Ukraine aid payments of $77B through 1/15/23 represent the equivalent of a 5% dividend on LTM S&P 500 earnings.
We need to be reminded that the U.S. is a very productive country with some of the most profitable companies in the world. Americans can easily be defined as hardworking people who are well able to generate profit by adding value. In turn, we typically reinvest these profits to generate even more value in a virtuous cycle that helps all participants willing to throw their hat in the ring.
War represents perhaps the most onerous, destructive use of profits. Imagine if we could apply the $77B in Ukraine aid to something that would build peace. This sum is certainly enough to fund the creation of a whole new industry to provide more value-added jobs, products & services. To put things in perspective, the aggregate LTM net income of the electrical equipment industry component of the S&P 500 was $59B!
