The case for nuclear has continued to build from multiple fronts, as regulatory reform, technology milestones, expanding government involvement, geopolitical uncertainty, and sustained private investment converge to reshape the industry's outlook. This session looks beyond the currently AI-dominant headlines and examines the myriad factors that could have lasting implications for the future of global nuclear energy adoption.
The confusion surrounding a proposed civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia hasn’t exactly disappeared: The White House is still claiming it depends on the country normalizing relations with Israel, even if that’s not part of the written agreement.
In the first quarter of this year, as the Strait of Hormuz closed and oil prices exploded, Berkshire Hathaway made a couple of moves that might have flown under people’s radars.It cut its stake in Chevron by roughly a third. Then it bought an airline.
Among the world’s top fuel-consuming nations, Japan is the most energy insecure. Its import-dependency ratios are scary: It buys overseas 99.9% of the oil it needs; 99.7% of the coal; and 97.8% of the natural gas.
AI has changed coding, mathematics, and weather forecasting. They all have a vast pool of available training data, rapid feedback, and clear right and wrong answers. These keep models moored to reality, not spiraling off to disaster as the result of compounding small errors.
Early this week, I was in Los Angeles at the All-In Summit along with about 4,000 others, including tech investors, money managers and entrepreneurs. The ticket wasn’t cheap, but it was well worth it.
Confused by the Singularity and the impending AI apocalypse? Theoretical physicist turned science writer Adam Becker is here to help with “More Everything Forever: AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley’s Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity,” a jaundiced tour d’horizon of the peculiar end-times stories that IT visionaries — particularly the richest and most powerful ones — tell themselves.
Artificial intelligence is advancing at a stunning, and perhaps uncontrolled speed. Last week, Evan Hubinger, the Alignment Science Lead at the AI company Anthropic estimated a greater than 10% chance that AI could eliminate humanity within a decade. Jakub Pachocki, Chief Scientist at OpenAI, recently observed 'The core problem in AI research is that of alignment - getting the AI to ‘try to do the right thing’ by human standards…
Much about the global AI panic — could it really “kill us all by the end of the decade”? — is genuinely new, and thus extra-scary. Then again, the specter of human-engineered extinction is hardly novel; we have about eight decades of experience in thinking about it.
The new investment case for global power, security and affordability. The phrase “energy transition” has served as a useful political and cultural shorthand, but it has become a misleading framework for capital allocation. Franklin Templeton Institute explodes new opportunities for investors—and where shifts in thinking may be needed.
Last week, the refining margin on European gasoil, the benchmark that sets the price of diesel and heating oil across much of the world, closed at roughly $94 a barrel over Brent crude, according to Bloomberg data. That figure is normally somewhere between $12 and $18.
America’s data center boom will need $110 billion to build 45 gigawatts of new power generation through 2030, according to an analysis by Moody’s Ratings.
U.S. equities were little changed on the week – the S&P 500 rose 0.1 per cent, the NASDAQ gained 0.4 per cent, and the Russell 2000 added 0.12 per cent – but those modest moves masked a far more turbulent week in the global rates markets.
If you’re planning on driving anywhere this Labor Day weekend, be prepared to pay the highest gas prices ever for this time of year. The national average hit $4.14 per gallon on Thursday, an approximately 30% increase from last year, according to AAA.
For the past six weeks, we’ve walked through the forces creating America’s K-shaped economy, housing, healthcare, education, wages, incentives, and the political consequences when enough people decide the system is not working for them. This week let’s look at the situation from a more optimistic angle.
Anchoring is one of the most powerful—and underestimated—forces in financial decision‑making. Once an emotional label attaches itself to an idea, it becomes the lens through which people interpret everything that follows.
Billions in federal support are flowing toward nuclear energy, but most investors can't tell you which companies actually receive it. When a $17.5 billion manufacturing loan program was announced for AP1000 reactor supply chains, social media tagged the wrong tickers entirely. This session breaks down where that capital is really headed and how a thoughtful approach to index construction can provide more focused exposure to companies benefitting from that headline number.
US stocks flipped between small gains and losses on Wednesday after a three-day skid, as oil prices halted a sharp advance, easing inflation concerns as traders weigh the Federal Reserve’s potential path for interest-rate hikes.
Massive AUM may earn an RIA a buyer’s attention, but it does not automatically earn a premium valuation in the rapidly evolving M&A landscape.
San Antonio has been my adopted home for close to 40 years now. I’ve watched it grow through more than one boom cycle, but recent Redfin data suggests we could be looking at a bust.
The TDF industry is an oligopoly where four firms dominate more than 75% of the $5 trillion market. Competitors that are desperate for market share have turned to “managed” QDIA accounts — a gimmick masquerading as personalization.
The term “backfire” originally referred to the intentional burning of underbrush when there is a wildfire on the horizon, to keep a bad situation from turning worse. Over time, however, backfire has come to mean an action that makes a bad situation worse.
This week, we take on the objection that scares people most: that AI and the data centers that run it are coming for their jobs. Let's separate what people currently believe from what the data currently shows, and then talk about why the jobs argument, even where it has merit, points toward building more data centers rather than fewer.
This week, our Portfolio Manager Olga Bezrokov sees tentative signs of improvement emerging in Europe, although she cautions that the recovery remains uneven across countries and sectors.
Copper is having a moment. It may be a long one. The metal has hit record highs in 2026 and is currently up 15% since the start of the year, trading above $14,300 a ton on the London Metal Exchange.
Convertible bond investors chasing exposure to the artificial intelligence boom are giving up some of the protection they would normally demand, pushing the market toward levels of risk-taking last seen during the pandemic.
A chorus of investors is urging Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh to express a strong determination to deal with high inflation to boost the long end of the Treasury market.
Most residents of rich, Western countries have relatively high earnings, but many also feel they can’t afford a reasonable lifestyle. Americans, for example, are getting richer but also more unhappy. Meanwhile Eastern Europeans, not generally known for their cheery disposition, are most satisfied with their comparatively lower income.
Investors are used to a swirling mass of scary headlines and geopolitical and monetary risk. Yen carry trade and yield concerns, however, may have some feeling of trepidation. Despite those risks, equities continue to appeal.
In markets that have faced multiple sources of uncertainty this year, small-cap stocks have quietly moved to the front of the pack. Unlike the S&P 500, where performance has been heavily influenced by changing AI narratives, smaller companies have seen earnings improve across a broader set of sectors that are more closely tied to the overall US economy.
Investors who focus only on tomorrow’s gold price may miss the larger purpose of owning precious metals. Gold and silver are not merely vehicles for chasing a rally. They are tools for preserving purchasing power during periods of fiscal and monetary instability.
A blockbuster outlook from chip darling Nvidia Corp. is providing a boost to tech stocks and lifting key equity indexes Thursday morning, adding to investor optimism about the AI cycle.
The US Army is planning to deploy small reactors to power five bases across the country, investing $2.2 billion to accelerate the Trump Administration’s efforts to boost America’s nuclear industry.
The future of geothermal energy, a renewable source that has charged up conservatives and liberals alike, is being charted in a scrubby patch of sagebrush, halfway between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.
Something strange has been happening in America lately. The Wall Street Journal says this is the summer when the U.S. became “a nation of Luddites.” The Economist calls it “the Summer of Ludd.”
Artificial intelligence is the topic of the day. It seems everyone has an opinion but not much actual factual knowledge. I’ve been dragging emails and research into my AI folder for a very long time. Today (and next week) I review those emails, as we are going to look at the reasons there is so much opposition to AI data centers.
Treat launch costs as initial investments, not expenses to minimize. Strategic firms often discover that the most valuable investments are the ones that protect their clients, preserve flexibility, and create enduring enterprise value.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: it’s not the political party that matters, but the policies. Investors, I believe, are better served when they focus not on the partisan noise and headlines but the policies that bring about change.
The US will soon announce unprecedented economic measures against Iran, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, intensifying the Trump administration’s effort to force Tehran’s capitulation after almost six months of war.
South Korea expects to deploy more than 1 trillion won ($707 million) of fresh capital into a new sovereign wealth fund targeting AI and other strategic industries next year, joining a global push by governments to mobilize investment and gain an edge in high-tech sectors.
Bank of America Corp. unveiled a $250 billion initiative to invest in critical infrastructure across the US over the next year, joining its peers pushing for innovation across the country.
Fifty-eight billion dollars. That’s what the Department of War just awarded Lockheed Martin for PAC-3 interceptors, the missiles that have been knocking Iranian ballistic missiles out of the sky for the past five months. It’s one of the largest munitions awards in U.S. history.
Stronger gold prices are happening for a couple different reasons. First of all, optimism is rising that the Strait of Hormuz may finally reopen soon. The news in Iran is certainly welcome, but new jobs data from ADP is helping gold, too.
Given America’s political environment, you would be forgiven for thinking the country has slipped into a dark age of energy recidivism; burning oil, gas and coal left and right; and tossing wind and solar farms on the scrap heap.
Finding a place to stash the keys to your cryptocurrency hoard has never been easier, thanks to options that run from putting them in a retired Swiss nuclear bunker to the humdrum use of digital-asset exchanges. It’s also never been harder to keep them safe from thieves.
In January 1790, the House of Representatives put a simple question to its new Treasury Secretary: what should America make for itself? Alexander Hamilton took almost two years to answer.
Electricity has become a major global focus. It essential to powering the modern economy: regions with capacity will generate growth, while those without adequate supplies may be vulnerable to shocks.
Sequoia Capital led a $1 billion funding round for Valar Atomics Inc. that the nuclear startup says will help it shift from demonstrating small reactors to producing them in volume.
Brent crude crossed above $100 a barrel this week, all due to a 20-mile-wide stretch of water some 6,500 miles away from the U.S. Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—the Persian Gulf bottleneck that carried roughly a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil before the fighting started—has fallen to virtually zero.
June may have proven to be a difficult month for silver investors, but it’s likely far too soon to give up on the precious metal. To better understand this, it’s important to contextualize why silver’s price is struggling and why the metal’s long-term opportunities are still there.
Electricity demand is surging all over the world. To meet this demand, vast investments in power generation need to be made, and grids need to be overhauled and expanded. Ramping up electricity generation and delivery is extremely expensive, and electricity prices have spiked up throughout much of the developed world.
US President Donald Trump said a civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia would be contingent on the kingdom normalizing ties with Israel, throwing cold water on a landmark deal his administration finalized just a day earlier.
Whenever I speak at investment conferences, I like to point out that we invest in a number of publicly traded airports. I even list them: Spain’s Aena. Aeroports de Paris. Zurich Airport. Airports of Thailand. Two of the world’s largest operators, Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste and Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, trade in Mexico.
Join the experts from VettaFi for a 30-minute discussion on the broader implications of successful microreactor tests.
For physicians, major financial decisions may rarely affect just one area of their financial life. The real potential risk is failing to understand how those decisions impact everything else.
A country drowning in energy shouldn't also feel like it's running out of electricity. In other words: before we ask whether America can make more things again, we should probably ask whether America can power the production.
For many investors and families, tax planning may become a year-end exercise squeezed into November and December. But by the time the calendar turns to the fourth quarter, many of the most effective opportunities are already limited.
Beyond the obvious differences such as contribution limits, ability to take loans and eligibility requirements, here are some other, lesser-known differences many savers may not be aware of.
The rules governing global commodity markets are starting to witness a profound shift, which is putting critical minerals at the forefront of policy. On a recent episode of ETF Guide’s Metals in Motion, Justin Tolman, Senior Portfolio Manager and Economic Geologist at Sprott Asset Management, discussed this dynamic.
Netflix Inc. has been one of the worst stocks in the market over the past 12 months as concerns about the video-streaming giant’s plans and prospects refuse to go away. Now, investors worry that its earnings report after the close will confirm those fears.
Hoisington Investment Management Co., the bond manager known for its bullish stance on US Treasuries going back more than 30 years, has turned bearish.
The Q2 earnings season is off to a rollercoaster start. The big banks collectively reported strong numbers, boosted by active capital markets and another impressive set of sales & trading revenue. And it was the usual chorus of bank CEO macro commentary:
In June we pointed out that Health Care looks cheap. Even though it has been rallying hard of late, the sector continues to trade at a 59% price-to-sales discount to the S&P 500, despite having an 18% return on equity (ROE) that is just a hair below the 19% ROE accorded the S&P 500.
Although economic conditions did not change much between the first and second quarters, investors were far more bullish in the second quarter.
What were the key takeaways from last month’s numbers? Our corporate bond specialists look back at the market’s performance and provide incisive commentary to help you make sense of what drove the market—and what may be on the horizon for fixed income investors.
The labor gap is creating pressure on firms to do more with their existing teams, and AI is giving those teams the tools to actually do it. Here is how firms achieve double-digit growth using AI, even while navigating a workforce transformation they cannot fully control.
incoln National Corp. is in advanced talks with Talcott Financial Group for a reinsurance deal that would shift billions of dollars of life insurance reserves off its balance sheet, according to people familiar with the deliberations.
For this week’s column, in the wake of the holiday celebrating our country’s independence, I’ll share some independent thinking for advisors to implement, whether it be with their teams, in their practice or with their clients. I’ll keep it brief in the hopes you will find one or two things that resonate.
In the span of just two weeks, Meta Platforms Inc. has gone from a market afterthought to one of its hottest stocks, as investors finally like what Facebook’s parent is saying about its artificial intelligence plans.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping every business, including ours. But the hardest challenge is not adopting it. It is rewiring your company around it. How corporate leaders respond to that test will determine whether AI shrinks their ambition or raises it.
The median house price in Nantucket, Massachusetts, is nearly $4 million. It was just $500,000 in 1995. This sounds like a stunning increase in one of the hottest and least accessible real estate markets in the country.
The current level of stock market valuations remains – easily – the most speculative extreme in U.S. financial history, beyond both the 1929 and 2000 extremes. Our baseline estimate is that the S&P 500 has a material risk of losing something on the order of 75% over the completion of this cycle.
When it comes to space stocks, Elon Musk’s SpaceX (SPCX) is clearly the big kahuna. After all, the company just completed the largest initial public offering (IPO) in history, rapidly joining the $1 trillion-plus market capitalization club in the process. However, the broader space economy extends beyond a single company.
It has been an eventful six months, and we are delighted that the Equity Dislocation Strategy has risen to the occasion. The Strategy generated a 9.05% net return in the first half of 2026, compared with a 1.3% return for MSCI ACWI Value minus MSCI ACWI Growth, a broad proxy for the value-growth spread.
After a wild last 12 months in a technology stock boom – and more recent volatility – the question du jour, in our view, is not whether AI is transformative.
Every major geopolitical crisis has two types of effects: those that occur during the crisis itself and those that remain on a long-term basis, perhaps even permanently. The US-Iran conflict is no exception.
Advances in data aggregation, secondary market pricing, and index construction are delivering institutional‑grade insights to a wider audience. Improving access to data and technology helps to build a more transparent bridge that supports confident participation in the growing private markets ecosystem.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. trounced its own Wall Street stock-trading records, posting $7.42 billion for a quarter that saw indexes rip higher and ongoing market volatility around artificial intelligence and war in the Middle East.
To close the visibility gap, analysis must begin with the “borrower model,” not the fund. Once you know the types of businesses in a portfolio, their industry, revenue band, and geography, you can evaluate them against a statistically robust universe of similarly situated companies.
Over the next 20 years, the industry’s great wealth transfer is expected to put more than $84 trillion in the hands of new family members and other beneficiaries as Baby Boomers increasingly enter their 80s. This large migration of assets could also signal a great client exodus for advisors, if they aren’t able to connect with the new stewards of this wealth.
A client called me last week wanting to know how to claim a $7,500 tax refund he thought he’d missed. His question was based on an email sent in early July to Social Security recipients from Frank J. Bisignano, commissioner of the Social Security Administration.
US stocks rose on Tuesday as investors parsed latest inflation data and Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh’s remarks.
Shares of software and IT services companies plunged Tuesday after International Business Machines Corp. reported preliminary results that missed analyst expectations, reigniting questions about the sector.
What’s good for the US dollar isn’t always good for US bonds — but investors are finding ways to work around it.
Fixed income investors continue to grapple with an uncertain macro environment, dominated by higher-for-longer interest rates and a new-look U.S. Federal Reserve, in which rate hikes may be forthcoming. Rather than make a directional bet on interest rates to combat duration risk, consider floating-rate ETFs, a compelling option.
Every year in early July, we update our interactive Periodic Table of Commodities Returns to reflect the performance of raw materials in the first six months of the year. Maybe I’m biased, but I believe it’s one of the clearest snapshots of the commodities landscape you’ll find anywhere.
While tariff uncertainty hasn’t completely disappeared, it has diminished, and firms are feeling less uncertain about the future.
As we move toward the mid-term elections, many are making the argument that “democracy is at risk.” We get politicians making this argument, but when supposedly sober political and economic analysts start to make it, we do get worried.
Given how crucial the fixed income sleeve can be to one’s portfolio, the recent concerns over inflation have caused many advisors and investors to rethink how they go about their exposure. This includes debating over active and passive funds, and reevaluating the type of bond duration that is most attractive at this moment.
Bear flattening trades, inverted yield curves, and frantic style rotations (factor or sector) are not definitive warnings of a market peak. They are extremely informative about where the economy, markets, and investor sentiment stand, but they do not tell investors whether or when the economic or market cycle will turn.
Nuclear Energy
Beyond AI: What's Really Driving Nuclear's Momentum This Year
The case for nuclear has continued to build from multiple fronts, as regulatory reform, technology milestones, expanding government involvement, geopolitical uncertainty, and sustained private investment converge to reshape the industry's outlook. This session looks beyond the currently AI-dominant headlines and examines the myriad factors that could have lasting implications for the future of global nuclear energy adoption.
Congress Ought to Fix the Flawed Saudi Nuclear Deal
The confusion surrounding a proposed civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia hasn’t exactly disappeared: The White House is still claiming it depends on the country normalizing relations with Israel, even if that’s not part of the written agreement.
Why Berkshire Hathaway Sold Oil and Bought Delta Air Lines
In the first quarter of this year, as the Strait of Hormuz closed and oil prices exploded, Berkshire Hathaway made a couple of moves that might have flown under people’s radars.It cut its stake in Chevron by roughly a third. Then it bought an airline.
Japan Could Redraw the Global Oil Map
Among the world’s top fuel-consuming nations, Japan is the most energy insecure. Its import-dependency ratios are scary: It buys overseas 99.9% of the oil it needs; 99.7% of the coal; and 97.8% of the natural gas.
The AI Folks Don't Seem to Understand Intelligence
AI has changed coding, mathematics, and weather forecasting. They all have a vast pool of available training data, rapid feedback, and clear right and wrong answers. These keep models moored to reality, not spiraling off to disaster as the result of compounding small errors.
Why Big Tech’s AI Capex Is Now Outrunning Cash Flow
Early this week, I was in Los Angeles at the All-In Summit along with about 4,000 others, including tech investors, money managers and entrepreneurs. The ticket wasn’t cheap, but it was well worth it.
Future Schlock: A Guide to the Singularity
Confused by the Singularity and the impending AI apocalypse? Theoretical physicist turned science writer Adam Becker is here to help with “More Everything Forever: AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley’s Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity,” a jaundiced tour d’horizon of the peculiar end-times stories that IT visionaries — particularly the richest and most powerful ones — tell themselves.
Dear Humanity – Can We Teach AI Compassion?
Artificial intelligence is advancing at a stunning, and perhaps uncontrolled speed. Last week, Evan Hubinger, the Alignment Science Lead at the AI company Anthropic estimated a greater than 10% chance that AI could eliminate humanity within a decade. Jakub Pachocki, Chief Scientist at OpenAI, recently observed 'The core problem in AI research is that of alignment - getting the AI to ‘try to do the right thing’ by human standards…
The AI Panic Needs Some Nuclear Metaphors
Much about the global AI panic — could it really “kill us all by the end of the decade”? — is genuinely new, and thus extra-scary. Then again, the specter of human-engineered extinction is hardly novel; we have about eight decades of experience in thinking about it.
Energy Addition Within the Transition
The new investment case for global power, security and affordability. The phrase “energy transition” has served as a useful political and cultural shorthand, but it has become a misleading framework for capital allocation. Franklin Templeton Institute explodes new opportunities for investors—and where shifts in thinking may be needed.
Cheap Drones Are Repricing Global Energy Markets
Last week, the refining margin on European gasoil, the benchmark that sets the price of diesel and heating oil across much of the world, closed at roughly $94 a barrel over Brent crude, according to Bloomberg data. That figure is normally somewhere between $12 and $18.
US AI Boom Needs $110 Billion of New Power Plants, Moody’s Says
America’s data center boom will need $110 billion to build 45 gigawatts of new power generation through 2030, according to an analysis by Moody’s Ratings.
Global Bond Yields Rise as Iran Conflict Escalates and Fed Outlook Wavers
U.S. equities were little changed on the week – the S&P 500 rose 0.1 per cent, the NASDAQ gained 0.4 per cent, and the Russell 2000 added 0.12 per cent – but those modest moves masked a far more turbulent week in the global rates markets.
The Real Winners of the Venezuela Oil Deal
If you’re planning on driving anywhere this Labor Day weekend, be prepared to pay the highest gas prices ever for this time of year. The national average hit $4.14 per gallon on Thursday, an approximately 30% increase from last year, according to AAA.
A Little Now, or a Lot Later
For the past six weeks, we’ve walked through the forces creating America’s K-shaped economy, housing, healthcare, education, wages, incentives, and the political consequences when enough people decide the system is not working for them. This week let’s look at the situation from a more optimistic angle.
Rethinking High Yield: Why Old Anchors May Be Holding Investors Back
Anchoring is one of the most powerful—and underestimated—forces in financial decision‑making. Once an emotional label attaches itself to an idea, it becomes the lens through which people interpret everything that follows.
Hundreds of Billions for Nuclear: Who Actually Benefits?
Billions in federal support are flowing toward nuclear energy, but most investors can't tell you which companies actually receive it. When a $17.5 billion manufacturing loan program was announced for AP1000 reactor supply chains, social media tagged the wrong tickers entirely. This session breaks down where that capital is really headed and how a thoughtful approach to index construction can provide more focused exposure to companies benefitting from that headline number.
S&P 500 Steadies After Three-Day Skid as Oil Prices Halt Advance
US stocks flipped between small gains and losses on Wednesday after a three-day skid, as oil prices halted a sharp advance, easing inflation concerns as traders weigh the Federal Reserve’s potential path for interest-rate hikes.
Why RIA Valuations Depend on Organic Growth, Not Just AUM
Massive AUM may earn an RIA a buyer’s attention, but it does not automatically earn a premium valuation in the rapidly evolving M&A landscape.
There Are Now Half a Million More Home Sellers Than Buyers
San Antonio has been my adopted home for close to 40 years now. I’ve watched it grow through more than one boom cycle, but recent Redfin data suggests we could be looking at a bust.
The QDIA Illusion: Why Your "Managed" Account Isn't Managed
The TDF industry is an oligopoly where four firms dominate more than 75% of the $5 trillion market. Competitors that are desperate for market share have turned to “managed” QDIA accounts — a gimmick masquerading as personalization.
The Treasury Tries to Cap Interest Rates
The term “backfire” originally referred to the intentional burning of underbrush when there is a wildfire on the horizon, to keep a bad situation from turning worse. Over time, however, backfire has come to mean an action that makes a bad situation worse.
In Your Backyard: Jobs, Growth, and the Race We're Actually In
This week, we take on the objection that scares people most: that AI and the data centers that run it are coming for their jobs. Let's separate what people currently believe from what the data currently shows, and then talk about why the jobs argument, even where it has merit, points toward building more data centers rather than fewer.
More Signs of Growth Across AI and Europe
This week, our Portfolio Manager Olga Bezrokov sees tentative signs of improvement emerging in Europe, although she cautions that the recovery remains uneven across countries and sectors.
Where to Invest Now as Data Centers Turn Copper Into a Hot Commodity
Copper is having a moment. It may be a long one. The metal has hit record highs in 2026 and is currently up 15% since the start of the year, trading above $14,300 a ton on the London Metal Exchange.
Investor Frenzy for AI Strips Safeguards From Convertible Bonds
Convertible bond investors chasing exposure to the artificial intelligence boom are giving up some of the protection they would normally demand, pushing the market toward levels of risk-taking last seen during the pandemic.
JPMorgan and Apollo Urge Inflation Focus for Warsh’s Big Speech
A chorus of investors is urging Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh to express a strong determination to deal with high inflation to boost the long end of the Treasury market.
Where Is Your Happy Place? Maybe It’s Slovenia
Most residents of rich, Western countries have relatively high earnings, but many also feel they can’t afford a reasonable lifestyle. Americans, for example, are getting richer but also more unhappy. Meanwhile Eastern Europeans, not generally known for their cheery disposition, are most satisfied with their comparatively lower income.
Why It’s Time to Add Equities Exposure in Active ETFs
Investors are used to a swirling mass of scary headlines and geopolitical and monetary risk. Yen carry trade and yield concerns, however, may have some feeling of trepidation. Despite those risks, equities continue to appeal.
Small-Cap Stocks Step Out of Big Tech’s Shadow
In markets that have faced multiple sources of uncertainty this year, small-cap stocks have quietly moved to the front of the pack. Unlike the S&P 500, where performance has been heavily influenced by changing AI narratives, smaller companies have seen earnings improve across a broader set of sectors that are more closely tied to the overall US economy.
Gold and Silver Surge as the Debasement Trade Returns
Investors who focus only on tomorrow’s gold price may miss the larger purpose of owning precious metals. Gold and silver are not merely vehicles for chasing a rally. They are tools for preserving purchasing power during periods of fiscal and monetary instability.
US Stock Futures Climb as Nvidia’s Outlook Lifts Tech Sector
A blockbuster outlook from chip darling Nvidia Corp. is providing a boost to tech stocks and lifting key equity indexes Thursday morning, adding to investor optimism about the AI cycle.
US to Spend Billions to Power Army Bases With Nuclear Reactors
The US Army is planning to deploy small reactors to power five bases across the country, investing $2.2 billion to accelerate the Trump Administration’s efforts to boost America’s nuclear industry.
Trump Administration’s Geothermal Push Gets Big Test in Utah Desert
The future of geothermal energy, a renewable source that has charged up conservatives and liberals alike, is being charted in a scrubby patch of sagebrush, halfway between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.
Did America Just Become a Nation of Luddites?
Something strange has been happening in America lately. The Wall Street Journal says this is the summer when the U.S. became “a nation of Luddites.” The Economist calls it “the Summer of Ludd.”
AI In Your Backyard: The Water and the Wires
Artificial intelligence is the topic of the day. It seems everyone has an opinion but not much actual factual knowledge. I’ve been dragging emails and research into my AI folder for a very long time. Today (and next week) I review those emails, as we are going to look at the reasons there is so much opposition to AI data centers.
How Much Does It Really Cost to Launch an RIA?
Treat launch costs as initial investments, not expenses to minimize. Strategic firms often discover that the most valuable investments are the ones that protect their clients, preserve flexibility, and create enduring enterprise value.
Midterm Year Pullbacks Have Been Followed by Double-Digit Gains
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: it’s not the political party that matters, but the policies. Investors, I believe, are better served when they focus not on the partisan noise and headlines but the policies that bring about change.
US Readies Unprecedented ‘Economic Isolation’ Plan for Iran
The US will soon announce unprecedented economic measures against Iran, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, intensifying the Trump administration’s effort to force Tehran’s capitulation after almost six months of war.
Korea Sovereign Wealth Fund to Join Global Race for AI, Robotics
South Korea expects to deploy more than 1 trillion won ($707 million) of fresh capital into a new sovereign wealth fund targeting AI and other strategic industries next year, joining a global push by governments to mobilize investment and gain an edge in high-tech sectors.
BofA to Plow $250 Billion Into Critical Infrastructure Projects
Bank of America Corp. unveiled a $250 billion initiative to invest in critical infrastructure across the US over the next year, joining its peers pushing for innovation across the country.
The U.S. Needs Missiles Faster Than It Can Build Them
Fifty-eight billion dollars. That’s what the Department of War just awarded Lockheed Martin for PAC-3 interceptors, the missiles that have been knocking Iranian ballistic missiles out of the sky for the past five months. It’s one of the largest munitions awards in U.S. history.
Looking at Gold? Active ETFs Can Ride the Rally
Stronger gold prices are happening for a couple different reasons. First of all, optimism is rising that the Strait of Hormuz may finally reopen soon. The news in Iran is certainly welcome, but new jobs data from ADP is helping gold, too.
Trump Is Aiding a Golden Age for Renewable Energy
Given America’s political environment, you would be forgiven for thinking the country has slipped into a dark age of energy recidivism; burning oil, gas and coal left and right; and tossing wind and solar farms on the scrap heap.
Keeping Your Bitcoin Riches Safe Has Never Been Harder
Finding a place to stash the keys to your cryptocurrency hoard has never been easier, thanks to options that run from putting them in a retired Swiss nuclear bunker to the humdrum use of digital-asset exchanges. It’s also never been harder to keep them safe from thieves.
What Alexander Hamilton Would Make of Washington’s Stake in Intel
In January 1790, the House of Representatives put a simple question to its new Treasury Secretary: what should America make for itself? Alexander Hamilton took almost two years to answer.
Power at a Premium
Electricity has become a major global focus. It essential to powering the modern economy: regions with capacity will generate growth, while those without adequate supplies may be vulnerable to shocks.
Sequoia Leads $1 Billion Funding Round for Nuclear Startup Valar
Sequoia Capital led a $1 billion funding round for Valar Atomics Inc. that the nuclear startup says will help it shift from demonstrating small reactors to producing them in volume.
Gold Miners Are Printing Cash at $4,000 Gold
Brent crude crossed above $100 a barrel this week, all due to a 20-mile-wide stretch of water some 6,500 miles away from the U.S. Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—the Persian Gulf bottleneck that carried roughly a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil before the fighting started—has fallen to virtually zero.
How an Industrial Surge Can Drive Silver Price Comeback
June may have proven to be a difficult month for silver investors, but it’s likely far too soon to give up on the precious metal. To better understand this, it’s important to contextualize why silver’s price is struggling and why the metal’s long-term opportunities are still there.
The Electricity Tipping Point & the Next Energy Boom
Electricity demand is surging all over the world. To meet this demand, vast investments in power generation need to be made, and grids need to be overhauled and expanded. Ramping up electricity generation and delivery is extremely expensive, and electricity prices have spiked up throughout much of the developed world.
Trump Says Saudi Nuclear Deal Subject to Forming Israel Ties
US President Donald Trump said a civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia would be contingent on the kingdom normalizing ties with Israel, throwing cold water on a landmark deal his administration finalized just a day earlier.
America Is the Only Major Market Without Publicly Traded Airports
Whenever I speak at investment conferences, I like to point out that we invest in a number of publicly traded airports. I even list them: Spain’s Aena. Aeroports de Paris. Zurich Airport. Airports of Thailand. Two of the world’s largest operators, Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste and Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, trade in Mexico.
The Outsized Impact of Microreactor Progress on the Nuclear Industry
Join the experts from VettaFi for a 30-minute discussion on the broader implications of successful microreactor tests.
The Most Expensive Financial Decisions Physicians Make (And They Aren’t Investment Decisions)
For physicians, major financial decisions may rarely affect just one area of their financial life. The real potential risk is failing to understand how those decisions impact everything else.
Is America Energy Rich, Power Poor?
A country drowning in energy shouldn't also feel like it's running out of electricity. In other words: before we ask whether America can make more things again, we should probably ask whether America can power the production.
Why July is the Perfect Time for Proactive Tax Planning
For many investors and families, tax planning may become a year-end exercise squeezed into November and December. But by the time the calendar turns to the fourth quarter, many of the most effective opportunities are already limited.
Lesser-Known Differences Between IRAs and 401(k) Plans
Beyond the obvious differences such as contribution limits, ability to take loans and eligibility requirements, here are some other, lesser-known differences many savers may not be aware of.
Metals in Motion: Sprott Outlines New Era of Critical Minerals
The rules governing global commodity markets are starting to witness a profound shift, which is putting critical minerals at the forefront of policy. On a recent episode of ETF Guide’s Metals in Motion, Justin Tolman, Senior Portfolio Manager and Economic Geologist at Sprott Asset Management, discussed this dynamic.
Netflix Faces Earnings Risk After Stock’s $257 Billion Wipeout
Netflix Inc. has been one of the worst stocks in the market over the past 12 months as concerns about the video-streaming giant’s plans and prospects refuse to go away. Now, investors worry that its earnings report after the close will confirm those fears.
Hoisington, US Bond Bull for Decades, Turns Decidedly Bearish
Hoisington Investment Management Co., the bond manager known for its bullish stance on US Treasuries going back more than 30 years, has turned bearish.
SaaSpocalypse Part II? IBM’s Preliminary Earnings Report Rattles Software
The Q2 earnings season is off to a rollercoaster start. The big banks collectively reported strong numbers, boosted by active capital markets and another impressive set of sales & trading revenue. And it was the usual chorus of bank CEO macro commentary:
Scouring For Non-Tech Sectors
In June we pointed out that Health Care looks cheap. Even though it has been rallying hard of late, the sector continues to trade at a 59% price-to-sales discount to the S&P 500, despite having an 18% return on equity (ROE) that is just a hair below the 19% ROE accorded the S&P 500.
Q3 Strategic Income Outlook: Perception Is Reality
Although economic conditions did not change much between the first and second quarters, investors were far more bullish in the second quarter.
Corporate Bond Market Insight - Resilient Growth Meets Rising Inflation
What were the key takeaways from last month’s numbers? Our corporate bond specialists look back at the market’s performance and provide incisive commentary to help you make sense of what drove the market—and what may be on the horizon for fixed income investors.
Here’s How AI Is Already Changing Career Tracks in Advisory Firms
The labor gap is creating pressure on firms to do more with their existing teams, and AI is giving those teams the tools to actually do it. Here is how firms achieve double-digit growth using AI, even while navigating a workforce transformation they cannot fully control.
Lincoln in Talks With Talcott for Multibillion-Dollar Risk Deal
incoln National Corp. is in advanced talks with Talcott Financial Group for a reinsurance deal that would shift billions of dollars of life insurance reserves off its balance sheet, according to people familiar with the deliberations.
Independent Thinking Crucial for Advisors
For this week’s column, in the wake of the holiday celebrating our country’s independence, I’ll share some independent thinking for advisors to implement, whether it be with their teams, in their practice or with their clients. I’ll keep it brief in the hopes you will find one or two things that resonate.
Meta’s $250 Billion July Leap Shows Traders Believe Its AI Plans
In the span of just two weeks, Meta Platforms Inc. has gone from a market afterthought to one of its hottest stocks, as investors finally like what Facebook’s parent is saying about its artificial intelligence plans.
AI’s Next Big Mission Is Rewiring Your Workplace
Artificial intelligence is reshaping every business, including ours. But the hardest challenge is not adopting it. It is rewiring your company around it. How corporate leaders respond to that test will determine whether AI shrinks their ambition or raises it.
Houses Are No Longer the Best Place for Your Money
The median house price in Nantucket, Massachusetts, is nearly $4 million. It was just $500,000 in 1995. This sounds like a stunning increase in one of the hottest and least accessible real estate markets in the country.
Mountain, Cliff, or Ocean
The current level of stock market valuations remains – easily – the most speculative extreme in U.S. financial history, beyond both the 1929 and 2000 extremes. Our baseline estimate is that the S&P 500 has a material risk of losing something on the order of 75% over the completion of this cycle.
SpaceX & Beyond: A New ETF for the Space Economy
When it comes to space stocks, Elon Musk’s SpaceX (SPCX) is clearly the big kahuna. After all, the company just completed the largest initial public offering (IPO) in history, rapidly joining the $1 trillion-plus market capitalization club in the process. However, the broader space economy extends beyond a single company.
Mid-Year Update: Equity Dislocation Strategy
It has been an eventful six months, and we are delighted that the Equity Dislocation Strategy has risen to the occasion. The Strategy generated a 9.05% net return in the first half of 2026, compared with a 1.3% return for MSCI ACWI Value minus MSCI ACWI Growth, a broad proxy for the value-growth spread.
Finding Value in the Crowded AI Trade
After a wild last 12 months in a technology stock boom – and more recent volatility – the question du jour, in our view, is not whether AI is transformative.
Crude Awakening: The Iran Coflict’s Aftereffects Will Linger Long After it’s Over
Every major geopolitical crisis has two types of effects: those that occur during the crisis itself and those that remain on a long-term basis, perhaps even permanently. The US-Iran conflict is no exception.
Building Bridges: Understanding & Navigating the Structural Divide Between Private & Public Markets
Advances in data aggregation, secondary market pricing, and index construction are delivering institutional‑grade insights to a wider audience. Improving access to data and technology helps to build a more transparent bridge that supports confident participation in the growing private markets ecosystem.
Goldman Beats Stock-Trading Records With $7.42 Billion Boon
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. trounced its own Wall Street stock-trading records, posting $7.42 billion for a quarter that saw indexes rip higher and ongoing market volatility around artificial intelligence and war in the Middle East.
A Deeper Blind Spot in Private Credit: Why Asset Owners Need Borrower-Level Insight
To close the visibility gap, analysis must begin with the “borrower model,” not the fund. Once you know the types of businesses in a portfolio, their industry, revenue band, and geography, you can evaluate them against a statistically robust universe of similarly situated companies.
Making Sure the ‘Great Wealth Transfer’ Doesn’t Turn Into the ‘Great Client Exodus’
Over the next 20 years, the industry’s great wealth transfer is expected to put more than $84 trillion in the hands of new family members and other beneficiaries as Baby Boomers increasingly enter their 80s. This large migration of assets could also signal a great client exodus for advisors, if they aren’t able to connect with the new stewards of this wealth.
Fact-Checking the Social Security Commissioner’s Email
A client called me last week wanting to know how to claim a $7,500 tax refund he thought he’d missed. His question was based on an email sent in early July to Social Security recipients from Frank J. Bisignano, commissioner of the Social Security Administration.
US Stocks Advance as Traders Parse CPI Data, Warsh Comments
US stocks rose on Tuesday as investors parsed latest inflation data and Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh’s remarks.
Software Stocks Sink as IBM Miss Delivers ‘Devastating Blow’
Shares of software and IT services companies plunged Tuesday after International Business Machines Corp. reported preliminary results that missed analyst expectations, reigniting questions about the sector.
Traders Grapple With World That’s Good for Dollar, Bad for Bonds
What’s good for the US dollar isn’t always good for US bonds — but investors are finding ways to work around it.
4 Floating-Rate ETFs That Should Top Your List
Fixed income investors continue to grapple with an uncertain macro environment, dominated by higher-for-longer interest rates and a new-look U.S. Federal Reserve, in which rate hikes may be forthcoming. Rather than make a directional bet on interest rates to combat duration risk, consider floating-rate ETFs, a compelling option.
Lithium Was the Top Performing Commodity in H1
Every year in early July, we update our interactive Periodic Table of Commodities Returns to reflect the performance of raw materials in the first six months of the year. Maybe I’m biased, but I believe it’s one of the clearest snapshots of the commodities landscape you’ll find anywhere.
Tariff Pass-Through Is Not Over
While tariff uncertainty hasn’t completely disappeared, it has diminished, and firms are feeling less uncertain about the future.
Is US Democracy at Risk?
As we move toward the mid-term elections, many are making the argument that “democracy is at risk.” We get politicians making this argument, but when supposedly sober political and economic analysts start to make it, we do get worried.
Worried About Inflation? Try Active Short Duration Bonds
Given how crucial the fixed income sleeve can be to one’s portfolio, the recent concerns over inflation have caused many advisors and investors to rethink how they go about their exposure. This includes debating over active and passive funds, and reevaluating the type of bond duration that is most attractive at this moment.
Yield Curves & Style Rotations: Omen or Deception?
Bear flattening trades, inverted yield curves, and frantic style rotations (factor or sector) are not definitive warnings of a market peak. They are extremely informative about where the economy, markets, and investor sentiment stand, but they do not tell investors whether or when the economic or market cycle will turn.