Happy Monday!

It’s the first week of February, and we are well into the semester. Burnout is real, and just like you, we’ve begun to feel the weight of classes and commitments. We’ve got things brewing at Dividends & Downtime HQ, and are excited for the upcoming few weeks.

In this week’s rundown:

• Market Update: Dividends! (& Downtime) Anyway, Meta now pays them.

• Strava: The beer gut needs to go - join me in some cardio!!

• Portside: Need I say more?

• Case Competitions: One of the best ways to practice your business skills while having fun.

Career Compass

Market Changes

Good Morning, and welcome to February. It’s the start of midterm season, so I just want to say good luck. You’ll need it. Here’s the latest. 

AI, Tech, & Finance

Neuralink: Elon Musk put a chip in someone's head. If you haven’t heard, another one of Elons’s companies, Neuralink, just successfully implanted its first brain chip into a human. Neuralink was founded so that these implants could treat various neurological conditions, such as paralysis and other nerve-related problems. Chip implanting is a crazy process, so don’t go out looking to get one put in your head. It requires a lot of data about your brain, and the chips are not one-size-fits-all. Nevertheless, it’s an impressive achievement for Neuralink, and we should be on the lookout for updates. Who knows, maybe we’ll be able to watch TikTok through our eyeballs pretty soon.

“BOOeing”: Just weeks after a Boeing-made passenger plane for Alaskan Airlines had its door blown off, Boeing once again found more design flaws with its 737 Max jet. This time, the company reported over 50 planes with misdrilled holes that had yet to be delivered, slowing down delivery windows. This is after regulators restricted deliveries due to a mandatory quality check imposed after doubts were raised over safety concerns on their planes. So basically, it’s a great time to be an Airbus shareholder. 

DIVIDEND(s): Given the name of the newsletter, I feel like it would be a crime not to mention that Meta is now a dividend-paying company. If you’re a shareholder as of Feb 22, you’ll receive a $0.5 dividend per share held. For dividend investors, this is excellent news! Another steady blue-chip company to add to the portfolio is always a bonus.  With its Q4 report coming out, the company overshot most analysts' expectations, leading to a stock jump of 20% and adding $200 billion to its market cap. 

If you’re boring: If you’re one to avoid stock investments because it’s “too risky,” or “ you’re too broke,” or “don’t know what bonds or ETFs are,” there might be an alternative for you. Gold prices are steadily rising, and with expectations of a Fed interest rate cut, they are projected to increase even more throughout 2024. According to UBS wealth management, gold prices are hovering at about $2,050 per ounce but could potentially see a maximum cost of $2,200 per ounce this year. Significantly outperforming silver, hoarding gold bars is the most traditional investing practice I can think of; we’ve been doing it for centuries. Since there’s a limited quantity, prices rarely ever fall dramatically. However, what’s the fun if you can never lose? 

Where ya going?: If you’re in Canada, book your plane tickets now. It’s currently a sweet spot for ticket prices due to low fuel prices, holiday travel times ending, and ski season slowing down. This period won’t last long because, gauging prices right now, airlines are making no money and will hike up prices like crazy in the coming weeks. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Academic Alley

Strava

In a university setting where nearly everything we interact with is draining on our mental charge and health, Andrew Huberman (my lover) has some fantastic research that sheds light on the profound benefits of exercise on our brain health. Here's how staying active can be a game-changer:

• Enhanced Cognitive Function: Regular physical activity enhances cognitive processes such as attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. For students, this means better performance in academic tasks, improved concentration during lectures, and more efficient study sessions.

• Stress Reduction: Exercise triggers the release of endorphins, known as "feel-good" hormones, which act as natural stress relievers. This is crucial for students who often face high academic and social pressure levels, helping to alleviate stress and foster a more positive mindset.

• Sleep Quality Improvement: Physical activity can help regulate sleep patterns, ensuring a deeper and more restorative sleep. For students, a good night's sleep is essential for memory consolidation, learning, and overall mental health, making exercise a valuable ally in achieving academic success.

• Neuroplasticity: Engaging in physical activity increases the production of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a protein that supports brain plasticity, which is crucial for learning and memory. Students who exercise regularly can benefit from improved learning capabilities and a greater capacity to adapt to new information.

I have personally been lacking in exercise since I began university. In an effort to improve both my physical and mental health, I’ve started to go for jogs and to the gym. As everyone knows, the best way to make a task more enjoyable is to make it a game. So - I’ve finally got around to making a Strava account, and I would love some competition in motivating me to get off my ass. If you are a running fanatic or just want to get started, please reach out!

Join me!!

STUDENT LIFE

Real Estate Run-Down

January is over, and midterms are inching ever closer every day. As predicted, the market has been warming up, but don't expect too much change as 2024 progresses. I'm sure we all heard how slow and illiquid the real estate market is (298!). Wake up. It's the first of the month, and with that, you're getting a nice minor market update and some fun extra information.

Stats

• Active listings are up 4% (more assets on the market)

• Sales-to-Active Listings ratio at 19% (stable if between 12%-20%)

• However, average rent prices are still up 54% on the national average

Ownership of Land - Less Than Estates
Sometimes, you don't have an entire estate on land, but rather certain rights to them. We'll cover the most common ones that may appear on your title when you anger your 70-year-old neighbour.

1. Easement: Say you want the right to walk through someone's backyard to access the lake. You would become the "dominant tenement," and the person who the right is being exercis “servient tenemen U” Usually, these are long-term agreements and can be released through mutual agreement of present owners.

2. Restrictive Covenants: Instead of allowing you to do something, this stops someone else from doing something. The order must be adverse; they can fulfill the covenant by doing nothing. Eg. "Mrs. Smith cannot paint her house bright yellow."

3. Building Scheme: Have you ever seen those neighborhoods with maxxed-out aesthetics? A building scheme essentially limits your ability to customize your property. This is common with developers who try to maintain a common theme throughout their properties. For example, the posh community Morgan Creek in South Surrey has a building scheme, albeit a very generous one.

Joey’s Pick of The Week

• 4 bed

• 2.5 Bath

• 3500 sqft

• $4500

Dragging 3 of your friends together and setting up your own party house is becoming more and more economical. These days 1-2 bedroom rental rates are skyrocketing, especially as we get ever closer to May Moveout Mayhem. This 4 bedroom home is nestled in between Arbutus and Shaughnessy. About 35 minutes away from UBC, this house has enough space for expansive individual bedrooms as well as spacious living rooms on the main floor. Nothing better than having a whole house to you and three other friends!

Social Ledger: Get Sipping

Okay… this may be a repeat. However, the point is as strong as last time, and portside is still fantastic. Grab your guestlist ASAP and make sure you show up before 9:30 to get stamps - those 3-hour waits are no fun.

TLDR;

• Who? → The Portside Pub

• What? → The best time of your life

• When? → Friday, Feb 9 (BEFORE 9:30!!)

• Where? → The Portside Pub

• Why? → PORTSIDEEE

• How? (much) → $12 Cover

Social Ledger: Not-Sipping

Case competitions are a great way to broaden your analytical skills and a fun way to work on real-life applications using seemingly useless topics (296) that we’ve been taught in our time in university.

The CBS case competition is a 24 hour case comp where teams are given a chance to work on an industry company and solve real life issues. It takes place next week on Monday, and is completely free to register. The top three teams get flown out to Copenhagen to further compete, so grab 3 of your friends, and get prepping - you’ve got a week!

TLDR;

• Who? → CBS

• What? → Case Competition

• Where? → Wherever you please (virtual submission)

• When? → Monday, Feb 12

• Why? → Case comps are funnnnn

• How? (much) → FREEEE

WRAPPING UP

Andd……. we are done!!

This week is a shorter release. We’re all feeling the beginnings of burnout, which took a bit more personal time than usual. However, we do have big things coming, so look forward to our IG page this week…

As always, we always love to hear feedback, so feel free to reach out with any suggestions.

[email protected]