Join for free and get access to the buyside
Get insights from the world's most influential hedge fund investors direct to your inbox
- © 2025 Buyside Digest
- Privacy Policy
- Disclaimer
- Sitemap
- Terms of Service
| Quarter | Letter Date | Fund Name | QTD | YTD | Tickers | Keywords/Themes | Theme Commentary | Pitches | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q2 | Aug 7, 2025 | NCG Small Cap Growth Strategy | 12.7% | -1.9% | AAON, AGYS, ALHC, AVPT, CDNA, CELH, CRS, CWK, ELF, GDYN, GWRE, HXL, INOD, MTSI, RXST, SAIA, SPRY, STRL, TMDX, TTAN | growth, healthcare, infrastructure, rates, small cap, technology, Trade Policy | Small cap growth stocks participated in the recent market rally, but further opportunity exists. The rolling 10-year annualized return by small vs large stands at -7.3% and is the worst ever going back to 1926, and the valuation of the small cap sector relative to large caps is in the 5th percentile historically. | View | |
| 2025 Q2 | Jul 22, 2025 | Conestoga Mid Cap Composite | 3.5% | 4.5% | AAON, AGYS, BFAM, CWAN, CWST, DGII, DSGX, ESE, EXPO, FSS, FSV, JBTM, MLAB, MMSI, NEOG, NOVT, RBC, ROAD, SLP, STVN | growth, industrials, infrastructure, Quality, small cap, tariffs, technology | Federal infrastructure investment is driving robust demand in road maintenance and construction markets. Construction Partners has been a leader in seven of the past nine quarters due to this infrastructure spending. The company reported solid fiscal 2Q results with organic revenue increases and record backlog figures. | MTD NET FICO AAON POOL ROP WSO WCN CPRT VEEV IDXX GWRE HEI.A BSY |
View |
| 2025 Q2 | Jul 22, 2025 | Conestoga Small Cap Composite | 4.8% | -7.1% | AAON, AGYS, BFAM, CWAN, CWST, DGII, DSGX, ESE, EXPO, FSS, FSV, JBTM, MLAB, MMSI, NEOG, NOVT, RBC, ROAD, SLP, STVN | growth, healthcare, industrials, infrastructure, Quality, small cap, tariffs, technology | Federal infrastructure investment is driving robust demand in road maintenance and infrastructure markets. Construction Partners has been a leader in seven of the past nine quarters due to this infrastructure spending. The company reported solid fiscal 2Q results with organic revenue increases and record backlog figures. | SLP KIDS SSTI ERII HLMN MEG ROAD WLDN PL |
View |
| 2025 Q2 | Jul 22, 2025 | Conestoga SMid Cap Composite | 5.0% | -1.0% | AAON, AGYS, BFAM, CWAN, CWST, DGII, DSGX, ESE, EXPO, FSS, FSV, JBTM, MLAB, MMSI, NEOG, NOVT, RBC, ROAD, SLP, STVN | growth, industrials, infrastructure, Quality, small cap, tariffs, technology | Federal infrastructure investment is driving robust demand in road maintenance and construction markets. Construction Partners has been a leader in seven of the past nine quarters due to this infrastructure spending. The company reported solid fiscal 2Q results with organic revenue increases and record backlog figures. | RBC GWRE AXON ROAD |
View |
| 2025 Q2 | Jul 22, 2025 | Conestoga Micro Cap Composite | 15.7% | 6.1% | AAON, AGYS, BFAM, CWAN, CWST, DGII, DSGX, ESE, EXPO, FSS, FSV, JBTM, MLAB, MMSI, NEOG, NOVT, RBC, ROAD, SLP, STVN | growth, healthcare, industrials, infrastructure, Quality, small cap, tariffs, technology | Federal infrastructure investment driving robust demand in road maintenance and construction markets. Construction Partners has been a leader in seven of the past nine quarters due to this infrastructure spending tailwind. | TWST |
View |
| 2025 Q2 | Jul 11, 2025 | Giverny Capital Asset Management | 9.1% | 5.4% | AAON, ALGN, ANET, BLDR, BRK.A, CSU.TO, FERG, FI, GOOGL, HEI.A, IBP, JPM, KMX, KNSL, MA, MEDP, META, MTB, PGR, SCHW | AI, Banking, insurance, Quality, technology, value | The US appears to be the global leader in Artificial Intelligence, with hundreds of billions of dollars being invested in AI data centers over the next few years. Close to one-third of the portfolio has considerable exposure to AI through positions in Arista, Alphabet, Meta, AAON, and a new holding that is critical to the buildout of AI and cloud computing data centers. | FI KNSL PGR MTB GOOG FISV KNSL |
View |
| 2025 Q1 | May 1, 2025 | Conestoga SMid Cap Composite | -5.7% | -5.7% | AAON, ALTR, AZTA, CWST, DSGX, ESE, GGG, HEI.A, JKHY, MMM, MMSI, NEOG, PAYX, PYCR, RBC, ROAD, SPSC, TRNS, VERX, WSO | industrials, Outperformance, Quality, SMID Cap, tariffs, technology | The portfolio benefited from high-quality factor leadership as profitable companies with strong ROIC and EBITDA margins declined less than high beta, non-earning counterparts during the market selloff. Conestoga's emphasis on higher-quality, conservative growth companies was a key contributor to outperformance. | View | |
| 2025 Q1 | May 1, 2025 | Conestoga Micro Cap Composite | -8.2% | -8.2% | AAON, ALTR, AZTA, CWST, DSGX, ESE, GGG, HEI.A, JKHY, MMM, MMSI, NEOG, PAYX, PYCR, RBC, ROAD, SPSC, TRNS, VERX, WSO | Micro Cap, Outperformance, Quality, small caps, tariffs, uncertainty | Small capitalization stocks declined nearly 11% in the first quarter and were down roughly 20% from their post-election highs. The firm expects their investment approach to outperform in periods of heightened uncertainty, which proved true for most strategies in Q1. | View | |
| 2025 Q1 | May 1, 2025 | Conestoga Small Cap Composite | -11.4% | -11.4% | AAON, ALTR, AZTA, BCPC, CWST, DSGX, ESE, EXPO, FSV, MMM, MMSI, NEOG, PAYX, PYCR, RBC, ROAD, SPSC, SSD, TRNS, VERX | growth, industrials, Outperformance, Quality, small caps, tariffs, technology | Small capitalization stocks declined nearly 11% in the first quarter and were down roughly 20% from their post-election highs in November 2024. The firm expects their investment approach to outperform in periods of heightened uncertainty, which proved true as their strategies outperformed benchmarks during the quarter's volatility. | View | |
| 2025 Q1 | Apr 30, 2025 | Invesco Discovery Fund | -12.2% | -12.2% | AAON, ALAB, BBIO, CLS.TO, COOP, CRS, CWAN, CWST, CYBR, DUOL, EHC, ERJ, EVR, FRPT, FTI, GKOS, ITCI, KKR, LITE, OLLI, PRS, RKLB, WAY | aerospace, AI, Biotech, growth, healthcare, small cap, technology | The fund experienced challenges from AI-related volatility, with the secular growth narrative being challenged by DeepSeek developments. Astera Labs declined significantly due to concerns about lower-cost AI models from China affecting the AI infrastructure investment thesis. | BBIO RKLB WAY |
View |
| 2025 Q1 | Apr 23, 2025 | Polen Capital – U.S. Small Company Growth | -10.8% | -10.8% | AAON, AIT, BROS, ELF, EXLS, FOXF, GLOB, GSHD, MEDP, MODG, NSIT, PCTY, PGNY, RMBS, RVLV, TECH, TREX, WRBY, YETI | consumer discretionary, growth, Portfolio Management, Quality, small caps, tariffs, volatility | The first quarter was marked by heightened volatility due to concerns about the Trump administration's emerging trade policies and global tariff imposition. The managers stress-tested their businesses across various tariff policy scenarios and made portfolio adjustments, particularly exiting Consumer Discretionary positions vulnerable to tariff uncertainty. | TECH RVLV ELF GLOB GSHD EXLS BROS |
View |
| 2026 Q1 | Apr 15, 2026 | Brown Advisors Mid-Cap Growth strategy | -9.0% | -9.0% | AAON, ANDG, ARES, CCC, CSGP, DDOG, DKNG, DT, EFX, FICO, FIX, FTAI, GH, GWRE, HUBS, IT, LITE, LNG, LSCC, MDLN, MPWR, ODFL, OII, OS, PODD, PWR, RDDT, TOST, TTD, VOYG, VRSK, VRT, VST, WCN, WDAY, YSS | AI, energy, growth, industrials, mid cap, software, technology | GH FTAI ANDG RDDT TOST GWRE |
View | |
| 2024 Q1 | Apr 15, 2024 | Harding Loevner Global Small Companies | 7.8% | 4.1% | 6588.T, AAON, ALLE, ATKR, BWA, CYBR, ELAN, ENDV.L, ENS, FIVE, MBUU, MGPI, NEM.DE, OLLI, PFV.DE, RGA, RUB.PA, SWAV, XPEL, YOU.L | AI, cybersecurity, global, Japan, semiconductors, small caps, technology, value | Generative AI represents a powerful wave that has gained tremendous momentum since ChatGPT's launch. The world spent around $50B on AI-enabling chips in 2023, with forecasts ranging from $100B to over $400B in coming years. Smaller companies like Pfeiffer Vacuum occupy important niches in the AI supply chain through semiconductor manufacturing equipment. | CYBR PFEV.DE |
View |
| 2025 Q1 | Mar 31, 2025 | Carillon Eagle Small Cap Growth Fund | - | - | AAON, ANF, ARIS, FLYW, ITCI, PCVX, PTGX, RBA, SHAK, SWTX | AI, Biotechnology, energy, growth, healthcare, small caps, technology, Trade Policy | Healthcare remains the largest sector in the US at $5 trillion, growing 5% annually driven by aging population and chronic conditions. Recent M&A activity has picked up in pharmaceuticals and medical devices as companies seek portfolio expansion. The sector is generally more favorably priced than most sectors despite recent underperformance. | ANF AAON SHAK PCVX FLY SWTX PTGX RBA ARIS ITCI |
View |
| 2023 Q4 | Dec 31, 2023 | Conestoga Small Cap Composite | 10.1% | 7.8% | AAON, ALTR, AQUA, BCPC, BL, CWST, DGII, DSGX, FOXF, HLIO, LMAT, MODN, PYCR, RBC, SITE, SSD, STVN, TREX, VCEL, XYL | Construction, growth, healthcare, industrials, Quality, small cap, technology | Conestoga remains positive on long-term expectations for relative performance of small caps over large caps, noting that relative valuations of small caps to large caps continues to sit near multi-decade lows. The market capitalization of the top five stocks in the S&P 500 Index is now three times the market capitalization of the entire Russell 2000 Index, representing unusual market breadth narrowness. | View | |
| 2025 Q3 | Nov 8, 2025 | Baird Small/Mid Cap Growth Equity Fund | -3.2% | -9.6% | AAON, ADMA, AFRM, ALAB, BMI, BOOT, BRBR, BROS, BURL, BWXT, CASY, CAVA, CLWD, COCO, DKNG, ELF, EXAS, FDS, FOUR, FSS, HLI, INSM, INSP, IONQ, LII, MASI, MKTX, MTSI, NBIX, PEN, PODD, QBTS, RGTI, SOFI, TARS, TTAN, TWLO, TXRH, WAY, WING, WSO | AI, growth, healthcare, momentum, Quality, semiconductors, small cap, software | AI enthusiasm drove significant benchmark outperformance through semiconductor and infrastructure plays, with quantum computing stocks adding over 2% to benchmark weight despite extreme valuations. The market's insatiable desire for AI beneficiaries created meaningful factor headwinds for the portfolio. | View | |
| 2025 Q3 | Oct 6, 2025 | Giverny Capital Asset Management | 6.8% | 12.6% | AAON, ALGN, ANET, CACC, CSU.TO, FERG, FI, GOOGL, HEI, IBP, JPM, KMX, KNSL, MEDP, META, NVDA, PGR, SCHW, TSM, TWFG | AI, Geopolitical Risk, Owner Operators, Quality, semiconductors, technology, valuation | Manager discusses AI enthusiasm reaching euphoria levels, with 41 AI-related stocks accounting for 75% of S&P 500 returns since ChatGPT launched. Portfolio has 30% exposure through Arista, Alphabet, Meta, Taiwan Semiconductor and Aaon. Expresses concern about Nvidia's $100 billion financing deal with OpenAI, comparing it to dot-com era vendor financing arrangements. | NVDA US MEDP US |
View |
| 2024 Q3 | Oct 30, 2024 | Baird Small/Mid Cap Growth Equity Fund | 6.9% | 2.7% | AAON, ACLS, ALAB, APPF, BMI, BOOT, BROS, BSY, BURL, BWXT, CACI, CASY, CWA, CYBR, EXLS, FANG, FDS, FIVE, FND, FOUR, IEX, INSP, IRTC, JKHY, KAI, KNSL, LFUS, LGIH, LSCC, LW, MANH, MEDP, MNDY, NBIX, ONTO, PCOR, PODD, POOL, PRCT, RXST, SITM, SMPL, TARS, TREX, TYL, ULS, VNOM, WSC | financials, growth, healthcare, industrials, semiconductors, small caps, software, technology | The fund initiated a position in Astera Labs, a fast-growing and profitable developer of semiconductor products known as retimers that are key enablers of AI workloads and help prevent GPU bottlenecks. The manager believes this business adds further profitable AI-exposure to the portfolio. | View | |
| 2025 Q3 | Oct 28, 2025 | Baron Discovery Fund | 2.8% | 10.6% | AAON, AEIS, BIRK, BMI, CDNA, CYBR, DKNG, DT, EXAS, GTLS, INSP, KTOS, LLYVA, MEG, MRCY, PAR, PRMB, SPRY, WING, WYNN | cybersecurity, defense, earnings, growth, Quality, small cap, technology, water | The Fund benefits from a generational increase in defense spending amid heightened global conflicts. Defense companies like Kratos, Mercury Systems, and Karman Holdings are winning new contracts across multiple divisions and benefiting from the current administration's openness to smaller, agile defense contractors. The defense spending cycle appears to be in a generational upswing. | KTOS WING INSP PAR BIRK KTOS WING INSP BIRK |
View |
| 2025 Q3 | Oct 28, 2025 | Graham and Doddsville | - | - | AAON, AAP, ANET, AOS, ASTS, CVNA, DLO, FEVR.L, GOOGL, KER.PA, MELI, META, NLB.L, PGR, RKLB, TBCG.L, TSM, WISE.L, WOSG.L, XPEL | AI, emerging markets, Investment Analysis, long-term, Portfolio Management, Quality, Student Pitches, Value Investing | Multiple interviews emphasize value investing principles, with Brandes Investment Partners maintaining pure value philosophy despite 165 months of underperformance following the global financial crisis. The publication showcases various value-oriented approaches from concentrated portfolios to systematic value investing strategies. | View | |
| 2025 Q3 | Oct 24, 2025 | NCG Small Cap Growth Strategy | 5.9% | 3.9% | AAON, ADMA, AEHR, APLD, AVAV, BE, CDNA, FROG, KVYO, LEU, MIRM, MP, PAR, PGY, PI, PL, PRCH, STRL, TOL, VCEL, XMTR | AI, defense, growth, infrastructure, nuclear, small cap, Speculation, valuation | Artificial intelligence presents great promise for enhancing business models and improving productivity long-term. In the near-term, the infrastructure needed to support the AI buildout is spurring significant increases in investment and capital expenditures, driving new growth opportunities for innovative companies across technology, industrials, and energy sectors. | BE XMTR |
View |
| 2025 Q3 | Oct 24, 2025 | NCG SMID Cap Growth Strategy | 7.1% | 4.3% | AAON, ADMA, AEHR, APLD, AVAV, BE, CDNA, FROG, KVYO, LEU, MIRM, MP, PAR, PGY, PI, PL, PRCH, SPRY, STRL, TOL, XMTR | AI, earnings, growth, industrials, infrastructure, Rate Cuts, small caps, technology | Artificial intelligence presents great promise for enhancing business models and improving productivity long-term. In the near-term, the infrastructure needed to support the AI buildout is spurring significant investment and capital expenditures, driving new growth opportunities for innovative companies across technology, industrials, and energy sectors. | View | |
| 2024 Q3 | Oct 23, 2024 | Conestoga Small Cap Composite | 10.1% | 7.8% | AAON, ALTR, CSWI, CWST, DSGX, EXPO, FOXF, FSV, GWRE, NOVT, NRC, OFLX, PRO, QTWO, ROAD, SLP, SPSC, SSD, TREX, VCEL | growth, HVAC, industrials, infrastructure, small cap, software, technology | U.S. infrastructure spending has benefited companies like Construction Partners in two ways: the level of demand and funding available, and supply tightness in hot mixed asphalt plants creating better pricing and expanding margins. Infrastructure spending programs continue to drive growth across multiple portfolio holdings. | View | |
| 2025 Q3 | Oct 21, 2025 | Baron Real Estate Fund | 10.2% | 6.4% | AAON, ABNB, AMH, AMT, BN, BX, CBRE, CRH, CSGP, EQIX, FND, HLT, IRM, IRT, JLL, TOL, VMC, VNO, WELL, WYNN | Commercial, Data centers, Homebuilders, real estate, Recovery, REITs, Travel, value | Fund believes commercial real estate services companies like CBRE and JLL will benefit from structural tailwinds including outsourcing and institutionalization of commercial real estate. Early days of rebound in sales and leasing activity expected with potential for 20%+ annual earnings growth. | FND AAON WYNN FND AAON WYNN |
View |
| 2025 Q3 | Oct 13, 2025 | Conestoga Mid Cap Composite | -3.2% | 1.1% | AAON, BCPC, CSWI, CWST, DSGX.TO, ESE, EXPO, FSV.TO, HLIO, HLMN, MIR, MRCY, NOVT, QTWO, RBC, ROAD, SLP, SPSC, STVN, VERX | defense, growth, Quality, small caps, software, value | Small cap stocks reached new all-time highs in Q3, with the Russell 2000 rising 12% and significantly outperforming the S&P 500. The rally has been characterized by historically narrow leadership, with the top 20 performing stocks representing 78% of the Russell 2000 Growth Index's gains year-to-date. This concentration is more extreme than during the COVID rally in 2020. | IDXX US WST US |
View |
| 2025 Q3 | Oct 13, 2025 | Conestoga Small Cap Composite | -1.4% | -8.4% | AAON, BCPC, CSWI, CWST, DSGX, ESE, EXPO, FSV, HLIO, HLMN, MIR, MRCY, NOVT, QTWO, RBC, ROAD, SLP, SPSC, STVN, VERX | Beta, defense, growth, profitability, Quality, small cap, software, technology | Small cap stocks reached new all-time highs in Q3, with the Russell 2000 Index rising 12% and significantly outperforming the S&P 500. The rally has been characterized by historically narrow leadership, with the top 20 performing stocks representing 78% of the Russell 2000 Growth Index's overall gains year-to-date. This extreme concentration exceeds even the COVID rally period when the top 20 stocks made up just 39% of returns. | ROAD US HLIO US MRCY US |
View |
| 2025 Q3 | Oct 13, 2025 | Conestoga SMid Cap Composite | -1.1% | -2.1% | AAON, BCPC, CSWI, CWST, DSGX.TO, ESE, EXPO, FSV, HLIO, HLMN, MIR, MRCY, NOVT, QTWO, RBC, ROAD, SLP, SPSC, STVN, VERX | defense, growth, industrials, Quality, small caps, software, technology | Small cap stocks reached new all-time highs in Q3, with the Russell 2000 rising 12% and significantly outperforming the S&P 500. The rally has been characterized by historically narrow leadership, with the top 20 performing stocks representing 78% of the Russell 2000 Growth Index's gains year-to-date. This extreme concentration exceeds even the COVID rally period when the top 20 stocks made up just 39% of returns. | View | |
| 2025 Q3 | Oct 13, 2025 | Conestoga Micro Cap Composite | 11.7% | 18.5% | AAON, BCPC, CSWI, CWST, DSGX.TO, ESE, EXPO, FSV.TO, HLIO, HLMN, MIR, MRCY, NOVT, QTWO, RBC, ROAD, SLP, SPSC, STVN, VERX | Beta, defense, industrials, profitability, Quality, small caps, software, technology | Small cap stocks reached new all-time highs in Q3, with the Russell 2000 rising 12% and significantly outperforming the S&P 500. The rally has been characterized by historically narrow leadership, with the top 20 stocks representing 78% of the Russell 2000 Growth Index's gains year-to-date. This concentration is more extreme than during the COVID rally in 2020. | BWMN US WLDN US |
View |
| 2025 Q4 | Jan 20, 2026 | Madison Small Cap Fund | -0.4% | -6.9% | AAON, AMPL, CCOI, CFLT, CIEN, EHC, ENTG, FORM, GTLB, MIR, POWI, PRMB, RVLV, SMG, VCEL, VFC, VIAV, WAL, ZION | AI, Consumer Staples, Quality, Risk Appetite, small caps, software, Speculation, underperformance | The AI capital spending boom drove strong performance in select technology stocks like Ciena and Confluent. However, the manager questions how long the AI capital spending cycle will last and whether investors will begin asking for returns on this investment. The fund avoided most speculative AI-related opportunities due to quality parameters. Software stocks faced significant pressure as investors feared AI-powered solutions would displace traditional applications. The manager fundamentally rejects this thesis, believing enterprises won't migrate mission-critical data to language models generating errors at 60% rates. They used the selloff to add GitLab and Amplitude at attractive valuations. Consumer Staples was the epicenter of underperformance as investors showed no appetite for defensive businesses in a pro-cyclical, speculative bull market. The sector now trades at historically steep discounts despite facing perceived challenges including input cost inflation, GLP-1 impacts, and tariff supply chain effects. The market demonstrated insatiable appetite for risk, with the best performing stocks being the most speculative companies with no profits or revenue but thematic AI linkage. This extended to biotechs, meme stocks, crypto, and mining stocks, while defensive businesses were deeply out of favor. Small caps continued underperforming large caps despite a strong year for the Russell 2000. The fund significantly underperformed due to the speculative nature of the rally favoring companies without profits or revenue. Quality businesses with durable moats can now be found at attractive prices again. | AAON GTLB VIAV AMPL VCEL MIR CIEN CCOI WAL |
View |
| 2025 Q4 | Jan 18, 2026 | Conestoga Mid Cap Composite | -5.8% | -4.7% | AAON, AZTA, BCPC, BLFS, BMI, BSY, BWMN, COCO, CPRT, CSGP, CSW, CWAN, CWST, CYX, DGII, DSGX, ELVA, ESE, FSV, GNRC, GWRE, HEI.A, IDXX, IIIV, IRMD, IT, JKHY, KRMN, LMAT, MAMA, MEG, MLAB, MMSI, NGEN, NOVT, ODD, OLO, PHR, PL, PLMR, POOL, QTWO, RBC, RGEN, ROAD, ROL, ROP, SPSC, SSTI, STVN, TKNO, TREX, TRNS, TYL, UTI, VCEL, VEEV, VERX, VRSK, WCN, WLDN, WSO, WST | AI, Biotech, defense, healthcare, industrials, mid cap, Quality, technology | The manager emphasizes their focus on high-quality stocks with steady earnings characteristics, noting that their portfolio's emphasis on high-quality, steady earners continued to face headwinds in a market focused on short-term macroeconomic shifts. They believe quality stocks will eventually reclaim leadership after periods of low-quality outperformance. Small Cap biotechnology and pharmaceuticals emerged as significant outperformers in Q4, representing 132% of the Russell 2000 Growth Index's total returns. The manager notes they are materially underweight this sector, which created headwinds for relative performance as biotech rallied 33% for the year. The market showed persistent preference for AI-related hardware and infrastructure stocks, with AI themes dominating Index returns. The manager notes that capital flowed into more speculative AI names within the benchmark, creating valuation compression for traditional quality holdings. Defense-related stocks were among the key drivers of benchmark performance, with investors concentrating capital in defense stocks. The manager notes their lack of exposure to defense contractors weighed on relative results as this sector outperformed significantly. | GNRC BSY CSGP VEEV POOL WST IDXX ROL RGEN JKHY |
View |
| 2025 Q4 | Jan 18, 2026 | Conestoga Small Cap Composite | -1.9% | -10.1% | AAON, AZTA, BMI, CWAN, DGII, DSGX, FSV, KRMN, LMAT, NGEN, NOVT, RBC, RGEN, ROAD, SPSC, STVN, TREX, TRNS, VCEL, VERX | Biotechnology, credit, Performance, Quality, small caps, tariffs, volatility | Small Caps achieved new all-time highs in 2025 despite extreme volatility, with the Russell 2000 Growth Index surging 50% from April to October after initial tariff concerns. The manager expects Small Caps to outperform Large Caps given 32% projected earnings growth versus 13% for Large Caps and a 25% valuation discount. The market was dominated by low-quality, high-beta, unprofitable stocks during the April-October rally, creating headwinds for the manager's high-quality approach. However, profitable stocks began outperforming unprofitable ones by 5% from mid-October through year-end, suggesting quality leadership may be returning. Small Cap biotech and pharmaceutical stocks dominated fourth quarter performance, representing 132% of the Russell 2000 Growth Index's total returns despite comprising only 11% year-to-date through Q3. The manager's minimal exposure to this sector was a significant performance headwind. Trump administration's comprehensive tariff strategy announcement in February caused Small Caps to plummet over 20% in weeks. However, potential policy modifications in April sparked a dramatic turnaround, with the Russell 2000 Growth Index surging nearly 50% over six months. Concerns about credit quality in private credit and regional banking emerged in Q4, highlighted by First Brands bankruptcy and Tricolor fraud allegations. JPMorgan CEO's cockroach comment underscored systemic concerns, triggering a 10% correction in the Russell 2000 Growth Index. | MLAB KRMN BMI FSV RGEN RBC CWAN |
View |
| 2025 Q4 | Jan 18, 2026 | Conestoga SMid Cap Composite | -2.7% | -4.7% | AAON, AZTA, BCPC, BLFS, BMI, BSY, BWMN, COCO, CPRT, CSGP, CSW, CWAN, CWST, CYX, DGII, DSGX, ELVA, ESE, FSV, GNRC, GWRE, HEI.A, IDXX, IIIV, IRMD, IT, JKHY, KRMN, LMAT, MAMA, MEG, MLAB, MMSI, NGEN, NOVT, ODD, OLO, PHR, PL, PLMR, POOL, QTWO, RBC, RGEN, ROAD, ROL, ROP, SPSC, SSTI, STVN, TKNO, TREX, TRNS, TYL, UTI, VCEL, VEEV, VERX, VRSK, WCN, WLDN, WSO, WST | Biotechnology, defense, growth, industrials, Quality, small caps, technology | Small Caps achieved nearly 9% earnings growth in 2025 and are projected to grow by an additional 32% in 2026, contrasting with 13% growth expected for Large Caps. Small Caps are trading at a nearly 25% discount to Large Caps, creating a compelling case for outperformance for the first time since 2020. The market experienced extreme leadership concentrated in low-quality, high-beta, unprofitable stocks during the April-October rally. However, profitable stocks began outperforming unprofitable counterparts by over 5% from mid-October through year-end, suggesting high-quality stocks may be reclaiming leadership. Small Cap Biotech/Pharmaceutical stocks represented 132% of the Russell 2000 Growth Index's total returns in the fourth quarter alone, after comprising just 11% through the third quarter. The bioprocessing market showed clear signs of recovery with companies delivering encouraging order growth. Defense technology companies specializing in highly engineered, mission-critical systems showed strong performance. Companies with exposure to space, missiles, hypersonic, and defense programs generated mid-teens organic revenue growth complemented by acquisitions. | GNRC KRMN AAON ROAD STVN TREX POOL FSV CWAN CSW JKHY RBC RGEN |
View |
| 2024 Q3 | Sep 30, 2024 | Harding Loevner Global Small Companies | 7.8% | 4.1% | AAON, AAPL, ADTC, ALLE, AMBU.CO, APPF, ATKR, BWA, CGNX, CYBR, DISO.MI, DPLO, ELANCO, ENS, EXPO, FIVE, GLOB, GWRE, HP, IPGP, KXS.TO, LAZ, LOB, LPRO, NCRX, OLLI, PEN, RGA, ROLL, SPLS, WTS, XPEL | AI, Consumer Staples, global, healthcare, industrials, small caps, technology | Artificial intelligence may have profound effects on plenty of industries and companies, but what it won't change are the human needs and desires underpinning demand for food and health-related products. The technology may change the way food and health-care businesses operate, but the demand that fuels their growth is less likely to be affected. | View | |
| 2024 Q2 | Jul 24, 2024 | Polen Capital – U.S. Small Company Growth | 7.4% | -0.9% | AAON, AIT, ALIT, APPF, BL, CCCS, DAVA, DOXI, HELE, HLNE, IBP, OPCH, PGNY, RGEN, RH, ROAD, RVLV, SITM, SMCI, WING, WRBY, XPEL | growth, healthcare, Quality, rates, small caps, technology, volatility | The performance gap between small caps and large caps continued to widen during Q2, with small cap investors retreating to lower-volatility sectors. Small cap continues to be highly sensitive to shifting rate expectations, while leadership in large cap remains narrow and driven by momentum. | View | |
| 2024 Q2 | Jul 23, 2024 | Polen Capital – U.S. SMID Company Growth | 8.8% | -1.3% | AAON, CCCS, DOXI, DT, EXL, FIVE, FND, KINS, MPWR, PAYC, PGNY, POOL, REVG, RGEN, RH, SITM, TREX, TTEK, TYL | AI, growth, healthcare, Quality, SMID Cap, technology, volatility | AI beneficiaries saw considerable hype and crowding, with companies like Monolithic Power Systems benefiting from growth in enterprise data segments driven by cloud-based CPU server applications including AI. However, exceptions exist with some AI-related stocks losing ground relative to first quarter results. | PGNY PAYC FIVE TTEK RGEN CCCS KGIC AAON |
View |
| 2024 Q2 | Jun 30, 2024 | Baird Small/Mid Cap Growth Equity Fund | 6.9% | 2.7% | AAON, APPF, BAH, CACI, CNMD, DECK, FIVE, FND, FSS, GKOS, HEI, INSP, ITCI, JNJ, LGIH, LII, MANH, MEDP, NBIX, PODD, POOL, PRCT, RBC, RGEN, RXST, SPSC, SSD, TARS, TREX, TXRH, VERX, XPEL, ZBRA | AI, Defense Spending, growth, healthcare, small caps, software, technology | Artificial intelligence continues to drive outperformance in technology-related businesses. The portfolio benefits from AI tailwinds through utilities and telecommunications sectors. AAON's recent BASX Solutions acquisition provides exposure to datacenter infrastructure builds driven by AI needs. | View | |
| 2023 Q1 | May 23, 2023 | Conestoga Micro Cap Composite | 7.6% | 3.3% | AAON, ALTR, AXON, AZTA, CWAN, CWST, DGII, DSGX, EXPO, FOXF, FSV, MMM, MODN, NEOG, NOVT, PLOW, QTWO, SPSC, SSD, STVN | Banking, growth, healthcare, industrials, Quality, small cap, technology | Conestoga focuses on companies with stronger balance sheets, positive cash flows, and more sustainable growth rates, which may be preferred in the current environment of banking sector pressures and financial instability. | DGII |
View |
| 2023 Q1 | May 23, 2023 | Conestoga Mid Cap Composite | 8.4% | 9.4% | AAON, ALTR, AXON, AZTA, CWAN, CWST, DGII, DSGX, EXPO, FOXF, FSV, MMM, MODN, NEOG, NOVT, PLOW, QTWO, SPSC, SSD, STVN | Banking, growth, healthcare, Outperformance, Performance, small cap, stock selection, technology | Silicon Valley Bank's unprecedented depositor flight and transition to FDIC receivership created banking sector turmoil. Rising interest rates created asset-liability mismatches for banks as depositors sought higher returns while limiting uninsured deposits. Many small- to medium-sized banks saw sharp stock price declines as investors reassessed viability. | DGII |
View |
| 2023 Q1 | May 23, 2023 | Conestoga Small Cap Composite | 10.1% | 7.8% | AAON, ALTR, AXON, AZTA, CWAN, CWST, DGII, DSGX, EXPO, FOXF, FSV, MMM, MODN, NEOG, NOVT, PLOW, QTWO, SPSC, SSD, STVN | Banking, growth, healthcare, industrials, Performance, Quality, small cap, technology | Silicon Valley Bank's unprecedented depositor flight and transition to FDIC receivership created banking sector turmoil. Rising interest rates created asset-liability mismatches for many banks, with depositors seeking higher returns while limiting uninsured deposits. Small- to medium-sized banks saw sharp stock price declines as investors reassessed viability and future earnings. | DGII |
View |
| 2025 Q1 | Apr 15, 2025 | Giverny Capital Asset Management | -3.4% | -3.4% | AAON, ANET, BLDR, BRK-B, CSU.TO, FIVE, GOOGL, HEI, KMX, KNSL, MEDP, META, PGR, SCHW, TWFG | Construction, insurance, Quality, technology, Trade Policy, value | Trump's tariff policies created significant market volatility, with the manager viewing the tariff plan as economically damaging. The manager believes exiting global trade agreements would lead to rising prices and weaker corporate profits, creating a less favorable investing environment. | BLDR AAON TWFG |
View |
| 2023 Q4 | Jan 31, 2024 | Harding Loevner Global Small Companies | 7.8% | 4.1% | 4751.T, 6588.T, AAON, BWA, CYBR, EAVA.L, FIVE, HP, JCU, MALIBU, MGPI, NBIX, NMTC.DE, OLLI, SWAV, TOMRA.OL, XPEL, YOUGF | AI, global, growth, healthcare, Japan, Quality, small caps, technology | Japan represents the second-largest country weight in the global small cap benchmark but has been challenging for quality growth stocks. Style headwinds have been pronounced with high-quality companies underperforming low-quality ones by 718 basis points from 2021-2023. Recent government reforms and Tokyo Stock Exchange mandates aim to improve corporate governance and shareholder returns, which may benefit the investment opportunity set over time. | View | |
| 2023 Q4 | Jan 30, 2024 | Baron Discovery Fund | 13.5% | 9.3% | AAON, ACVA, AEIS, AXON, BASE, CYBR, DKNG, ESTA, EWCZ, FND, GTLB, GTLS, ICHR, KNSL, KTOS, MRAI, MRCY, REXR, S, VRNS | cybersecurity, defense, growth, HVAC, small caps, technology, value | Multiple cybersecurity holdings performed strongly in Q4, with SentinelOne, GitLab, Varonis, and CyberArk all contributing positively. The managers see accelerating demand driven by AI adoption requiring data security, SEC disclosure requirements, and vendor consolidation favoring comprehensive platforms over point solutions. | AAON VRNS GTLB ^FTSE |
View |
| Date | Pitch Type | Author | Company | Industry | Sub Industry | Bull / Bear | Stock Exchange | Keywords | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 2026 | Fund Letters | Baron Discovery Fund | AAON, Inc. | Industrials | Building Products | Bull | NASDAQ | Decarbonization, energy efficiency, ESG, HVAC, Industrials, margin expansion, market share | View Pitch |
| Apr 13, 2026 | Fund Letters | Giverny Capital Asset Management | AAON Inc. | Industrials | Building Products | Bull | NASDAQ | Commercial Buildings, data center cooling, Earnings Miss Opportunity, energy efficiency, HVAC systems, Regulatory tailwinds, Semi-Custom Manufacturing | View Pitch |
| Apr 13, 2026 | Fund Letters | Polen Capital - U.S. SMID Company Growth | AAON | Industrials | Building Products | Bull | NASDAQ | Building Products, Commercial Buildings, data centers, Decarbonization, Electrification, HVAC, Semi-Custom Equipment | View Pitch |
| Apr 13, 2026 | Fund Letters | Carillon Eagle Small Cap Growth Fund | AAON | Industrials | Building Products | Neutral | NASDAQ | Building Products, capacity expansion, Commercial Industrial, data center cooling, HVAC, Refrigerant Transition, Rooftop Units | View Pitch |
| Jan 23, 2026 | Fund Letters | Faraz Farzam | AAON, Inc. | Industrials | Building Products | Bull | NASDAQ | Cooling, datacenters, HVAC, infrastructure, recovery | View Pitch |
| Jan 21, 2026 | Fund Letters | Bob Mitchell | AAON, Inc. | Industrials | Building Products | Bear | NASDAQ | datacenters, Executionrisk, HVAC, Industrials, Margins | View Pitch |
| Dec 5, 2025 | Fund Letters | Derek Johnston | AAON, Inc. | Industrials | Building Products | Bull | NASDAQ | datacenters, efficiency, growth, HVAC, Secular | View Pitch |
| Nov 29, 2025 | Fund Letters | Jeffrey Kolitch | AAON Inc. | Industrials | Building Products | Bull | NASDAQ | data centers, efficiency, growth, HVAC, Industrials, innovation, Margins | View Pitch |
| Nov 28, 2025 | Fund Letters | Jeffrey Kolitch | AAON Inc. | Industrials | Building Products | Bull | NASDAQ | data centers, efficiency, growth, HVAC, Industrials, innovation, Margins | View Pitch |
| Manager Name | Fund Name | Fund AUM | Invested Value | Portfolio Weight | Shares Owned | Shares Bought / Sold During Quarter | % Bought / Sold During Quarter | % of Shares Outstanding Owned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dmitry Balyasny | Balyasny Asset Management | $76.6B | $3.0M | 0.00% | 39,538 | -69,320 | -63.68% | 0.0362% |
| Israel Englander | Millennium Management LLC | $233.2B | $1.2M | 0.00% | 15,928 | -13,410 | -45.71% | 0.0146% |
| Jeremy Grantham | GMO LLC | $39.1B | $25.7M | 0.07% | 337,587 | -292,092 | -46.39% | 0.3090% |
| David Siegel & John Overdeck | Two Sigma Investments | $67.5B | $1.7M | 0.00% | 22,557 | +10,373 | +85.14% | 0.0207% |
| Cliff Asness | AQR Capital Management | $190.6B | $690,397 | 0.00% | 9,054 | -11,613 | -56.19% | 0.0083% |
| Charles Mawer | Mawer Investment Management | $17.9B | $58.4M | 0.33% | 766,207 | -23,102 | -2.93% | 0.7014% |
| Richard Kayne & John Anderson | Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management | $37.3B | $94.0M | 0.25% | 1,232,149 | -214,827 | -14.85% | 1.1280% |