Together with Boxabl 

Good morning investors! The market was green yesterday despite tariff pressure as we gear up for more major earnings today.

Today we cover:

• Trump is removing pennies

• McDonald’s and Monday.com report earnings

• Making money with crowdfunding

📊 Economy and News 

Trump Orders End to Penny Production, but Cost Savings in Question

President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Mint to stop producing pennies, citing their high production cost, which exceeds their face value. While Trump pegged the cost at 2 cents per penny, the actual figure is 3.7 cents.

However, eliminating the penny may not save money. Without it, more nickels—each costing nearly 14 cents each to produce—would be needed for transactions. Analysts warn that the additional nickel production could erase any savings.

Supporters of removing the penny argue it would speed up transactions, as seen in Canada, which phased out its penny in 2013. But fully eliminating pennies from circulation would require congressional approval and a costly buyback program.

Despite production cuts, billions of pennies are still minted annually, many of which never re-enter circulation. With rising raw material costs, the debate over the penny’s usefulness—and its replacement—continues.

Global hits:

• China to boost residents' income to spur spending.

• UK GDP to contract in Q4 2024.

• Canada's TD Bank to exit Charles Schwab stake worth $15.4 billion.

Also check: Salesforce plans $500 million in AI-related investments in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, Trump to impose 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Sponsored by Boxabl

BOXABL Announces New $20,000 House

When the biggest names in your industry take an interest, you know you're onto something.

That's the story with BOXABL. They've rethought housing by bringing assembly lines to new home construction. Not to mention, the company has gained the attention of investors like D.R. Horton. Where traditional homes take over 7 months to build, BOXABL factories can produce their signature Casita home in nearly four hours.

And they’re just getting started. BOXABL just announced a new $20,000 house called Baby Box. It’s a turnkey home designed for affordability, flexibility, and versatility. Perfect for disaster relief, workforce accommodations, community projects, or you just need extra space, the Baby Box is another great solution added to their product line. 

Now, everyday investors can join them too. When BOXABL last opened a Reg A investment opportunity, they maxed out the $75M regulatory limit, and they believe their new $20,000 house is the key to unlocking even greater potential.

📈 Stocks

S&P 500 6,066.44 (+0.67%)
DJIA 44,470.41 (+0.38%)
NASDAQ 19,714.27 (+0.98%)
BRENT CRUDE 75.63 (+1.64%)
* Prices as of Feb 11th, 12:20 AM UTC

McDonald’s Reports Disappointing Revenue, Expects Recovery in 2025

McDonald’s posted flat quarterly revenue of $6.39 billion, missing Wall Street’s $6.44 billion estimate. U.S. same-store sales fell 1.4%, steeper than the expected 0.6% drop, following an E. coli outbreak tied to its Quarter Pounder burgers.

Despite weak sales, McDonald’s shares rose over 4% as executives predicted recovery by Q2 2025. The company’s $5 combo meal helped boost traffic, though customers spent less per visit. Analysts warned value meals need non-discounted add-ons to be effective, but McDonald’s maintained its $5 deal averages over $10 per check.

The CDC declared the outbreak over in December, and sales have since begun rebounding.

Exciting: Monday.com shares jumped 31.5% to around $340 after reporting stronger-than-expected Q4 earnings. The company posted EPS of $1.08, beating estimates of $0.79, while revenue rose 32% to $268 million, surpassing the expected $261.3 million. For 2025, Monday.com forecasts revenue between $1.21 billion and $1.22 billion, reflecting 24%–26% growth.

💵 Personal Finance

How investors can make money through crowdfunding - Part I

The global crowdfunding market stood at $1.9 billion in 2021, and is expected to hit the $6.8 billion mark by 2031. Said to be growing at a CAGR of 14.3% for the 10 year period, it’s a highly rewarding industry worth investing in.

It is defined as "the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet."

When we talk about crowdfunding, we usually think of it as a tool to gather money. However, it can also be used as an investment vehicle. Here’s how:

Equity Crowdfunding

As the name suggests, equity crowdfunding involves purchasing equity or ownership in a company. 

The first step is to find people looking for investment in the form of crowdfunding with a share of ownership in return. You make money when you bet on the right company, i.e.: when it grows in the future or gets acquired by a larger company.

In most cases, you will then have the option to sell your shares or receive dividends. 

Debt Crowdfunding

Debt crowdfunding involves providing loans to individuals or businesses. These loans typically come with a fixed interest rate, and investors make money through the interest paid on the loans.

A lot of people look for this way of raising funds as it is less demanding than banks and other traditional funding methods. However, from an investment perspective, it can be very risky because you might not get your money back. Still, people use this option because the interest rate is usually higher than what traditional banks offer.

Note: Some debt crowdfunding platforms also offer the option to sell loans to other investors on a secondary market.

There’s more to crowdfunding, check the video below and wait for tomorrow’s issue for more ways to make money using crowdfunding:

💰 Be a Better Investor

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• Calculators

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👩🏽‍⚖️ Legal Stuff
Nothing in this newsletter is financial advice. Always do your own research and think for yourself.

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