The Trading Post | 01.20.26

Good morning,

Trump rattled the cage with fresh tariff threats tied to Greenland, futures are getting punched in the face after a long weekend, gold and silver are at record highs, Treasury yields are screaming higher thanks to Japan bond chaos, and traders are once again being reminded that geopolitics never checks your calendar first.

Brandon Wendell is hosting a free class revealing how futures trading can give you more flexibility, require less capital, and help you trade on your own schedule—even with a full-time job. 

Let’s jump in.

Pre-Market Performance

As of 01.16.26 market close.

Market News

• Trump tariff threats ignite global “Sell America” trade as markets reopen post-MLK Day with a full-blown risk-off reaction. Investopedia

• Gold and silver hit record highs as capital hides from trade war rhetoric and currency volatility. Reuters

• Treasury yields spike to 4-month highs as Japan’s bond market stress spills into global rates. WSJ

• Supreme Court may rule on Trump tariffs as soon as today, putting ~$200B in tariff revenue at risk. Fortune

• Netflix reports after the bell with options pricing a ±7% move as Warner deal concerns loom. Benzinga

A Message From Wealth Builders HQ

Trade Futures on Your Terms—Free Class with Brandon Wendell 

If you've ever felt stuck trading only during market hours, frustrated by account size limitations, or exhausted from being chained to your screen, this free training is for you. 

Brandon Wendell, CMT—a 20-year futures veteran and former hedge fund manager—is hosting The Emini Revolution, a complimentary class that reveals how futures trading can transform your approach to the markets. 

Inside this training, you'll discover: 

• The Flexibility of Futures Trading – Trade outside regular market hours, whether you're a night owl or juggling a 9-to-5 

• How to Grow a Smaller Account – Learn to leverage futures without tying up thousands in single positions 

• Professional Risk Management – Discover how prioritizing protection leads to consistent, scalable results 

Brandon doesn't just teach theory—he trades these markets daily and has trained thousands of students worldwide. As a Chartered Market Technician® (a credential held by less than 1% of traders), he brings institutional-level insight to everyday traders. 

This class is perfect if you: 

• Struggle to trade consistently due to time constraints 

• Feel limited by your account size 

• Want to learn spreads but they seem too complicated 

• Jump from strategy to strategy without clear results 

Register now for The Emini Revolution and discover why futures may be the most overlooked opportunity for today's traders—offering you flexibility, lower barriers to entry, and a safer path to consistent results. 

Spots are limited, so reserve your free seat today. 

Earnings We’re Watching

• 3M Company (MMM) - Tuesday (BMO) 

• KeyCorp (KEY) - Tuesday (BMO) 

• U.S. Bancorp (USB) - Tuesday (BMO) 

• Interactive Brokers Group Inc (IBKR) - Tuesday (AMC) 

• Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) - Tuesday (AMC) 

• United Airlines (UAL) - Tuesday (AMC) 

Daily Moment of Zen

Why It Matters:

Templeton wasn’t talking about blind optimism or white-knuckling losers while repeating affirmations. He was talking about selective courage: the ability to buy quality when fear is loud, liquidity is scarce, and headlines are doing their best impression of the apocalypse.

In trading terms, this doesn’t mean “hold and hope.” It means:

• You did the work before the crisis

• You know the difference between a temporary drawdown and a permanent impairment

• And you have the emotional discipline to act when others are hitting the eject button

Most traders fail here because they confuse courage with stubbornness. Courage follows a plan. Stubbornness ignores risk. One compounds capital. The other just compounds stress.

In markets like this, courage isn’t buying everything that’s red — it’s waiting, picking your spots, sizing correctly, and pressing only when price confirms that fear has gone too far.

Crisis doesn’t kill sound investments. Panic pricing does the opposite — it puts them on sale.