink or swim with the shareholders” mentality. He took the dollar when the company was failing to prove his commitment, and he kept it when the company was winning to show that his motivation was the product, not the cash.

Most modern CEOs who try this (as seen in the 2025 performance data) haven’t quite managed to replicate that “Jobs Magic” in terms of raw market outperformance.

However, a few notable examples still exist or have recently committed to this path. Here is how they and their stocks have fared over the last year (ending early 2026) compared to the S&P 500, which returned approximately 16.3% in 2025.

The $1 CEO Club: Performance vs. S&P 500

CompanyCEO2025 Stock Performancevs. S&P 500 (+16.3%)
Tesla (TSLA)Elon Musk+19%Outperformed
Airbnb (ABNB)Brian Chesky~ -5%Underperformed
Yelp (YELP)Jeremy Stoppelman-32%Underperformed
Gloo (GLOO)Scott BeckN/A (New for 2026)N/A

Key Company Breakdowns

  • Tesla (TSLA): Elon Musk remains the most famous member of this group. While his base salary is $0 (or the California minimum wage, which he does not accept), his actual compensation is tied to massive performance-based stock options. In 2025, Tesla’s stock was a roller coaster—dropping significantly in Q1 before rallying on the launch of its robotaxi network to end the year up 19%, slightly beating the broader market.
  • Yelp (YELP): Jeremy Stoppelman has maintained a $1 salary for years. Unfortunately for shareholders, 2025 was a difficult year for Yelp. Despite high gross margins, the stock tumbled 32% over the last year as it struggled with slower customer spending and a transition toward AI-driven local commerce services.
  • Airbnb (ABNB): Brian Chesky famously reduced his salary to $1 during the pandemic. While he receives other forms of compensation (like security and travel), his base remains nominal. The stock saw modest volatility in 2025, ending the year down roughly 5% as the travel sector normalized after the post-pandemic boom.
  • Gloo (GLOO): A newer entry to the list, Gloo announced that its CEO Scott Beck would slash his salary to $1 starting in February 2026 to signal confidence in the company’s “faith-tech” platform despite recent net losses.

Is the “$1 Salary” a Good Sign for Investors?

The data suggests that a $1 salary is not a guarantee of stock success. While it aligns the CEO’s wealth with shareholders, it often indicates that the executive is already a billionaire (like Musk or Chesky) or that the company is going through a “turnaround” phase where cash preservation is critical. In 2025, the $1 CEO group largely underperformed the S&P 500, with Tesla being the lone standout.

Disclosure: Author owns AAPL and TSLA. No investment recommendations are expressed or implied.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend in February 2026

The following is a short list of some of the many stocks going ex-dividend during the next month, which can be helpful for traders and investors interested in the stock trading technique known as “Buying Dividends” or “Dividend Capture.” This strategy involves purchasing stocks before the ex dividend date and selling them shortly after the ex-date at a similar price, while still being eligible to receive the dividend payment.

Although this dividend capture strategy generally proves effective in bull markets and flat or choppy markets, it is advisable to exercise caution and consider avoiding this strategy during bear markets. To qualify for the dividend, it is necessary to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date and refrain from selling it until on or after the ex-date.

However, it is important to note that the actual dividend may not be paid for several weeks, as the payment date may not be until two months after the ex-dividend date.

For investors seeking a comprehensive list of stocks going ex-dividend in the near future, WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable list containing numerous dividend-paying companies. Here are a few examples showcasing the stock symbol, ex-dividend date, periodic dividend amount, and annual yield.

Five Star Bancorp (FSBC)2/2/20260.252.53%
Papa John’s International, Inc (PZZA)2/9/20260.465.23%
Starbucks Corporation (SBUX)2/13/20260.622.64%
Amgen Inc. (AMGN)2/13/20262.522.82%
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)2/19/20260.910.85%
T-Mobile US, Inc. (TMUS)2/27/20261.022.16%

To access the entire list of over 100 ex-dividend stocks, subscribers will receive an email in the next couple days with the full list. If you are not already a subscriber, you can sign up using the provided signup box below. Don’t miss out on this valuable information, and the best part is that it’s free!

Dividend Definitions

To better understand the dividend-related terms, let’s define them:

Declaration date: This refers to the day when a company announces its intention to distribute a dividend in the future.
Ex-dividend date: On this day, if you purchase the stock, you would not be eligible to receive the upcoming dividend. It is also the first day on which a shareholder can sell their shares and still receive the dividend.
Record date: This marks the day when you must be recorded on the company’s books as a shareholder to qualify for the dividend. Typically, the ex-dividend date is set two business days prior to the record date.
Payment date: This is the day on which the dividend payment is actually made to the eligible shareholders. It’s important to note that the payment date can be as long as two months after the ex-date.

Before implementing the “Buying Dividends” technique, it is crucial to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the respective company to ensure accuracy and avoid any unexpected changes.

In conclusion, being aware of the stocks going ex-dividend can be advantageous for traders and investors employing the “Buying Dividends” strategy. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com provides a convenient resource to access a comprehensive list of such stocks, allowing individuals to plan their investment decisions effectively. Remember to stay informed and consider market conditions before employing any investment strategy.

Disclosure: Author may have positions in some of the above at the time the article was written. No investment recommendations are expressed or implied.

Insider Buying: A Smart Investment Strategy

by Fred Fuld III

When investors look for a “buy” signal, they often turn to the people who know the company best: its own executives and board members. While analysts look at balance sheets from the outside, insiders see the daily operations, upcoming contracts, and cultural shifts that won’t hit a public report for months.

As legendary fund manager Peter Lynch famously noted: “Insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise.”

The Advantages of Following “Skin in the Game”

Buying stocks with strong insider activity offers several distinct strategic benefits:

  • Asymmetric Information: Insiders have an “information advantage.” They understand the nuances of their industry’s cycle and can identify when the market has overreacted to temporary bad news.
  • Alignment of Interests: When a CEO buys a significant amount of stock with their own cash, their personal wealth becomes tied to the stock price. This aligns their incentives with those of retail shareholders.
  • Signaling Undervaluation: Heavy insider buying often occurs when a stock is “beaten down.” It serves as a loud signal from management that they believe the current market price does not reflect the company’s intrinsic value.
  • Predictive Power in Small Caps: Historical data suggests that insider buying is particularly predictive in small-cap and mid-cap stocks, where fewer Wall Street analysts are providing coverage.

Companies with Recent Strong Insider Activity

Here are four companies that have seen notable insider conviction as of early 2026.

Asbury Automotive (ABG)

Asbury Automotive is one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States, operating a vast network of dealerships and service centers. With a market cap of approximately $4.81 billion, the company currently trades at a relatively low P/E ratio of 8.63. While Asbury does not pay a regular dividend, it has been aggressive in its share repurchase programs.

  • Recent Activity: Over the last 12 months, the company has seen notable conviction from institutional insiders, including a massive purchase of roughly $10.6 million (46,952 shares) by Abrams Capital Management. While there has been some selling by officers for tax and compensation purposes (roughly 22,000 shares in the last year), the net volume of shares bought on the open market remains significantly higher than those sold.

Anterix (ATEX)

Anterix is a specialized telecommunications company focused on providing private LTE network solutions, particularly for the utility sector. It has a market cap of roughly $475 million and a P/E ratio of 5.11. The company currently does not offer a dividend.

  • Recent Activity: Insider sentiment at Anterix has been overwhelmingly positive. In late 2025, CEO Scott Lang made multiple open-market purchases totaling over $170,000. Overall, in the most recent 100 recorded trades, insiders have purchased roughly 2.44 million shares compared to only 307,000 shares sold, indicating a heavy bias toward the “buy” side as the company hits new operational milestones.

Universal Safety (UUU)

Universal Safety Products is a micro-cap player in the safety technology space, known for its smoke and carbon monoxide detection systems. The company has a market cap of $11.5 million and trades at a very low P/E ratio of 4.0. In late 2025, the company made headlines by paying a significant one-time special dividend of $1.00 per share following a successful asset sale.

  • Recent Activity: Director Milton Ault III has been on a buying spree throughout the end of 2025. In December alone, he executed nearly a dozen separate purchases, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. Within the last three months, insiders have bought over 108,000 shares while recording zero sales, a rare “clean” signal of management confidence.

WW International (WW)

Commonly known as WeightWatchers, WW International is currently navigating a major business pivot toward the clinical weight-loss and GLP-1 medication space. It has a market cap of approximately $236 million. Its P/E ratio has been volatile due to recent losses but is currently projected at roughly 13.0 for future earnings. The company does not currently pay a dividend.

  • Recent Activity: Despite a challenging stock price environment, insiders are stepping in. Director Carney Hawks recently purchased 29,057 shares at an average price of $22.14, a total investment of over $643,000. This purchase significantly outweighed the minor selling of 469 shares by the company’s controller during the same period, suggesting that the board sees a disconnect between the current price and the company’s long-term pivot.

The Verdict on Insider Signals

When you look at the raw numbers, a pattern emerges: for these four companies, the volume of shares being purchased by insiders significantly exceeds the volume being sold. In the case of Universal Safety, the signal is a “unanimous” buy with zero selling. For Anterix and WW International, the sheer dollar amount of the recent buys suggests that leadership is willing to back their turnaround strategies with their own personal wealth.

Disclosure: Author didn’t own any of the above at the time the article was written. No recommendations are expressed or implied.

January Bounce Follow-up

by Fred Fuld III

Last month, I came up with a list of half a dozen stocks that might benefit from the January Effect.

The January Effect is the historical tendency for stock prices, especially small-cap stocks, to rise in the first month of the new year due to depressed prices from heavy selling in the previous month of December.

The selling is due to investors wanting to take tax losses before the end of the year.

The stocks I came up with had the following criteria:

• Stocks down over 75% for the year
• Selling below book value
• Selling below cash per share
• Market caps above $65 million
• US based

The list below show shows the company name, the stock symbol, and the industry:

Atyr PharmaATYRBiotech
Korro BioKRROBiotech
New Fortress EnergyNFEOil & Gas
Pliant TherapeuticsPLRXBiotech
Vivid SeatsSEATInternet
Teads HoldingTEADInternet

Finally, the results below shows what would happen if you had sold the stocks on January 5, the first trading day after New Year’s week, or January 9, if you had waited until the end of that first full week of the year to sell:

12/16/2501/05/26% incr.01/09/26% incr.
Atyr Pharma0.730.752.74%0.730.00%
Korro Bio7.787.911.67%9.4221.08%
New Fortress Energy1.081.145.56%1.189.26%
Pliant Therapeutics1.231.251.63%1.359.76%
Vivid Seats6.497.3312.94%6.967.24%
Teads Holding0.660.683.03%0.63-4.55%
AVERAGE % INCR.4.59%7.13%

Not too bad a return for a three to four week holding.

Disclosure: Author didn’t own and doesn’t own any of the above. No investment recommendations are expressed or implied.