Sanjiv Lamba, CEO of Linde, explains how he sees electricity demand changing and whether low-carbon hydrogen can ever become big business https://t.co/upg4StSMlc ...

Market Performance & Valuation - Russell 2000 outperformed the S&P 500 by 41% versus 35% in 6 months since "Liberation Day" [2] - Small caps have underperformed the S&P 500 for the last 10 years, leading to historically cheap valuations [3] Earnings & Growth - Small caps experienced an earnings recession since 2022 [4] - Forward estimates for small caps saw significant cuts, potentially setting up a positive environment [4] - Earnings are pivoting positive, which is expected to drive stock prices up [5] IPO & Takeouts - September saw one of the biggest IPO markets on record [5] - Federated Kaufman Small Cap Fund has had nine takeouts this year [6] Interest Rate & Economic Outlook - Federated anticipates the market reaching 8,700 by 2027 [7] - The expectation is that the Fed will cut interest rates due to lower inflation and wage growth [7] - A low inflation, Goldilocks growth environment, supported by technology, is expected to benefit longer duration assets like small caps [8] Stock Highlight - Centuri (CTRI) is highlighted as a small cap company benefiting from increased electricity demand due to AI and data centers [8][9]

Supply Chain & Demand - Demand for turbines powering natural gas plants is significantly exceeding supply [1] - This imbalance threatens the world's ability to meet rising electricity demand [1]