Ideas
US retrenchment lifts South America
The world is multipolar and the US is retrenching into the Western Hemisphere; if that view is right, US money that once went to Asia will flow to South America, making countries there far more important in the world. Mexico and South American countries are opportunities from this geopolitical shift.
Industrial metals to moon on hoarding
The Venezuela operation is not about oil or bonds; it signals the 'Age of Empires' premium in a multipolar world where great powers hoard resources and supply chains are sequestered. Industrial metals are the commodity of the future because they are needed for alternative energy, defense buildups, infrastructure, and supply-chain shifts. Copper, already disconnected from supply-demand fundamentals, could triple from here under this regime.
Cuba a conditional frontier opportunity
If Cuba becomes the third derivative of the Venezuela intervention and regime change follows, Cuba is one of the best and last frontier economic opportunities left, analogous to post-Soviet Russia, with potential in tourism, real estate, minerals, agricultural commodities, and consumption. Jacob is not certain it happens and puts it out as a prediction, so it is a watch item.
Buy US/Australia critical minerals producers
Companies trying to increase American or Australian supply of critical minerals are getting meetings but not deals because buyers can still get Chinese material cheaper. Jacob advises getting in on the ground floor now: near-term margin and capex pain should give way to a five-to-ten-year advantage as supply chains diversify away from China.
AI robotics offset demographic decline
Demographic decline is not necessarily fatal because countries that figure out automation and robotics can maintain growth with fewer people. Jacob later names AI and robotics among the types of opportunities ahead.
Data centers face 2030s glut
Just as China may overbuild semiconductors, the US may be building too many data centers for AI. By the 2030s there could be a huge glut of data capacity, raising the question of who will use it.
Bullish Mexico Canada on USMCA
Jacob is incredibly bullish Mexico and Canada because a USMCA renegotiation is likely by summer and the North American block must be the center of the American hemispheric strategy. Mexico lost out most to China during globalization and is now getting to run it back as the US doubles down on nearshoring.
Chile rich in energy and metals
Chile is the Saudi Arabia of renewables—solar, wind, and possibly geothermal—and has lithium and copper. Countries far from geopolitical risk with cheap secure energy tend to do well and become centers of innovation, so Chile is a place Jacob is really interested in.
Brazil begins long regional growth story
If South America no longer looks primarily to the US or China, it will look to Brazil. Brazil is a clone of the US in South America, has punched below its weight, and now has geopolitical reason to project economic and cultural power through the southern cone, likely beginning a long growth story.
Alternative energy huge in sovereignty race
Technologies of sovereignty are the key investment theme; alternative energy is going to be huge because countries are electrifying, China has installed years of planned solar capacity in months, and even countries still using coal and nuclear need alternatives. The US is stuck focusing on fossil fuels while the shift requires commodities.
Long commodities in multipolar capex decade
Multipolarity requires countries and companies to build redundant supply chains, diversify defense and chip sourcing, expand ports and warehouses, and electrify; this capex process is inflationary and commodity-intensive. Marco has been a commodity bull since 2021 and expects a decade of commodities until eventual disinflation from overbuilt resiliency later this decade or early next.
Short dollar as DXY falls to 80
The US is priced for perfection and empire, and a multipolar world means portfolios should not be unipolar. Marco expects US asset prices to come down off those levels and sees DXY at 80 by the end of this decade, recommending investors buy assets priced in something other than the US dollar.
Europe to outperform US next four years
In a multipolar world, US assets are overowned and priced for perfection; Europe is likely to outperform the US over the next four years, though this is not a permanent decline-of-America thesis and the US may do well again in the 2030s. Portfolios should diversify away from unipolar US exposure.
Europe to outperform US next four years
In a multipolar world, US assets are overowned and priced for perfection; Europe is likely to outperform the US over the next four years, though this is not a permanent decline-of-America thesis and the US may do well again in the 2030s. Portfolios should diversify away from unipolar US exposure.
This Wealthion video, published January 05, 2026,
features Jacob Shapiro, Marco Papic
discussing South America, DBB, COPPER, CUBA, Critical minerals producers (US/Australia), BOTZ, DTCR, EWW, EWC, ECH, EWZ, ICLN, DBC, DXY, VGK, SPY.
14 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.
Speakers:
Jacob Shapiro,
Marco Papic
· Tickers:
South America,
DBB,
COPPER,
CUBA,
Critical minerals producers (US/Australia),
BOTZ,
DTCR,
EWW,
EWC,
ECH,
EWZ,
ICLN,
DBC,
DXY,
VGK,
SPY
