Core Insights - The Value Fund achieved a return of +0.4% for 2025, significantly impacted by a -4.3% drag from currency headwinds due to a weakening U.S. dollar [1][2] - The fund underperformed compared to broader market indices, with the S&P/TSX returning +31.7%, S&P 500 +12.5%, and DJIA +9.7% [4][5] - The "Magnificent Seven" tech stocks contributed 42% of the S&P 500's gains, highlighting a concentration of performance among a few large-cap names [5] Currency and Market Dynamics - The fund maintains a long-term strategy of not hedging against currency fluctuations to avoid high transaction costs, despite short-term volatility [3] - The performance of the S&P 500 was driven by a few key companies, indicating a lack of broad market participation [4][5] Investment Philosophy - The fund emphasizes discipline in investment strategy, avoiding overvaluation despite market trends, and prioritizing capital preservation [7][8] - The fund's management acknowledges the challenges of being a value investor in a market characterized by high valuations and irrational risk-taking [9] Portfolio Performance - Alphabet Inc. was the top performer in 2025 with a return of +64.8%, driven by its strong position in web search and advancements in AI technology [15][20] - American Express contributed +24.7% to the fund, benefiting from strong revenue growth and a premium consumer base [21][22] - Compagnie Financière Richemont gained 41.8%, with positive sales growth in China and a strong luxury market position [23][24] Underperformers - Fiserv Inc. was the worst performer, declining by 67.3% due to deteriorating fundamentals and a reassessment of growth quality [27][28] - Lululemon Athletica fell 45.7%, facing challenges in growth sustainability and external shocks from U.S. trade policy [32][34] Strategic Adjustments - The fund has adopted a defensive posture entering 2026, with cash and equivalents representing 14.7% of the portfolio [14] - The fund actively managed its portfolio, selling out of four positions and initiating three new ones, reflecting a focus on valuation disparities [36] Future Outlook - The fund remains optimistic about Alphabet's future, citing its ability to leverage AI across its product suite and maintain a competitive edge [20] - The management team is focused on long-term ownership and disciplined investment strategies, with an average portfolio turnover of just 12.4% over the past five years [41]

Core Insights - Figure Technology Solutions plans to report its Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 results on February 26, 2026, after market close, followed by a conference call at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time [1] Company Overview - Figure Technology Solutions, Inc. is a blockchain-native capital marketplace that connects origination, funding, and secondary market activity, with over 200 partners utilizing its loan origination system [3] - The company has originated over $21 billion in home equity financing, making it the largest non-bank provider in this sector [3] - Key components of Figure's ecosystem include Figure Connect, a consumer credit marketplace, and Democratized Prime, an on-chain lend-borrow marketplace [3] - Figure also utilizes DART (Digital Asset Registry Technology) for asset custody and lien perfection, and offers $YLDS, an SEC-registered yield-bearing stablecoin [3] Market Position - Figure is recognized as the market leader in real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, with its recent securitization receiving a AAA rating from S&P and Moody's, marking a significant achievement in blockchain finance [4]

Funding and Investment - Zocks has raised $45 million in Series B funding co-led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and QED Investors, bringing total funding to $65 million [1][3] - The investment will be used to expand Zocks' agentic AI capabilities and assist financial advisors in identifying insights and planning opportunities [2] Company Development and Features - Zocks focuses on developing solutions for enterprise-size firms, emphasizing automation, privacy controls, and security [2] - The platform integrates with various advisor technologies, including customer relationship management tools, financial planning systems, tax software, and portfolio management tools [4] - Zocks has built workflow automations for client onboarding, account openings, meeting preparation, follow-ups, and document processing [4] Data Utilization and Insights - The platform combines conversation and platform data to help advisors identify additional opportunities, such as families lacking college savings plans or clients with old 401(k)s [5] - Recent integrations include Document Intelligence with eMoney Advisor, which extracts client data from financial documents, and a bidirectional integration with Orion for client portfolio data [6] Client Base and Partnerships - Zocks now works with over 5,000 financial firms, including larger firms like Ameritas, Carson Group, Kestra Financial, and Osaic [7]

SoFi Technologies (SOFI) may well be one of the more perplexing ideas in the market right now. Mainly, the concern is that the obvious signs for SOFI stock don’t point in a positive direction. For example, Barchart’s Technical Opinion indicator rates SOFI as an 8% Weak Sell — and that’s justified by the security’s soft performance of 1.26% below parity for the new year. Yes, in the past 52 weeks, SOFI stock has gained nearly 61%, which must be taken into account. However, the problem is that, since mid-S ...

Group 1 - Intuit Inc. is recognized as one of the best long-term tech stocks to buy, with a "Buy" rating maintained by Morgan Stanley analyst Keith Weiss and a price target of $880.00 [1] - The company is positioned early in two major product cycles: Mid-Market Accounting/Services and Assisted Tax, which are in large, underpenetrated markets and have shown healthy initial traction [1][2] - Analysts project a credible path to approximately 20% annual revenue growth by FY 2030, supported by strong execution in rolling out new offerings, which the market has not fully recognized [2] Group 2 - Intuit has formed a strategic partnership with BDO Canada LLP, combining its innovative technology with BDO advisors' human insight, enhancing its offerings in financial management, payments, capital, compliance, and marketing [3]

Core Insights - CorServ has integrated its credit card account management solutions into the Jack Henry digital banking platform, enhancing the user experience for cardholders of community and regional financial institutions [1][2][3] Group 1: Integration and Features - The integration allows banks to provide a cohesive cardholder experience with features such as dashboards, transaction insights, and rewards management [1] - CorServ's technology is embedded into the Banno Digital Toolkit, enabling seamless access to Jack Henry's API and enhancing the digital banking experience for approximately 7,400 financial institutions [1][2] Group 2: Program Offerings - CorServ offers a Turnkey Credit Card Issuing Program that allows financial institutions to achieve higher direct margin returns compared to traditional models, along with access to cardholder data and credit decisioning [2][4] - The Self-Issuer Program enables banks to create customized credit card products, further enhancing their offerings within the Banno digital banking experience [2] Group 3: Company Mission and Vision - The CEO of CorServ emphasized that the integration significantly expands digital banking capabilities, aiming to make credit card issuing more successful and accessible for financial institutions [3] - CorServ's mission since 2009 has been to enhance the profitability and accessibility of credit card issuing for banks and fintechs [3]

Core Insights - Fiserv has announced an exclusive collaboration with Affirm to integrate pay-over-time capabilities into debit card programs for financial institutions, allowing them to meet consumer demand for flexible payment options without developing new lending products [1][2] Group 1: Collaboration Details - The partnership builds on a previous integration in 2022, enhancing Fiserv's commitment to innovative debit solutions for financial institutions [2] - The collaboration aims to provide community and regional banks and credit unions with a scalable way to offer payment flexibility through existing debit products, enhancing customer relationships and engagement [2] Group 2: Benefits of the Integration - The integration will manage all technical aspects, allowing banks and credit unions to offer Affirm's flexible payment options seamlessly without operational lift [5] - Debit cardholders will have the option to split eligible purchases into fixed payments with a clear repayment schedule and no hidden fees, directly from their bank's mobile app [5] - Consumers will have access to Affirm's network of nearly 420,000 merchants, enabling them to apply for flexible payment options and expand their purchasing power [5]

Core Viewpoint - Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. (CWAN) is involved in a proposed sale to Permira and Warburg Pincus, with a price target of $24.55 per share, which is under investigation for fairness and valuation [2][3][5] Company Overview - Clearwater Analytics provides software solutions for automated investment accounting, performance reporting, and analytics, serving clients such as corporations, insurance companies, and asset managers [1] Stock Performance - CWAN's current stock price is $24.18, reflecting a slight decrease of 0.43% with a trading range today between $24.18 and $24.33 [4][5] - Over the past year, CWAN's stock has experienced significant volatility, with a high of $32 and a low of $15.73 [4][5] - The company's market capitalization is approximately $6.97 billion, with a trading volume of 9,303,736 shares on the NYSE [4] Proposed Sale and Valuation - Kevin McVeigh from UBS has set a price target of $24.55 for CWAN, which aligns with the proposed sale price [2][5] - Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC is investigating the fairness of the proposed sale, focusing on whether the offer adequately values CWAN and if the sale process was fair [3][5]

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MarketAxess Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: MKTX), the operator of a leading electronic trading platform for fixed-income securities, today announced the election of Douglas Cifu and Kenneth Schiciano to serve on the Company's Board of Directors, effective March 1, 2026. "We are pleased to welcome both Doug and Ken to our Board,†said Chris Concannon, CEO of MarketAxess. "I am confident they will each provide invaluable insight as we continue investing in next generation trading protocols a ...

Core Insights - The article discusses the financial challenges faced by Millennials and Gen Z, emphasizing the importance of budgeting and financial planning to improve their financial situations [2][4][5] - It highlights the alarming rise in household debt, particularly credit card debt, which reached $1.23 trillion, increasing by $24 billion from the previous quarter [3] - The article also presents various financial tools and platforms, such as Rocket Money and SoFi, that can assist individuals in managing their finances and investing [6][12] Financial Challenges - Total household debt reached $18.59 trillion in Q3 2025, indicating a significant financial burden on American households [3] - Gen Z's purchasing power is reported to be 86% less than that of Baby Boomers at the same age, reflecting economic difficulties faced by younger generations [4] Budgeting and Financial Tools - Dave Ramsey advocates for creating a budget as a crucial step for financial improvement, criticizing the reliance on credit cards for rewards [2][5] - Rocket Money offers features like subscription tracking and budgeting tools to help users manage their finances effectively [6] Investment Opportunities - The article discusses various investment platforms, such as SoFi and Moby, which provide tools and expert guidance for individuals looking to invest [11][14] - Lightstone DIRECT offers accredited investors access to multifamily rental investments, emphasizing a streamlined approach to real estate investing [20][23]