Baron Funds, an investment management company, released its “Baron Focused Growth Fund” third-quarter 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The Fund delivered strong results in the third quarter, appreciating 4.83% (Institutional Shares); however, the performance underperformed the Russell 2500 Growth Index’s (the Benchmark) 10.73% gain. The fund's underperformance stemmed from concerns over a slowdown in economic growth affecting the fund’s more economically sensitive Consumer ...

Core Insights - Verisk Analytics, Inc. (VRSK) is a leading data analytics and technology solutions provider for the insurance markets, with a market cap of $34 billion [1] - The company is expected to announce its fiscal third-quarter earnings for 2025 on October 29, 2025, with analysts predicting a profit of $1.69 per share, a 1.2% increase from the previous year [2] Financial Performance - For the full year, analysts anticipate VRSK will report an EPS of $6.98, reflecting a 5.1% increase from $6.64 in fiscal 2024, and a further rise to $7.72 in fiscal 2026, representing a 10.6% year-over-year growth [3] - In the previous quarter, VRSK reported an adjusted EPS of $1.88, exceeding Wall Street's expectations of $1.77, with revenue of $772.6 million, surpassing forecasts of $768.5 million [5] Stock Performance - VRSK shares have underperformed, declining 9.8% over the past 52 weeks, compared to a 14.4% gain in the S&P 500 Index and a 9.4% gain in the Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund [4] - The underperformance is attributed to margin pressures from acquisitions and elevated expenditures [5] Analyst Ratings - The consensus opinion on VRSK stock is moderately bullish, with a "Moderate Buy" rating from 21 analysts; 8 recommend a "Strong Buy," 2 suggest a "Moderate Buy," and 11 give a "Hold" [6] - The average analyst price target for VRSK is $308.28, indicating a potential upside of 27.3% from current levels [6]

Group 1 - ClearBridge Investments reported a strong rebound in U.S. equities during Q2 2025, with the S&P 500 Index returning 10.9% and the Russell 3000 Index advancing 11.0% due to improved risk sentiment following a pause in tariff implementation [1] - The ClearBridge Select Strategy outperformed its benchmark in Q2 2025, attributed to effective portfolio construction across various companies and sectors with distinct growth drivers [1] Group 2 - Verisk Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSK) was highlighted as a significant investment, with a one-month return of -8.17% and a 52-week loss of 6.12%, closing at $249.69 per share with a market capitalization of $34.885 billion on September 17, 2025 [2] - In Q2 2025, Verisk Analytics generated $773 million in revenue, marking a 7.8% increase from Q2 2024 [4] - ClearBridge initiated a position in Verisk Analytics, emphasizing its modern solutions as essential for major insurance companies, projecting high single-digit growth and improved margins and free cash flow [3]