| By Andy Swan
“The battlefield is a scene of constant chaos. The winner will be the one who controls that chaos, both his own and the enemies.” – Napoleon Bonaparte February was a tough month to be an investor. Tariffs from the Trump administration thrust stocks into turmoil. This week, it was the announcement of a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on Chinese goods, set to take effect in March and April. China responded with a 15% tariff on U.S. coal and liquified natural gas and a 10% tariff on crude oil and agricultural machinery. These retaliatory measures have fueled concerns about inflationary pressures and supply chain disruptions, just as jobless claims jumped to 242,000 – above estimates – suggesting potential softening in the labor market. Consumer sentiment fell nearly 10% this month to a seven-month low. And one-year inflation expectations jumped to 4.3% from 3.3%, the highest since November 2023. 
Source: University of Michigan, Survey of Consumers The S&P 500 fell over 2% this week, marking its worst week since September, while the Nasdaq lost even more ground. (Like I said – it was a tough month.) 
Source: TradingView Fear-driven sell-offs have pushed high-quality assets lower, even as their long-term outlook remains unchanged. But as Napoleon once said, chaos leads to opportunity. You just have to know where to find it... Finding Opportunity in the Chaos Navigating conditions like these requires stepping back and recognizing where we are in the investment cycle. Trying to time exact tops and bottoms is impossible, but positioning correctly for long-term success is not. The key is owning assets that can emerge stronger once the dust settles. This is where investors often struggle. Short-term price swings create doubt, even when the underlying thesis remains intact. The same pattern has played out before. Investors who hesitated during past periods of volatility – whether in Tesla’s (TSLA) early years or the internet’s expansion – missed the explosive moves to the upside. Those who focused on long-term value creation rather than short-term noise were the ones who benefited. When the market pulls back, LikeFolio gets to work. We’ve found three opportunities in the chaos – each name recording significant ramp-ups in consumer demand as their stocks sell off, creating an opening for forward-looking investors. Once the dust settles, these assets could emerge stronger than ever. | Recommended Link | | | | Since 1900, this market pattern has only appeared two other times. Once in 1925… once in 1996… and according to our data… once more as we speak. History tells us to prepare — quickly. This market event could transform everyone’s wealth, for better or worse, in 2025. Take this blueprint before it’s too late. |  |
No. 1: Nvidia (NVDA) All eyes were on artificial intelligence (AI) darling Nvidia (NVDA) this week as it reported its fourth-quarter earnings. And (unsurprisingly to us), the company didn’t crumble. Fourth-quarter revenue surged 78% year over year to $39.3 billion (exceeding analyst expectations); data center revenue was up 93% to $35.6 billion, driven by AI demand. Management guided for first-quarter revenue of $43 billion, well above forecasts. And the company saw strong early demand for its next-generation Blackwell GPUs, bringing in $11 billion in sales – and expected to ramp in 2025. Despite beating expectations and strong guidance, the stock sold off after tariff news broke, raising concerns about increased import costs, potential price hikes, and weakened consumer demand. But long-term, Nvidia’s data center growth remains explosive, and AI infrastructure investment shows no signs of slowing. The company holds a dominant position in high-performance computing. LikeFolio data confirms NVDA leads competitors Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Intel (INTC) in forward-looking demand, with web visits up 35% year over year: 
And with Big Tech AI focus still strong, demand for Nvidia’s chips should continue rising. Many of these Big Tech companies increasing AI expenditures include some of Nvidia’s top customers like Microsoft (MSFT), Meta Platforms (META), Amazon.com (AMZN), and Google (GOOGL), which have all recently announced plans to raise their AI spending. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang remains entirely optimistic that AI momentum will continue, citing the shift towards reasoning and inference models which require “100 times more compute,” as well as a continued demand for AI infrastructure. Bottom line: While short-term volatility is inevitable, the long-term AI-driven growth story remains firmly intact. No. 2: Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called out the cruise industry last week, criticizing its use of foreign-flagged vessels to avoid U.S. taxes. His comments were pointed: “You ever see a cruise ship with an American flag on the back? They have flags of, like, Liberia or Panama. None of them pay taxes. This is going to end under Donald Trump, and those taxes are going to be paid.” Cruise stocks dropped on the remarks, but losses were short-lived. Taxation on foreign-flagged cruise lines has been debated for decades, yet changes require congressional action – something that remains uncertain given industry ties to key states like Florida and Alaska. Analysts estimate that a potential tax would add an 8-13% effective tax rate on major cruise operators, but any policy shift would likely be part of a larger tax bill, making immediate action unlikely. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) got caught in the market’s overreaction – shares are down nearly 8% from last month. And that’s where we see our next opportunity. At the end of January, RCL delivered an "exceptional” earnings report and upbeat outlook for 2025, citing "elevated demand” across its brands. LikeFolio data confirms RCL is outperforming competitors on the web front and gaining traction among loyal users. 
U.S. consumers are spending more on travel than ever, with Millennials and Gen Z booking cruises at record rates. The cruise industry’s value-for-money proposition resonates with these groups, who prefer multi-destination, all-inclusive experiences over traditional resorts. Tax concerns stirred short-term volatility, but major legislative hurdles make significant tax changes uncertain. Bottom line: RCL app usage is rising, web visits are outperforming peers, and bookings remain strong despite the seasonal slowdown as wave season cools off. No. 3: Tesla (TSLA) Weakening European sales, political controversy surrounding CEO Elon Musk, and rising competition from Chinese automakers have sent Tesla (TSLA) plummeting ~40% from post-election highs. Vehicle registrations in key European markets have dropped sharply, partly due to shifting consumer sentiment and competitive pressures from brands like Volkswagen (VWAGY) and Renault (RNLSY). Additionally, regulatory hurdles in China may delay approval for Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, limiting expansion in the world’s largest EV market. While these challenges have pressured the stock, Tesla’s aggressive push into autonomy, affordable EVs, and robotics presents a compelling long-term opportunity for investors who see past short-term headwinds. LikeFolio data shows a jump in global web visits in January, suggesting budding interest from consumers – and contrasting with the media narrative at hand: 
In 2025 alone: ✓ Tesla plans to initiate its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas. Utilizing a fleet of Tesla-owned vehicles equipped with unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, this service aims to provide autonomous ride-hailing options, positioning Tesla competitively in the evolving transportation sector. ✓ Tesla is slated to begin production of its new, more affordable EV models. These vehicles will integrate elements from both current and next-generation platforms, allowing for manufacturing on existing production lines. ✓ Tesla aims to roll out its Optimus humanoid robots. Musk envisions that Optimus will handle repetitive or dangerous tasks, enhancing operational efficiency. Initial units will perform tasks within Tesla’s factories, but it anticipates mass production for broader applications in the future. Bottom line: Wall Street is missing the forest through the trees – at these levels, TSLA shares look extremely compelling. Short-term fear is unnerving – but it can create lasting long-term value. With the right perspective, and the right picks, this volatility becomes a wide-open accumulation opportunity. And NVDA, RCL, and TSLA are among the best long-term growth assets on the market today. Until next time, 
Andy Swan
Founder, LikeFolio Discover More Free Insights from Derby City Daily Here’s what you may have missed from Derby City Daily this week… ✓ How to Play Rising Volatility in the Fast-Casual Sector ✓ Is Target the Best Undervalued Retail Play Right Now? ✓ xAI’s Grok 3 Challenges AI Giants and Redefines the Game | 
