First written and published on Linkedin 25th August 2025.
That line is one of the most famous quotes attributed to Mark Twain, though we don’t have solid proof he said it. Still, the phrase has stuck because it captures a deep truth about human behavior, markets, politics, and even family dynamics.
It means you don’t usually see the exact same event happen twice, but you do see patterns. The setup changes, the people, the technology, the precise trigger, but the rhythm feels familiar.
In markets everybody loves a winner until everyone loses at once. that’s the Magnificent 7 stocks consisting of Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Tesla which can be the market’s “dream team” or sometimes just a roulette wheel in disguise.
Wild scoreboard, year by year for the Magnificent 7 Stocks.
2019 green across the board. 2020 also green. 2021 green once again. six-figure portfolios, no sweat. then bam, it all unravels. 2022: each one, every single name now red. I’ve seen clients sitting on huge gains stare at losses, frozen as Meta went down 64%. Tesla lost two thirds. Apple? yes, even that Apple, minus 26%.
Rebound? more like whiplash.
2023 Green again. 2024, another green. portfolios roar back, stories resurface, everybody’s a genius again at school pickups and golf drinks. This is the crowd effect and wealth is now on parade.
2025 Year to date.
This year so far. 5 out of 7 are now green. Apple and Tesla? stalling or treading water, five friends running ahead. but if those two get dragged into the green, everyone feels it. risk party, round two. Portfolios everywhere will ride the wave. What are the odds on the two laggards turning green in this last quarter?
Returns year to date 25th August 2025. https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/.MAG7
UPDATED 25 September 2025. With TLSA returning a whopping 27% for the last month and APPL a respectable 12.43% all Magnificent 7 stock have produced positive year to date.
With positive monthly returns from GOOG 22%, NVDA 3.16% and META 1.37 This now make AMZN the laggard of the group returning a -0.53% over the last month.
Updated 2025 YTD Returns for the Mag 7.
APPL 2.26%
MSFT 22.05%
GOOG 32.79%
AMZN 3.76%
NVDA 36.73%
META 30.68%
TSLA 7.52%
Synchronisation indicators.
When every name on that list goes green together, take notice. last time this happened, optimism shot up, clients spent more, rolled over mortgages, bought big toys. it’s not a signal to buy blindly. it’s proof the tide is rising and everyone’s surfing, if only for a moment.
Real world, real stakes.
Imagine chasing next year’s “winner” with your life savings. now picture watching all seven tank. seen it. hurts every time. protecting capital, spreading bets, keeping powder dry—boring? not to the ones who kept their house.
Other lessons to learn.
Stop chasing magic. track the scoreboard. look for the synchronisation indicators. When every juggernaut is in the green, rethink risk exposure.
Want outperformance without sleepless nights? want your legacy built, not gambled? let’s work it out now, not when there is red ink.
Book a discovery meeting and I’ll send you my cheat-sheet. when markets move together, your future gets decided fast.
Ben Waite