Vlad Bastion
Founder of Investment Bastion, Systematic Stock Ratings & Algorithmic Portfolios
Garmin is riding a running boom that has turned its watches into status symbols. Fitness revenue jumped 42% to $547M in Q1 2026 as the marathon and Hyrox crowd keeps buying. Per the FT, a £115 running watch is quietly beating the Rolex as a status symbol, because a Garmin signals success that has to be earned. x.com
Garmin is the kind of quality stock the market loves right now: no debt, steady double-digit growth and record operating margins expected in 2026. Apple Watch was supposed to bury it a decade ago, yet gross margin topped 62%, above most software companies, and its quality score ranks in the top 5% of listed companies globally. x.com
Nordic Semiconductor is where the wearables money is, because Garmin, Whoop and other brands will all use its chips whichever product wins. Wearable makers are raising millions to accelerate production, and users describe the insights as valuable, so demand for AI-enhanced devices should keep climbing, and investors should own the hardware that scales with it. x.com
Lululemon, Nike, Under Armour and On look like cursed value traps because rising competition and unpredictable fashion trends keep eroding their positions. Lululemon has lost its niche dominance as the luxury standard and is now one of a dozen rivals, such as Vuori, Alo and Athleta, chasing the same buyers. Lululemon sits at six-year lows, Nike at 12-year lows, Under Armour at all-time lows and On back at 2022 levels. The products may still be good, but competition is overwhelming. x.com x.com … Show more
Nike's push to reposition as a premium sports brand looks like the right route to recovery, including in Greater China. New CFO Dave Denton was clearer, and Alex Arnault's board seat, Jordan's return to scarcity, elite athlete deals and less discounting support it. EPS was fairly strong and margins are improving; guidance looks set deliberately low to beat, since management says the decline largely stems from its own choices. The dividend is safe; a full turnaround may take 3-5 years. x.com … Show more
Ambiq Micro is a great name because it owns the higher-margin wearables segment, compared with Nordic Semiconductor's solid position outside wearables. Few are talking about it yet; after it doubles again, larger promoters will likely find it and start pumping it. x.com
Nike is starting to feel like it could become the next BlackBerry or Kodak because other sneakers are simply better and it has failed to innovate. At a 5,000-person charity 10k in Northport, Long Island, nobody wore Nike. These are mostly casual runners, not serious ones, and regular people who walk, run and play casual sports make up nearly all of the sneaker market. Great brands always have tough times, but the decline is about more than going woke. x.com x.com x.com x.com
