Anybody Buying Yet? Where’s the Bottom?

[Nick87]

This article confirms what I have been saying for the last year. The construction economy is a bellwhether or canary in the coal mine for the rest of the economy particularly in the mountain west. There are odd variances like high end custom homes but overall I am seeing the market retract to people working for wages to keep crew busy rather than manage bigger profit margins.

AI Data-Center Construction Is Booming—but Not Much Else Is — The Wall Street Journal

Spending on new factories, warehouses and other industrial sites is damped by rising costs

apple.news

Record numbers of man hours are companies keeping crews busy?

 

[Goodfish]

Record numbers of man hours are companies keeping crews busy?

Big difference between man hours and profit. Data centers are getting all the attention including bidding wars for craft and after turnover maintenance staff. The rest of the market appears to be going for cost. We have contractors from Denver and the Midwest moving into Montana trying to find market share because their markets have dropped off.

 

[Goodfish]

Big difference between man hours and profit. Data centers are getting all the attention including bidding wars for craft and after turnover maintenance staff. The rest of the market appears to be going for cost. We have contractors from Denver and the Midwest moving into Montana trying to find market share because their markets have dropped off.

And the big difference is we are trying to keep around 100 craft working but without the profit I don’t have a job for long!

 

[Nick87]

And the big difference is we are trying to keep around 100 craft working but without the profit I don’t have a job for long!

I don't disagree that the price of things has to have an effect here at some point. I haven't personally seen it yet. Hoping for all of our sakes it's a soft landing of sorts. With the price of everything and people already being stretched pretty thin,I can't imagine what the effects of a hard landing would be right now.

 

[Nick87]

I don't disagree that the price of things has to have an effect here at some point. I haven't personally seen it yet. Hoping for all of our sakes it's a soft landing of sorts. With the price of everything and people already being stretched pretty thin,I can't imagine what the effects of a hard landing would be right now.

Whatever kind of landing we have whoever in office will just hit the print button on the money machine. Can't have a bad day on there watch. Id imagine we'd of been better off by now if we had just let nelature run its course during covid. Now here we are trying to outrun a runaway train.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Any bets on market moves tomorrow? Supposedly big announcement coming from POTUS shortly.

 

[Goodfish]

Whatever kind of landing we have whoever in office will just hit the print button on the money machine. Can't have a bad day on there watch. Id imagine we'd of been better off by now if we had just let nelature run its course during covid. Now here we are trying to outrun a runaway train.

I’d have been a heck of a lot happier to see the money being spent in Iran going to American infrastructure. There is a huge bunch of defense contracting coming to Montana and Wyoming over the next few years though. Another bill the nation can’t pay but it keeps us working at least.

 

[Nick87]

I’d have been a heck of a lot happier to see the money being spent in Iran going to American infrastructure.

Wouldn't everybody, regardless how you feel about that whole mess.

 

[Dave N]

Any bets on market moves tomorrow? Supposedly big announcement coming from POTUS shortly.

All I know is the networks didn't air his speech. But NOW, they broke into Press Your Luck to talk about it afterwards! Bastards! I'm missing my future ex-wife Elizabeth Banks!

 

[SAJ-99]

Any bets on market moves tomorrow? Supposedly big announcement coming from POTUS shortly.

Options expire tomorrow so no way to predict anything. I don’t put much weight on his speech. The market has figured that out. Short of cancelling the election I don’t know what he could say to cause an issue. It only reacts to the explosions. Ive had some short positions on this week but took them all off today. markets are negative now but if tomorrow morning is extreme I may start adding.

 

[Nick87]

For those of you who have been investing for a while, at what time or amount did you really notice things start to snowball?

 

[NDGuy]

It’s ok now you can pay to get early access to tweets before they move markets

https://www.reuters.com/technology/trump-media-unveils-data-feed-businesses-tracking-truth-social-posts-2026-07-16/

 

[Nick87]

Big difference between man hours and profit

Thought about this a little more yesterday, that means companies are going through the same thing as households for the most part I guess. More money coming in then ever before yet I dont think anyone is getting any further ahead? My pay has gone up 21% over the last 3 years, can't say that at the end of the month we are netting any different than we were 3 years ago. Certainly not 21% more. Just playing with bigger numbers.

 

[SAJ-99]

It’s ok now you can pay to get early access to tweets before they move markets

https://www.reuters.com/technology/trump-media-unveils-data-feed-businesses-tracking-truth-social-posts-2026-07-16/

The real money is in who you know.

Trump's teleprompter operator on unpaid leave for alleged prediction market bets on Trump speeches

The White House says President Donald Trump's teleprompter operator is on unpaid leave after reports that he used his inside knowledge to make bets about the president's speeches on the online prediction market Kalshi.

apnews.com

 

[Jack Ryan]

Markets are kinda sucky today.

 

[SAJ-99]

For those of you who have been investing for a while, at what time or amount did you really notice things start to snowball?

Market is still up 9% YTD. It needs time to digest so these pull backs are healthy, IMO. We usually need some news for things to snowball (only exception in my career was .com bubble- people still often explain that one wrong.). Stop blowing stuff up in the midEast would be a great starting point.

Strong bounce this morning. S&P still playing with 50-day MA. We need a small correction but too many gamblers willing to buy any dip. I don't see anything that changes that.

 

[BigHornRam]

For those of you who have been investing for a while, at what time or amount did you really notice things start to snowball?

Things started to snowball once we became debt free. I believe some ther guy mentions that on a regular basis as well.

 

[NDGuy]

For those of you who have been investing for a while, at what time or amount did you really notice things start to snowball?

Once I cracked 100k

 

[Jack Ryan]

Key points I think about some times.

1. Watching my parents put money in envelopes on pay day.

2. A conversation around a machinist tool box at break one evening in the 70's about high interest rates, Jimmy Carter, and inflation. The jist of it, "Pay OFF EVERYTHING. Save your money, you can get 10% interest. Get ten years of what it actually takes to pay your bills and you never have to come in here ever again."

3. Sure you make a hundred grand a year and barely buy gas to get to work, dummy. You don't REALLY need to replace a hundred a year. HALF of that or MORE you give away to some form of government every year. You are already down to 50. Get rid of that house payment, car loans and you aren't driving 100 miles a day to work and suddenly you only need about $25000 to eat, live, fish, hunt all day every day all year long.

4. *****"So you CAN'T save anything, eh?" Did you eat every day this week? Feed your family? Pay your bills? So next time we get a COLA raise, to to the credit union and have them take that much out of your check and save it. You never had it, you'll never miss it.******* The principle of this strategy was key the rest of my life.

Seems like all of a sudden, I had some real money to really invest and like magic I looked a 401k statement and realized, I REALLY COULD LIVE A NORMAL LIFE JUST LIKE I AM RIGHT NOW WORKING OFF JUST THIS I'VE SAVED.... THAT WAS THE LIGHTS ON, SIREN BLARING, DAY LIFE CHANGED.

 

[Nick87]

. *****"So you CAN'T save anything, eh?" Did you eat every day this week? Feed your family? Pay your bills? So next time we get a COLA raise, to to the credit union and have them take that much out of your check and save it. You never had it, you'll never miss it.******* The principle of this strategy was key the rest of my life.

Are you telling me you saved all your raises over the course of your lifetime?