The “Bet Against America” Trade is still alive and well as long as the Dollar is weak and the Iran-US-Israel war continues. Here are 15 stocks to consider.

But the “Bet On America” Trade doesn’t look too shabby either, with Elon Musk predicting a 10x economy and universal high income within the next decade: but how does one choose between these outlooks?

Easy. You don’t. That’s what barbell strategies are for.

This is not financial advice. Always do your own research. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.

These are strange times we live in. A war is being waged in the Middle East, and crude oil is around $93/barrel. Stagflation is at our doorstep.

But you know what? There’s also an insane amount of technological progress being made in AI and robotics. We think that means short-term pain (job losses) and long-term abundance (Elon Musk’s 10x prediction).

These are two separate realities that both exist at the same time, and it can feel impossible to make investing choices in such an environment.

But that’s what a barbell strategy excels at: enabling you to get exposure to two different investment theses at once so you aren’t overly allocated in one place.

The dollar is weak. Oil prices are going up. Unemployment is also going up. To top it all off, we’re at war. Not exactly a recipe for geopolitical stability.

Historically, in times like this, precious metals and energy stocks have done well.

The top-rated stock on AltIndex’s site right now is an energy stock: Atmos Energy (ATO). Take a look; they just affirmed their 2026 EPS guidance of $8.15–$8.35 and declared a 14.9% dividend increase.

But there are many more companies out there worth taking a look at if you want to bet on geopolitical chaos.

So here are 15 “Sell America” stocks to check out from our partners at AltIndex →

While the above is true, what is also true is that we stand on the precipice of the most explosively productive period in American history (in our opinion).

We believe AI and robotics will change everything about, well, everything.

We’ve already seen how Anthropic’s Claude tools are beginning to “replace” the functions of some major software companies.

And what makes up the backbone of the entire AI and robotics industries?

It’s good old semiconductors. And boy, do these companies have strong ratings from AltIndex right now:

So that’s the framework we’re looking at things with currently. Our thought is that we have no idea how long the war with Iran will go, or if there will be subsequent conflicts this year. We also don’t know when exactly AI and robotics will hit the “singularity” inflection point of no return.

But we do know that we can invest in both theses over time.

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Stocks tumbled Thursday as the Iran war pushed oil prices back higher.

The Magnificent Seven are teetering on correction territory, down nearly 10% from October's peak. Nvidia, Apple, and Tesla all slid as traders dumped risk assets amid inflation fears. Bond traders have scrapped expectations for any Fed rate cuts this year.

President Trump announced a 172-million-barrel release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the US portion of a historic 400-million-barrel global release. The move would drain America's oil backstop by more than 40%, dropping reserves to levels not seen since 1982. Oil prices rose anyway, with Iran warning markets to brace for $200 per barrel.

Mortgage rates climbed back above 6%, with the 30-year fixed hitting 6.11%, an 11-basis-point jump as war jitters and inflation fears spooked bond markets. The 10-year Treasury topped 4.20%, up from nearly 4% at the month's start.

The US trade deficit shrank 25% in January to $54.5 billion, driven by a surge in gold and precious metals exports. A win for President Trump's tariff narrative, though the 2025 total deficit ($901.5B) barely budged from Biden's final year ($903.5B). Exports jumped 5.5% while imports dipped 0.7%.

A sweeping housing bill passed the Senate 89-10, the first major housing legislation since 2008. The 21st Century Road to Housing Act streamlines building reviews and ties grants to housing production goals, but President Trump's interest has cooled. Punchbowl reported he told House Speaker Johnson, "No one gives a bleep about housing."

Initial jobless claims held steady at 213,000, below expectations. The Fed is widely expected to hold rates next week as oil-driven inflation uncertainty mounts. Friday's PCE inflation reading will provide more input ahead of the decision.

“Lower inventory = higher list price. Higher inventory= lower list price* *If rates are high. If rates drop, more buyers. Which means more competition, which means higher list price. It's a lose-lose for buyers unless there's a bunch of inventory that pops up real quick and lower rates.”

Gesture is a gifting platform that lets users send real-time physical gifts without needing the recipient’s address or personal data. The app recommends gifts based on the occasion, and local couriers (“G-runners”) pick them up from nearby vendors and deliver them quickly, often within the hour.

The company has been operating for several years with deliveries in 150+ cities, and it previously raised about $1.5 million in funding while focusing on strong repurchase rates and local merchant partnerships to drive repeat usage.

See the campaign →

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Cheers,
Brandon & Blake of Invested Inc