James Mackintosh
@jmackin2.bsky.social
Writer of Streetwise column in the Wall Street Journal www.wsj.com/streetwise Here for FinTwit c. 2012. Ex FT
Investors excited that latest version of Google Gemini is so good. Yet, it can still say things like "Since 1 < 9, it might incorrectly conclude that 5.11 < 5.9" - although it does eventually reach the right answer. Doesn't give great confidence in its supposedly improved reasoning.
November 20, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Investors excited that latest version of Google Gemini is so good. Yet, it can still say things like "Since 1 < 9, it might incorrectly conclude that 5.11 < 5.9" - although it does eventually reach the right answer. Doesn't give great confidence in its supposedly improved reasoning.
You know how ChatGPT 5 is meant to fix stupid mistakes in maths? Not so much. Even when asked about stupid mistakes in maths.
November 5, 2025 at 5:49 PM
You know how ChatGPT 5 is meant to fix stupid mistakes in maths? Not so much. Even when asked about stupid mistakes in maths.
Great line in today's WSJ oped (after pointing out that Trump's wrong to claim Reagan liked tariffs) www.wsj.com/opinion/reag...
October 27, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Great line in today's WSJ oped (after pointing out that Trump's wrong to claim Reagan liked tariffs) www.wsj.com/opinion/reag...
Compare to living royals
October 24, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Compare to living royals
Coincidentally had this on the turntable- B side is Touched By The Hand of Dub, otherwise lost to history...
October 17, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Coincidentally had this on the turntable- B side is Touched By The Hand of Dub, otherwise lost to history...
London robotaxis is going to be a great test for non-grid city. Take a left, right, left, not that left, no stay in the middle lane, and watch the cyclist. And the other cyclist. And the loon in the ancient Rover 216, the one behind the moped overtaking illegally in the bike lane
October 15, 2025 at 11:50 AM
London robotaxis is going to be a great test for non-grid city. Take a left, right, left, not that left, no stay in the middle lane, and watch the cyclist. And the other cyclist. And the loon in the ancient Rover 216, the one behind the moped overtaking illegally in the bike lane
Political street protest can take unexpected forms in France - attached to a random wall
October 9, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Political street protest can take unexpected forms in France - attached to a random wall
Bitcoin's mainly about willingness to speculate, not protection against inflation. Here it is against an ETF of spec tech stocks (again, two-axis warning!):
October 8, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Bitcoin's mainly about willingness to speculate, not protection against inflation. Here it is against an ETF of spec tech stocks (again, two-axis warning!):
So gold might be a trade about inflation/debasement. Bitcoin might be a trade about inflation/debasement. But they can't *both* be, at least this year, given they didn't move in any way together. Even with two axes there's just no link between how they've moved: (daily correlation ~0)
October 8, 2025 at 5:14 PM
So gold might be a trade about inflation/debasement. Bitcoin might be a trade about inflation/debasement. But they can't *both* be, at least this year, given they didn't move in any way together. Even with two axes there's just no link between how they've moved: (daily correlation ~0)
Anthropic's Claude 4.5 is disarmingly human: Can spell Goddessship correctly but to start with miscounts numbers of Ss in it.
October 2, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Anthropic's Claude 4.5 is disarmingly human: Can spell Goddessship correctly but to start with miscounts numbers of Ss in it.
This street is just round the corner from Giltspur St, which is clearly false marketing and should be renamed Giltsgrowl St
July 3, 2025 at 7:32 AM
This street is just round the corner from Giltspur St, which is clearly false marketing and should be renamed Giltsgrowl St
Finally sports fans will presumably be pleased that taxpayers are to pay $625m to support the world cup, and another $1bn for the Olympics and Paralympics.
Context: This is what the LA2028 organisers say about their finances:
Context: This is what the LA2028 organisers say about their finances:
July 1, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Finally sports fans will presumably be pleased that taxpayers are to pay $625m to support the world cup, and another $1bn for the Olympics and Paralympics.
Context: This is what the LA2028 organisers say about their finances:
Context: This is what the LA2028 organisers say about their finances:
Would that Gemini were any good... sadly this isn't true (AFAIK)
July 1, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Would that Gemini were any good... sadly this isn't true (AFAIK)
Proper lols for this intro from @johnthornhill.bsky.social
June 27, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Proper lols for this intro from @johnthornhill.bsky.social
Latest Z1 accounts and finally, finally US companies are seeing some negative impact from higher rates - but it's tiny (this is *net* interest cost, higher interest on cash previously more than offset extra interest on debt as so much debt was termed out)
June 12, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Latest Z1 accounts and finally, finally US companies are seeing some negative impact from higher rates - but it's tiny (this is *net* interest cost, higher interest on cash previously more than offset extra interest on debt as so much debt was termed out)
Preston explores royal family effect in here
May 7, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Preston explores royal family effect in here
My version of "Inbox Zero": Keeping unread emails below half a million. Achievement complete!
May 2, 2025 at 3:15 PM
My version of "Inbox Zero": Keeping unread emails below half a million. Achievement complete!
(h/t @gregjenner.bsky.social's great thread)
April 23, 2025 at 2:11 PM
(h/t @gregjenner.bsky.social's great thread)
Genius image from this retailer for their Trump tariff surcharge:
An extra fee is showing up on shopping bills, and it carries a not-so-subtle message: These tariffs weren’t our idea www.wsj.com/business/tha...
An extra fee is showing up on shopping bills, and it carries a not-so-subtle message: These tariffs weren’t our idea www.wsj.com/business/tha...
April 12, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Genius image from this retailer for their Trump tariff surcharge:
An extra fee is showing up on shopping bills, and it carries a not-so-subtle message: These tariffs weren’t our idea www.wsj.com/business/tha...
An extra fee is showing up on shopping bills, and it carries a not-so-subtle message: These tariffs weren’t our idea www.wsj.com/business/tha...
From The World Pocket Atlas and Gazetteer, 1958. USP: comes with a compass embedded in the front cover
April 12, 2025 at 10:12 AM
From The World Pocket Atlas and Gazetteer, 1958. USP: comes with a compass embedded in the front cover
Single axis easiest to do with total return. Some difference from higher US yield, but over short periods irrelevant.
April 11, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Single axis easiest to do with total return. Some difference from higher US yield, but over short periods irrelevant.
Nasdaq now having its worst day since 2020.
April 3, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Nasdaq now having its worst day since 2020.