Riverwater Partners, an investment management company, released its “Micro Opportunities Strategy” Q3 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The strategy reported solid absolute returns in the quarter but lagged the benchmark as it did not keep pace with the strong rally. The strategy continues to focus on quality companies in the volatile environment. In addition, you can check the fund’s top 5 holdings to determine its best picks for 2025. In its third-quarter 2025 investor ...

Portfolio Overview - LXP Industrial Trust has gross assets of $4.8 billion and owns 112 properties [7] - The stabilized portfolio is 96.8% leased [12, 17] - 48% of the tenancy is investment grade [9] - The portfolio's weighted average lease term (WALT) is 4.9 years [17] Financial Performance - The company generated Adjusted Company FFO of $0.16 per share in the third quarter [12] - Same-store NOI growth was 4% year-to-date and 2% in the quarter [12] - The company repaid $140 million of outstanding 6.75% Senior Notes due 2028 [12] - Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA was reduced to 5.2x [12, 13] Growth Opportunities - Approximately 64% of the portfolio is expiring through 2030, with current mark-to-market on rents estimated to be approximately 17% [15, 64] - The average annual rental escalations are 2.9% [15, 60] - The company has 1.8 million square feet of first and second-generation space available for lease [15, 60] Strategic Initiatives - The company sold two vacant development projects totaling 2.1 million square feet for $175 million, representing a 20% premium over the gross book value [12] - The company acquired one property for $30 million at a cash capitalization rate of 6.5% [12] - The company announced a reverse stock split of common shares at a ratio of 1-for-5 [12]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Adjusted earnings per share increased by 9.4% year over year for the second quarter of 2025, and by 9.1% year over year for the first six months of the year [5][18] - FPL's earnings per share increased by $0.02 year over year, driven by nearly 8% growth in regulatory capital employed [18] - FPL's capital expenditures for the quarter were approximately $2 billion, with full-year expectations between $8 billion and $8.8 billion [18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - FPL's retail sales increased by 1.7% year over year, with a weather-normalized growth of approximately 2.6% [19] - Energy Resources reported an adjusted earnings per share increase of $0.11 year over year, with contributions from new investments increasing $0.14 per share [20][21] - Energy Resources added 3.2 gigawatts to its backlog, totaling nearly 30 gigawatts, with approximately 30% of the backlog coming from storage projects [22][23] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Demand for electricity is expected to exceed the last three decades combined, with significant growth across residential, commercial, industrial, and oil and gas sectors [7][8] - The company is positioned to meet the increasing demand for electricity, with a focus on building energy infrastructure quickly and at low cost [8][12] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to utilize all forms of energy, including renewables, storage, gas, and nuclear, to meet growing electricity demand [9][13] - FPL plans to add more than 8 gigawatts of reliable solar and battery storage by 2029, complementing its existing natural gas and nuclear fleet [14] - The company is actively pursuing opportunities in nuclear and gas generation, with ongoing discussions about the potential restart of the Duane Arnold nuclear facility [16][49] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in navigating a challenging regulatory and policy environment while capitalizing on significant opportunities [11][12] - The company expects to deliver financial results at or near the top end of its adjusted earnings per share expectations for 2025, 2026, and 2027 [24] - Management emphasized the robust demand for energy infrastructure, which is expected to continue beyond the end of the decade [73] Other Important Information - The company has a strong supply chain capability and is leveraging artificial intelligence across its business [12] - FPL's typical residential bill remains well below the national average, with expected growth at an annual average rate of just 2.5% from 2025 through 2029 [20] Q&A Session Summary Question: Discussion on OBBB and permitting updates - Management clarified that the OBBBA provides a safe harbor for projects that begin construction before July 4, 2026, allowing them to avoid the placed in service requirement [28][29] - The company is comfortable navigating federal permitting issues, as most of its backlog already has secured federal permits [34] Question: Customer reactions and market share expectations - Management noted that customers are still digesting recent changes, but they expect significant opportunities for ramping up demand [35][36] Question: Update on FPL rate case - Management indicated that while they are preparing for hearings, discussions for a potential settlement could still occur [55][56] Question: Financing strategy and tax equity - The company has increased its tax equity providers by 50% and feels confident in accessing low-cost financing for renewable and storage projects [58][59] Question: Gas strategy and market opportunities - Management is exploring both new build and market opportunities for gas generation, emphasizing the need for value-driven decisions [62][63] Question: Update on Duane Arnold nuclear facility - Progress on Duane Arnold is advancing well, with ongoing engineering analysis and customer discussions [47][49] Question: Thoughts on SMRs and future deployment - The company is actively developing small modular reactors and evaluating their potential in the market [88] Question: Demand for new generation and pricing dynamics - Management highlighted the need for new incremental generation to meet future demand, emphasizing their unique development capabilities [87]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Adjusted earnings per share increased by 9.4% year over year for the second quarter of 2025, and by 9.1% year over year for the first six months of the year [5][19] - FPL's earnings per share increased by $0.02 year over year, driven by nearly 8% growth in regulatory capital employed [19] - FPL's capital expenditures for the quarter were approximately $2 billion, with full-year expectations between $8 billion and $8.8 billion [19] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - FPL's retail sales increased by 1.7% year over year, with a weather-normalized growth of approximately 2.6% [20] - Energy Resources reported an adjusted earnings per share increase of $0.11 year over year, with contributions from new investments increasing $0.14 per share [21][22] - Energy Resources added 3.2 gigawatts to its backlog, totaling nearly 30 gigawatts, with 30% of the backlog coming from storage projects [23][24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Demand for electricity is expected to exceed the last three decades combined, with significant growth across all sectors of the U.S. economy [7] - The company is positioned to meet increased demand through a diversified energy mix, including renewables, storage, gas, and nuclear [16][17] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to build more energy infrastructure than any other in the U.S., focusing on an all-of-the-above energy strategy [13][14] - FPL plans to add over 8 gigawatts of reliable solar and battery storage by 2029, complementing its existing natural gas and nuclear fleet [15] - The company is actively pursuing opportunities in nuclear and gas generation, including the potential restart of the Duane Arnold nuclear facility [17][50] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in navigating a challenging regulatory environment while capitalizing on significant opportunities due to increased demand [12][13] - The company believes it is well-positioned to execute through challenges and capitalize on opportunities, emphasizing its strong balance sheet and supply chain capabilities [13][18] - Management expects to deliver financial results at or near the top end of adjusted earnings per share expectations for 2025, 2026, and 2027 [25] Other Important Information - The company has a large pipeline of early and late-stage projects and is leveraging artificial intelligence across its business [13] - FPL's typical residential bill remains well below the national average, expected to grow at an annual average rate of just 2.5% from 2025 through 2029 if the proposed base rate adjustments are approved [21] Q&A Session Summary Question: Discussion on OBBB and permitting updates - Management clarified that the OBBBA provides a safe harbor for projects that begin construction before July 4, 2026, allowing them to avoid the placed-in-service requirement [30][32] - The company is comfortable navigating federal permitting issues, as most of its backlog already has secured federal permits [34] Question: Customer reactions and market share expectations - Management noted that customers are still digesting recent changes, but expects significant opportunities for ramping up demand [36][38] Question: Update on FPL rate case - Management indicated that while they prepare for hearings, discussions for a potential settlement could occur at any time [56] Question: Financing and tax equity - The company has increased its tax equity providers by 50% and feels confident in accessing financing for renewable and storage projects [60] Question: Gas strategy and market opportunities - Management is exploring both new build and market opportunities for gas generation, focusing on regions that are more accommodating [106] Question: Update on Duane Arnold nuclear facility - Progress on Duane Arnold is advancing well, with ongoing engineering analysis and customer discussions [48][50] Question: Thoughts on SMRs and future deployment - The company is actively developing small modular reactors and assessing their potential for future deployment [91]

Core Insights - Comfort Systems USA's shares increased by 23.3% in April, driven by strong first-quarter earnings that alleviated concerns about slowing growth and valuation exposure [1][5] - The company is primarily a mechanical and electrical contractor, with over 75% of its revenue from mechanical services [2] Group 1: Financial Performance - The company's backlog reached $6.9 billion at the end of the first quarter, up from nearly $6 billion at the end of 2024, indicating robust demand [5] - Technology spending, including data centers and semiconductor fabrication, rose by 30% year-over-year, now accounting for 37% of total revenue [6] Group 2: Market Trends - The significant increase in share price (up 1,250%) is attributed to a surge in U.S. investment in manufacturing and nonresidential construction, fueled by pandemic recovery, infrastructure spending, and the CHIPS Act [3] - There are expectations for continued double-digit revenue growth in 2025, supported by potential reshoring of manufacturing to the U.S. [8]

Core Theme - The reshoring of manufacturing to North America is a significant trend among U.S. corporations, driven by factors such as tariffs and broader business considerations [1] Company-Specific Insights - Apple plans to invest $500 billion in the United States over the next four years, which is a substantial commitment but not solely focused on capital expenditures [2][4] - The company generated nearly $400 billion in sales in 2024, but most of its hardware manufacturing is outsourced to contractors like Foxconn [2][3] - As part of its investment, Apple will focus on advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and silicon engineering, including significant contracts with new chip factories in the U.S. [3] - Despite the large spending figure, Apple's investment does not significantly exceed that of its tech peers, as other companies like Amazon have higher annual expenses [4][5] - Previous announcements of large investments, such as a $430 billion plan in April 2021, indicate that this new spending may not represent a major shift in Apple's business strategy [6][11] Market Position and Future Outlook - The upcoming hardware offerings, particularly new iPhones, are crucial for Apple's growth, as the company heavily relies on the smartphone segment for revenue [7][8] - There is uncertainty regarding Apple's next breakthrough product, as recent ventures like the Apple Vision Pro have not met expectations, and the electric vehicle project was reportedly scrapped [9] - Apple's revenue growth has been modest, with a year-over-year increase of only 4% last quarter, and it trades at a high price-to-earnings ratio of 38, suggesting limited investment appeal unless new growth avenues are identified [12]

Core Viewpoint - Eli Lilly plans to invest $27 billion to construct four new manufacturing plants in the United States, responding to potential drug import duties from the Trump administration [1][4]. Investment and Job Creation - The investment is expected to create 3,000 high-skilled positions and approximately 10,000 construction jobs [2]. - The new manufacturing sites will be announced later this year and are anticipated to be operational within five years [3]. Industry Context and Government Relations - This investment aligns with the Trump administration's push for revitalizing American manufacturing, following a $500 billion investment announcement by Apple [3]. - Eli Lilly's CEO emphasized the need for the extension or improvement of corporate tax cuts to support the investment, highlighting that the company had not built a new site in the US for over 40 years prior to the first set of tax cuts [4]. Market Response and Stock Performance - Shares of Eli Lilly rose by approximately 0.5% to $906.70, with the stock increasing over 16% since the beginning of the year [7]. Supply Chain Considerations - A significant portion of the pharmaceutical industry's supply chain relies on overseas production, particularly from countries like Ireland, Switzerland, and China for active pharmaceutical ingredients [7][10]. - Indian firms also play a crucial role in producing lower-cost generic medications [8]. Ongoing Negotiations - Eli Lilly is currently negotiating with multiple states regarding the placement of its new manufacturing facilities and is open to additional proposals until mid-March [12]. Previous Investments - This commitment follows a $23 billion investment in US operations from 2020 to 2024, which included new manufacturing sites in Wisconsin and North Carolina, as well as expansions in Indiana [13].