Table of Contents

• SailGP high-octane sailboat racing grabs headlines …

• Which commodities are the best hedge for inflation …

• Top Tickers

• How science built the best shooter in the NBA draf …

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SailGP high-octane sailboat racing grabs headlines in New York City

Lindsey Vonn: “With my knowledge in both athletics and business, I hope I can help to grow the team and their partnerships.”

SailGP recently dazzled New York City with its thrilling high-performance sailing event. With a sold-out crowd, fans enjoyed breathtaking views of hydrofoiling catamarans racing between iconic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the NYC skyline. The event, held at Governors Island, featured top teams from around the world, including the USA SailGP Team.

The New Zealand SailGP Team emerged victorious, securing their spot in the $2 million Grand Final in San Francisco. This season has seen intense competition, cutting-edge technology, and increased investment, highlighted by the introduction of the new Brazil SailGP Team, backed by Mubadala Capital.

The partnership with Tommy Hilfiger was another notable announcement, adding a touch of fashion to the high-speed action. Lindsey Vonn, Olympic champion and board member of the USA SailGP Team, emphasized the team’s commitment to excellence both on and off the water.

SailGP continues to captivate fans globally, merging the excitement of sailing with sustainability and fan engagement, much like Formula 1. As the league expands, it promises even more thrilling races and innovative partnerships.

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Which commodities are the best hedge for inflation?

Gold may be the best hedge against inflation and geopolitical risks

As US inflation risks intensify amid robust corporate earnings and persistent budget deficits, Goldman Sachs Research highlights the strategic role of commodities in hedging against inflation.

A 1 percentage point surprise increase in US inflation has, on average, led to a real (inflation adjusted) return gain of 7 percentage points for commodities, while that same trigger caused stocks and bonds to decline 3 and 4 percentage points, respectively, write Daan Struyven, head of oil research in Goldman Sachs Research, and analyst Lina Thomas in the team’s report.

Key insights of Goldman’s report:

• Gold: Best suited for high inflation and geopolitical risks, potentially appreciating to $2,700/troy ounce by year-end.

• Energy: Historically strongest real returns across assets when inflation surprised to the upside, benefiting from both supply and demand shocks.

• Agriculture: Provides similar protection as energy, particularly during negative energy supply shocks and positive demand scenarios.

• Industrial Metals: Offers protection against demand-led inflation and generated especially high returns (average total real returns of 30%) late in the cycle when economy-wide inflation risks are the largest.

Goldman Sachs’ analysis of five inflationary periods over the past 50 years reaffirms that commodities consistently outperform equities and bonds during such times, making them a critical component of a resilient investment strategy.

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Some of the most active and relevant securities and quotes (compared to previous day's closing price)

How science built the best shooter in the NBA draft

A high-tech approach made Reed Sheppard the best shooter in college basketball. Now NBA teams are clamoring to draft him.

During Kentucky’s actual games, the transformation was obvious. In his last season of high-school and AAU basketball, Reed made 32% of his 3-pointers. In his one season in Kentucky blue he made 52%, the highest mark in the whole country. 

The analysis offered by the Splash Board goes beyond merely codifying shooting. It actually upends decades of inherited wisdom about the best way to get a ball into a basket. John Welch (an assistant coach Reed worked with) explained that he used to believe the classic “swish,” arcing high and landing perfectly in the center of the rim, was the ideal shot. “It’s so pretty,” he said. “It’s like a snowflake, it pops the net.”

But when he began working with John Carter’s (CEO of Noah Basketball/Splash Board) data during his time in the NBA, he quickly realized that the most accurate shooters actually shoot the ball on a slightly lower line, which gives them greater range. They also tend to clip the back of the rim, because aiming deeper in the basket increases the margin for error. According to Welch, some 70% of 3-point misses fall short.

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“It wasn’t just that we won,” said manager Murat Yakin after Switzerland completely outplayed the current champion Italy, and thoroughly deserved their 2-0 victory. “It was the way we won. That was hugely rewarding.” Murat added: “We need to savor the enthusiasm we’ve created. We’ve done it through blood, sweat and tears, not through good luck.”

In our latest podcast episode, host Hans Sarpei speaks with Dr. Christian Lang (University of St. Gallen/CAS Sportmanagement) about leaders on the pitch, the coaching bench, and in business. Of course, the two also talk about the match between the Swiss national team and the German team. They look at the Swiss leader Granit Xhaka in particular, who has matured even further through his years at Arsenal London and now at Bayer Leverkusen.

Last but not least, to delve deeper into the topic of leadership, it is always good to see what the folks at McKinsey are doing and publishing. So here is the book recommendation: The Journey of Leadership - How CEOs Learn to Lead from the Inside Out

Have a great Sunday!

Irg

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