Core Viewpoint - The executive order signed by President Trump in August 2025 allows 401(k) account holders to invest in private equity assets, expanding investment options for American workers [1][2]. Group 1: Implications for 401(k) Account Holders - Traditionally, 401(k) plans have offered publicly traded mutual funds, providing transparency in pricing and fees, and allowing easy movement of funds [4]. - Private equity investments differ significantly, involving long-term commitments where funds may be locked for years, complicating access to returns [5]. Group 2: Support and Criticism - Supporters argue that economic growth is increasingly occurring in private markets, with estimates suggesting that adding private assets could enhance long-term returns by approximately 0.50% annually, leading to about 15% more savings over a 40-year career [6]. - Critics highlight the complexity of private equity funds, emphasizing the need for significant expertise and resources for due diligence, which most individual savers and plan committees may lack [7].

Core Insights - Market crashes and volatility are inevitable, and seasoned investors like Warren Buffett structure their portfolios to withstand these fluctuations [1][6] - Buffett emphasizes that young investors should adopt a long-term perspective and not be overly concerned with short-term market swings [2][3] - Predictions for 2026 remain bullish despite concerns over an AI bubble and gold price dips, with many analysts anticipating double-digit returns [4] Investment Strategies - Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio is well-diversified, with significant holdings in Apple (18.7%) and American Express (16.1%), and a cash reserve of $381.7 billion, positioning the firm to capitalize on market downturns [7][26] - Diversifying investments by adding alternative assets can provide protection during market downturns, with options including precious metals, real estate, and art [8][9][24] - Investing in precious metals like gold and silver can help mitigate inflation impacts, with analysts predicting gold prices may exceed $5,400 per ounce by late 2026 [10][9] Real Estate Investment - Commercial real estate offers higher potential returns compared to residential properties, and platforms like Arrived allow investors to participate with minimal capital [13][15] - Lightstone DIRECT provides accredited investors access to institutional-quality multifamily real estate opportunities, enhancing transparency and reducing fees [18][21] Alternative Assets - Post-war and contemporary art is gaining traction as a low-correlation investment, with platforms like Masterworks enabling fractional ownership of high-value artworks [24][25] - Masterworks has reported strong annualized returns on art investments, appealing to high-net-worth individuals seeking diversification [25] Cash Management - Maintaining a healthy cash reserve is crucial for taking advantage of market opportunities, with Wealthfront Cash Account offering competitive interest rates and easy access to funds [26][27] - Wealthfront currently provides a base variable APY of 3.30%, with promotional rates boosting returns for new clients [27]

Core Insights - Significant outflows from large-cap tech stocks, particularly the Magnificent Seven, have been observed due to AI capex fatigue in 2026, with these stocks down over 7% year-to-date [2] Group 1: Company Overview - Seeking Alpha has a quantitative stock rating system that interprets data for investors, providing insights on investment directions [3] - The platform's quantitative strategies are led by Steven Cress, who has over 30 years of experience in equity research and portfolio management [3] Group 2: Market Trends - The shift in investment focus is moving from large-cap tech stocks to small-cap and more defensive, income-oriented stocks as investors react to market conditions [2]

Blue Owl Capital Inc., facing a looming deadline to return cash in one of its private credit funds, found four buyers for a $1.4 billion portfolio of loans to help pay out investors: Three of North America’s biggest pension funds and its own insurance asset manager. Chicago-based Kuvare, for which Blue Owl manages assets, along with the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System and British Columbia Investment Management Corp. bought the debt, according t ...

Core Insights - Asset managers are currently attractive investments due to their fee-based recurring revenue, scalable business models, high margins, strong cash flow, and shareholder-friendly returns, including generous dividends [1] Group 1: Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) - Brookfield Asset Management has a stock price of $50 and manages assets across various sectors including real estate, infrastructure, renewable power, private equity, and credit [3] - The company has raised its quarterly dividend by 13% to $0.50 per share, resulting in a 3.5% annual dividend yield, and is expected to achieve double-digit sales and EPS growth in FY26 and FY27 [4] - Brookfield plans to acquire Peakstone Realty Trust in a $1.2 billion all-cash deal, which will enhance its exposure to a high-demand segment of commercial real estate [5] Group 2: Janus Henderson Group (JHG) - Janus Henderson Group has a stock price of $50 and has focused on restructuring, cost-cutting, and margin improvement [6] - After achieving record EPS in FY25, the company's bottom line is expected to contract by 6% this year but is projected to rebound by 8% in FY27, reaching new peaks of $4.90 per share [7] - JHG trades at a relatively inexpensive 10X forward earnings multiple despite a 70% surge over the past three years [8] Group 3: Additional Affordable Standouts - Alerus Financial (ALRS) and Patria Investments Limited (PAX) are also highlighted as affordable asset managers with strong EPS outlooks, both trading around 10X forward earnings [9] - Alerus stock trades at $25 per share and offers a range of financial services, while Patria shares trade under $15 and focus on private equity and infrastructure development [10] - Both companies provide dividends above 3%, with Patria's dividend yield at 4.29%, the highest among the mentioned firms [10]

Key insight: Bank of America is putting more focus on private-credit lending as the sector's needs continue to grow.What's at stake: Banks are getting more entangled with asset managers in the $1.8 trillion private credit market at a time when the tide may be shifting for the business.Supporting data: As of the third quarter 2025, banks with more than $100 billion of assets held about 86% of the industry's loans to nonbank financial institutions, according to a Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. analysis.Wall ...

KKR's Top Executives Buy Up $35 Million in Stock - Barron'sSkip to Main ContentThis copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.# KKR's Top Executives Shake Off Industry Fears, Buy Up $35 Million in StockBy [Nate Wolf]ShareResize---ReprintsIn this article[KKR]Shares of KKR ...

Signal vs. Noise: Markets, Misconceptions, and the Case for Optimization in 2026The central theme of 2025 was the disconnect between market sentiment and economic reality. The year began with widespread apprehension regarding aggressive tariffs and forecasts of a recession. Yet, it concluded with global equities at all-time highs and the U.S. economy maintaining consistent growth as the anticipated economic contraction failed to materialize.The fourth quarter reflected this broad dynamic. Markets focused on ...

TORONTO, Feb. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Middlefield Short Duration Bond Plus ETF (TSX: MSBP) (the “Fund”) is pleased to announce that distributions for February and March 2026 will be payable to unitholders of the Fund as follows: Record DatePayable DateDistribution Per Trust UnitFebruary 28, 2026March 13, 2026$0.029March 31, 2026April 15, 2026$0.029 The trust units trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol MSBP. The Fund offers a distribution reinvestment plan (“DRIP”) for unitholders whic ...

Right now, international stocks are a huge bargain compared to U.S. stocks. Apollo Global Management estimates that the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, which measures a stock's price relative to the company's earnings, of U.S. stocks is 40% higher than the P/E ratio for the rest of the world. So U.S. stocks are 40% more expensive than international stocks. The two groups of equities were priced about the same up until about 2015, but the surge in valuations of U.S. tech stocks (think Magnificent Seven sto ...