Welcome back to another edition of the Smart Wealth Newsletter, where our family shares our thoughts on the stock market, investing, and real estate. Our mission continues to be helping others learn how to build wealth through long-term investing, disciplined financial decisions, and strategic real estate ownership.

I’m Chris McLaughlin, a real estate investor, author, and long-time market participant who believes strongly in patience, conviction, and owning quality assets over time. Alongside me are my two children, Trip and Frankie, who continue building their own investing experience while pursuing business degrees at two outstanding universities.

Trip currently attends the Freeman School of Business at Tulane University, where he studies finance, entrepreneurship, and investing while actively managing his own portfolio focused on technology, energy, and emerging growth companies. He continues developing a strong long-term investing mindset and enjoys identifying companies with disruptive potential.

Frankie recently graduated from All Saints Academy and will be attending the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University this Fall. Frankie has developed a strong interest in artificial intelligence, semiconductor technology, autonomous vehicles, and next-generation innovation companies. He continues to take a long-term approach with many of his positions and believes some of today’s emerging technologies could reshape entire industries over the next decade.

As always, thank you for being part of our investing journey.

The financial markets delivered another fascinating and highly volatile week as investors navigated inflation concerns, surging oil prices, rising Treasury yields, geopolitical instability in the Middle East, and ongoing optimism surrounding artificial intelligence and technology spending. Despite a rough finish on Friday, the broader market once again demonstrated remarkable resilience after a significant rebound rally earlier in the week pushed major indexes toward record territory.

For the week ending Friday, May 15, 2026, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 49,526.17, falling 537.29 points on Friday alone. The S&P 500 closed at 7,408.50, down 92.74 points on the session, while the Nasdaq Composite closed at 26,225.14, declining 410.08 points as technology stocks experienced profit-taking after an enormous multi-week rally.

Even with Friday’s sharp selloff, investors should not overlook the strength that markets displayed throughout most of the week. Earlier in the week, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both reached fresh all-time highs as enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence spending, cloud infrastructure, semiconductors, and enterprise software continued driving institutional buying. The Dow Jones also reclaimed the psychologically important 50,000 level during Thursday’s rally before retreating Friday.

One of the most important stories driving the market this week was the dramatic rise in oil prices connected to tensions involving Iran and the continued uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. Investors increasingly fear that any prolonged disruption to shipping through the Strait could send global energy prices sharply higher. Approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil supply moves through this narrow waterway, making it one of the most strategically important locations in the global economy.

As tensions escalated, crude oil prices surged above $105 per barrel, while Brent crude traded above $108 during portions of the week. This immediately reignited inflation concerns across Wall Street because higher energy prices have a cascading effect throughout the economy. Transportation costs rise, manufacturing costs increase, airline fuel expenses surge, and consumers ultimately feel pressure at the gas pump.

The market’s reaction was swift. Bond yields moved sharply higher as investors began pricing in the possibility that inflation could remain stubbornly elevated longer than previously expected. The 10-year Treasury yield climbed toward 4.6%, while the 30-year Treasury yield briefly rose above 5.1%, reaching levels not seen since 2007.

This is critically important because higher Treasury yields directly impact mortgage rates, corporate borrowing costs, commercial real estate financing, and overall economic activity. When yields move too high too quickly, equities often struggle because future earnings become discounted more aggressively.

The Federal Reserve now finds itself in an increasingly difficult position. Earlier this year, many investors expected multiple interest rate cuts throughout 2026 as inflation appeared to cool. However, renewed energy inflation and persistent economic strength have complicated that outlook considerably.

Fed officials spent much of the week emphasizing caution. While inflation has improved compared to the highs of previous years, the market is now realizing the Fed may keep rates elevated longer than originally anticipated if oil prices continue rising. Some analysts even began discussing the possibility that the next Fed move could theoretically be another rate hike if inflation expectations worsen substantially.

Still, despite all of these concerns, the stock market continues demonstrating impressive resilience. One reason is that corporate earnings remain relatively strong, particularly among large-cap technology and artificial intelligence companies. Massive spending on AI infrastructure continues supporting semiconductor firms, cloud providers, cybersecurity companies, and data center operators.

This has created one of the most powerful investment themes seen in years. Investors continue pouring money into companies viewed as direct beneficiaries of artificial intelligence adoption. Nvidia, Microsoft, Broadcom, Palantir, Oracle, and many AI-related infrastructure companies remain major leaders in the current bull market.

Importantly, this week also showed that institutional investors continue buying dips aggressively. Every meaningful pullback over the past several months has attracted buyers almost immediately. That is typically a sign that money managers remain underinvested and continue viewing weakness as opportunity rather than a reason to panic.

Another major factor supporting markets has been consumer resilience. While interest rates remain elevated, employment levels continue holding up relatively well, and consumer spending has not collapsed. This has allowed corporate earnings to remain stronger than many analysts originally expected.

At the same time, market leadership remains relatively narrow. A large percentage of the gains continue coming from mega-cap technology and AI-related companies. This creates both opportunity and risk. If AI spending continues exploding higher, these companies may justify their valuations. However, if growth slows or investors begin rotating away from technology, volatility could increase substantially.

We also continue watching Bitcoin and cryptocurrency markets closely. Bitcoin experienced heightened volatility this week amid the broader risk-off move tied to rising yields and geopolitical uncertainty. Crypto-related stocks pulled back as investors reduced exposure to speculative assets during Friday’s selloff. Still, long-term institutional adoption trends remain intact, and many investors continue viewing Bitcoin as an emerging macro asset class.

One encouraging development for investors was the market’s ability earlier this week to absorb hotter-than-expected inflation data without immediately collapsing. That suggests underlying market momentum remains strong. Investors still appear willing to focus on earnings growth and AI expansion rather than purely short-term inflation concerns.

The housing market also remains heavily tied to Treasury yields. Mortgage rates tend to follow the 10-year Treasury closely, so this week’s spike in yields raised concerns that housing affordability could worsen again. Higher mortgage rates impact home affordability, refinancing activity, builder sentiment, and transaction volume across residential real estate.

Commercial real estate investors are also paying close attention to yields because refinancing costs continue rising. Many investors who locked in ultra-low rates years ago are now facing dramatically different financing conditions. This is creating both stress and opportunity across various segments of the real estate market.

Looking ahead, investors will remain intensely focused on several key themes:

Overall, despite Friday’s pullback, the broader trend in the financial markets remains surprisingly strong. The ability of stocks to rebound repeatedly in the face of inflation fears, geopolitical instability, and rising bond yields continues impressing Wall Street.

This remains a market where patience, discipline, and long-term thinking matter tremendously. Volatility will continue, but transformational technological trends involving artificial intelligence, automation, energy infrastructure, and cloud computing continue driving enormous capital investment worldwide.

For long-term investors, periods of volatility often create opportunity. The key is remaining focused on quality companies, strong balance sheets, durable business models, and secular growth trends that can compound value over many years.

One of the most exciting speculative growth companies in the autonomous vehicle sector continues to be Aurora Innovation (AUR). This remains one of Frankie’s highest conviction long-term holdings, and despite the volatility that comes with emerging technology companies, Frankie remains extremely optimistic about Aurora’s future potential. In fact, Frankie is currently up approximately 97% on the position and continues viewing the company as a long-term investment rather than a short-term trade.

Aurora Innovation operates in the autonomous driving industry, focusing primarily on self-driving trucking technology. The company was founded by some of the most respected engineers in the autonomous vehicle world, including former leaders from Google’s Waymo, Tesla, and Uber’s self-driving divisions. Their goal is ambitious but potentially transformational: creating autonomous transportation systems that can move freight safely and efficiently across America without human drivers.

This opportunity is enormous.

The trucking industry faces multiple long-term challenges, including labor shortages, rising fuel costs, driver turnover, safety concerns, and increasing shipping demand tied to e-commerce growth. Aurora believes autonomous trucking could eventually help solve many of these issues while dramatically reducing transportation costs over time.

Frankie has become increasingly interested in companies connected to artificial intelligence and automation because he believes these technologies will fundamentally reshape the global economy over the next decade. While autonomous driving technology has taken longer to mature than many initially expected, significant progress continues occurring behind the scenes.

Aurora’s partnerships are one of the reasons Frankie remains so bullish on the stock. The company has worked with major industry players including PACCAR, Volvo, Continental, and Uber Freight. These relationships matter because large-scale commercial adoption of autonomous trucking will require deep partnerships with manufacturers, logistics providers, and infrastructure operators.

One of the most encouraging developments for Aurora has been the continued advancement toward commercial deployment. The company has spent years testing autonomous trucking routes across Texas and other regions with relatively favorable driving conditions. The company’s Aurora Driver platform uses advanced sensors, lidar systems, radar, cameras, and machine learning software to navigate highways and traffic environments.

Importantly, Aurora is not attempting to dominate the consumer robotaxi market immediately. Instead, the company has focused heavily on long-haul freight routes, which many analysts believe may actually be one of the earliest commercially viable autonomous driving applications. Highway driving is often more predictable than dense urban environments, making it a potentially easier starting point for large-scale autonomy.

Frankie particularly likes the long-term economics of autonomous trucking. If Aurora succeeds, transportation companies could potentially operate trucks for longer periods without human driver limitations. That could improve delivery efficiency, reduce labor expenses, and increase asset utilization dramatically.

Of course, investing in Aurora also comes with significant risks. The company remains speculative. It is not yet consistently profitable, and autonomous driving technology still faces regulatory, legal, safety, and technical hurdles. Investors should fully understand that emerging technology companies can experience enormous volatility.

However, Frankie believes the risk-reward profile remains compelling because of the size of the opportunity. If Aurora becomes a meaningful player in autonomous logistics, the company’s future valuation could potentially look dramatically different than today’s levels.

Another reason Frankie remains patient with Aurora is the broader macro trend toward automation and AI integration across industries. Companies worldwide are racing to improve efficiency through artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, and automation technologies. Aurora fits directly into this theme.

The company also benefits from growing investor interest in next-generation transportation infrastructure. While electric vehicles dominated headlines over the past several years, autonomous systems may ultimately become an equally transformative trend.

One important factor investors should watch is Aurora’s cash position and execution timeline. Growth companies in emerging industries must carefully manage capital because development costs can remain high for years before profitability arrives. Investors should continue monitoring quarterly reports, partnership announcements, testing milestones, and commercialization updates closely.

Frankie understands that Aurora will likely remain volatile. Stocks connected to disruptive innovation often experience large swings because investors constantly reassess future growth expectations. However, he believes holding quality innovation companies through volatility can sometimes produce enormous long-term returns if the technology succeeds.

What makes Aurora especially interesting is that it sits at the intersection of several massive trends simultaneously:

Those trends are unlikely to disappear anytime soon.

Frankie’s philosophy with Aurora is simple: identify transformational technology early, remain patient, and allow time for the thesis to develop. Not every speculative investment succeeds, but finding even a few long-term winners can significantly impact overall portfolio performance.

Aurora remains one of the more speculative names in the portfolio, but it also represents the type of innovative company that could potentially become much larger over the next decade if execution continues improving and autonomous trucking adoption accelerates across the economy.

Welcome to Part 3 of this week’s Smart Wealth Newsletter. This section focuses on the investment portfolios managed by our family, including my Morgan Stanley and Fidelity accounts along with Trip and Frankie’s Schwab portfolios.

As always, our philosophy remains centered around long-term investing, patience, and owning businesses that we believe can continue compounding value over many years. We focus heavily on innovation, artificial intelligence, infrastructure, energy, cloud computing, aerospace, defense, and transformational technologies that we believe could shape the future economy.

For each holding below, we include the stock’s closing price as of Friday, May 15, 2026, the percentage gain or loss since inception in the portfolio, the current Wall Street analyst consensus, and our own personal family rating on the stock. We also explain why we continue holding each company and what we believe makes the long-term opportunity attractive.

Closing Price: $393.32
Portfolio Gain: +129.02%
Wall Street Consensus: Moderate Buy
Chris’ Rating: Strong Buy

Chris continues to view Alphabet (GOOG) as one of the most dominant artificial intelligence and digital advertising companies in the world. Between Google Search, YouTube, Google Cloud, and its rapidly expanding AI ecosystem, Chris believes Alphabet remains one of the strongest long-term compounders in the market despite its enormous size.

Chris also believes Wall Street still underestimates how important Google Cloud and Gemini AI could become over the next several years. The company’s balance sheet strength, cash flow generation, and leadership in AI infrastructure continue making GOOG one of the core foundational positions in the portfolio.

Closing Price: $264.14
Portfolio Gain: +26.98%
Wall Street Consensus: Strong Buy
Chris’ Rating: Strong Buy

Chris continues to believe Amazon (AMZN) remains one of the best-positioned companies globally because of its dominance in both e-commerce and cloud computing. AWS continues benefiting from massive artificial intelligence spending as companies worldwide increase cloud infrastructure investment.

Chris also likes Amazon’s long-term logistics advantages, advertising business growth, and improving operational efficiency. He believes the company still has substantial upside over the next decade as AI and cloud demand continue accelerating.

Closing Price: $300.23
Portfolio Gain: +100.07%
Wall Street Consensus: Buy
Chris’ Rating: Buy

Chris continues to own Apple (AAPL) because of the company’s incredible ecosystem strength, brand loyalty, and recurring revenue model. Even during slower iPhone upgrade cycles, Apple continues generating enormous free cash flow and maintains one of the strongest balance sheets in the world.

Chris believes Apple’s future AI integration across devices could eventually become a major growth driver. He also values the company’s consistent buybacks, dividend growth, and defensive characteristics during volatile markets.

Closing Price: $1,048.95
Portfolio Gain: +121.56%
Wall Street Consensus: Buy
Chris’ Rating: Strong Buy

Chris views Costco (COST) as one of the highest-quality retail companies in America because of its membership-driven business model and extremely loyal customer base. Even during periods of inflation and economic uncertainty, Costco continues attracting strong consumer demand.

Chris also appreciates Costco’s disciplined management team and ability to consistently grow earnings over long periods of time. He believes the company’s scale and pricing power give it a tremendous competitive advantage.

Closing Price: $561.83
Portfolio Gain: +59.99%
Wall Street Consensus: Buy
Chris’ Rating: Buy

Chris owns Deere (DE) because he believes global agriculture, automation, and precision farming technology remain long-term growth industries. Deere continues integrating advanced AI, GPS systems, and automation into modern farming equipment.

Chris also believes Deere benefits from global food demand and infrastructure investment trends. The company’s strong brand and leadership position within agricultural equipment continue making it an attractive long-term industrial holding.

Closing Price: $281.53
Portfolio Gain: +184.64%
Wall Street Consensus: Strong Buy
Chris’ Rating: Strong Buy

Chris remains extremely bullish on GE Aerospace (GE) because of the continued recovery in global air travel and enormous demand for aircraft engines and aerospace services. The company’s streamlined focus following the breakup of the old General Electric has significantly improved investor confidence.

Chris also believes defense spending and commercial aviation growth could continue supporting earnings for years. GE Aerospace has become one of the strongest industrial momentum stories in the market.

Closing Price: $1,049.23
Portfolio Gain: +926.71%
Wall Street Consensus: Strong Buy
Chris’ Rating: Strong Buy

GE Vernova (GEV) continues to be one of the biggest winners in the portfolio and one of Chris’ highest conviction holdings. Chris believes the company sits directly at the center of the global energy infrastructure transformation involving electrification, power grid modernization, natural gas turbines, and renewable energy expansion.

Chris also believes AI data center growth will require enormous increases in electricity generation over the next decade. He views GE Vernova as one of the most important infrastructure companies supporting the future AI economy.

Closing Price: $66.02
Portfolio Gain: +34.52%
Wall Street Consensus: Hold
Chris’ Rating: Hold

Chris owns Kroger (KR) primarily as a defensive consumer staple position that can provide stability during volatile markets. Grocery demand remains relatively steady regardless of economic conditions, making Kroger a more conservative holding within the broader portfolio.

Chris also believes Kroger’s scale and private-label strategy help support margins even during inflationary environments. While the stock may not offer explosive growth, he views it as a reliable long-term defensive position.

Closing Price: $614.23
Portfolio Gain: +5.95%
Wall Street Consensus: Strong Buy
Chris’ Rating: Buy

Chris continues to like Meta Platforms (META) because of the company’s massive global user base, digital advertising dominance, and aggressive investments in artificial intelligence. Meta’s ad targeting capabilities remain among the strongest in the world.

Chris also believes AI integration across Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and advertising platforms could drive another major wave of revenue growth. While Reality Labs remains expensive, he believes Meta’s core business remains extremely powerful.

Closing Price: $421.92
Portfolio Gain: +840.09%
Wall Street Consensus: Strong Buy
Chris’ Rating: Strong Buy

Microsoft (MSFT) remains one of the cornerstone positions in the portfolio and one of Chris’ favorite long-term holdings. The company continues dominating enterprise software, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Chris believes Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI and integration of AI throughout the Microsoft ecosystem gives the company enormous long-term upside. Azure cloud growth and recurring enterprise revenue continue making Microsoft one of the highest-quality businesses in the world.

Closing Price: $133.99
Portfolio Gain: -4.42%
Wall Street Consensus: Buy
Chris’ Rating: Strong Buy

Despite short-term volatility, Chris remains highly optimistic about Palantir (PLTR) and recently added the position because of the company’s growing role in artificial intelligence and enterprise data analytics. Palantir continues expanding both government and commercial contracts at a rapid pace.

Chris believes Palantir’s AI platform could become deeply embedded across corporations, defense agencies, and critical infrastructure organizations. He views current volatility as normal for a high-growth technology company with transformational potential.

Closing Price: $141.57
Portfolio Gain: +72.78%
Wall Street Consensus: Hold
Chris’ Rating: Buy

Chris owns Procter & Gamble (PG) because it provides stability, dividend income, and defensive exposure during uncertain economic environments. The company owns some of the most recognizable consumer brands in the world and continues generating consistent cash flow.

Chris also values P&G’s long history of dividend growth and recession-resistant business model. While growth may be slower than many technology holdings, he believes the company adds important balance to the portfolio.

Closing Price: $264.14
Portfolio Gain: +132.50%
Wall Street Consensus: Strong Buy
Chris’ Rating: Strong Buy

Chris continues to view Amazon (AMZN) as one of the most important long-term technology and infrastructure companies in the world. Between AWS cloud computing, logistics dominance, artificial intelligence infrastructure, and digital advertising growth, Chris believes Amazon still has tremendous upside over the next decade.

Chris particularly likes Amazon’s exposure to enterprise AI spending through AWS. As companies continue building AI models and expanding cloud workloads, he believes Amazon remains positioned to benefit significantly from long-term digital transformation trends.

Closing Price: $313.48
Portfolio Gain: +88.07%
Wall Street Consensus: Buy
Chris’ Rating: Buy

Chris owns American Express (AXP) because of the company’s premium customer base, strong brand recognition, and disciplined lending model. American Express continues benefiting from resilient consumer spending and high-income customer loyalty.

Chris also appreciates Warren Buffett’s long-term confidence in the company and believes AmEx remains one of the strongest financial brands globally. He views the stock as a quality financial holding capable of compounding steadily over time.

Closing Price: $33.63
Portfolio Gain: +125.50%
Wall Street Consensus: Hold
Chris’ Rating: Buy

Chris continues to like Kinder Morgan (KMI) because of its stable pipeline infrastructure business and attractive dividend profile. Even during volatile commodity environments, pipeline operators often generate reliable cash flow through long-term transportation contracts.

Chris also believes natural gas infrastructure will remain critically important to the U.S. energy economy for many years. As electricity demand rises due to AI data centers and industrial growth, he believes companies like Kinder Morgan could continue benefiting from rising energy demand.

Closing Price: $46.37
Portfolio Gain: -8.07%
Wall Street Consensus: Hold
Chris’ Rating: Hold

Chris owns Verizon (VZ) primarily as a defensive dividend-paying position that provides stability and recurring income. Wireless communication infrastructure remains essential to the economy regardless of broader economic conditions.

While Verizon has faced slower growth and competitive pressures, Chris still appreciates the company’s strong cash flow and sizable dividend yield. He views it as more of an income and defensive position rather than a major growth stock.

Closing Price: $157.92
Portfolio Gain: +88.20%
Wall Street Consensus: Buy
Chris’ Rating: Strong Buy

Chris remains very bullish on Exxon Mobil (XOM), especially given ongoing geopolitical tensions involving the Strait of Hormuz and continued strength in global energy markets. Rising oil prices continue supporting profitability across the energy sector.

Chris also believes Exxon remains one of the best-managed integrated oil companies in the world with exceptional scale, global assets, and long-term production capabilities. He views energy as an important hedge against inflation and geopolitical instability.

Closing Price: $422.24
Portfolio Gain: +32.77%
Wall Street Consensus: Hold to Buy
Chris’ Rating: Strong Buy

Chris continues to believe Tesla (TSLA) remains one of the most transformational companies in the world despite the stock’s volatility. While Tesla is widely known as an electric vehicle manufacturer, Chris views the company as much more than a car company because of its advancements in artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous driving, battery technology, and energy storage.

Chris is especially optimistic about Tesla’s long-term autonomous driving opportunities and believes Full Self-Driving technology could eventually create entirely new revenue streams for the company. He also believes Elon Musk continues pushing Tesla into industries that could reshape transportation, robotics, and AI infrastructure over the next decade.

Closing Price: $300.23
Portfolio Gain: +176.76%
Wall Street Consensus: Buy
Chris’ Rating: Strong Buy

Chris continues to view Apple (AAPL) as one of the strongest long-term wealth-building companies in the entire market. The company’s ecosystem remains incredibly powerful, with loyal customers deeply integrated into Apple’s hardware, software, services, and subscription platforms.

Chris also believes Apple’s future artificial intelligence initiatives could eventually drive another major upgrade cycle across iPhones, iPads, Macs, and wearable devices. Combined with massive free cash flow, aggressive share buybacks, and one of the strongest balance sheets globally, Chris believes Apple remains a core foundational holding for long-term investors.

Closing Price: $225.32
Portfolio Gain: +128.21%
Wall Street Consensus: Strong Buy
Chris’ Rating: Strong Buy

Chris remains extremely bullish on NVIDIA (NVDA) and continues to believe the company sits directly at the center of the artificial intelligence revolution. NVIDIA’s chips power AI training models, hyperscale cloud infrastructure, autonomous systems, robotics, and advanced computing platforms worldwide.

Chris believes demand for AI computing power is still in the early innings and could continue growing for many years as corporations and governments expand AI infrastructure spending. While the stock has already delivered enormous gains, Chris believes NVIDIA could remain one of the most important technology companies in the global economy moving forward.

Closing Price: $118.21
Portfolio Gain: +27.72%
Wall Street Consensus: Buy
Chris’ Rating: Buy

Chris owns Cisco Systems (CSCO) because he believes networking infrastructure will remain critically important as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and global data traffic continue expanding rapidly. Cisco continues evolving beyond traditional networking hardware into software, security, and enterprise infrastructure solutions.

Chris also likes Cisco’s strong cash flow generation, dividend profile, and defensive technology positioning. While it may not move as aggressively as some higher-growth AI names, he believes Cisco provides stable long-term exposure to the backbone of global digital infrastructure.

Closing Price: $284.72
Portfolio Gain: +10.57%
Wall Street Consensus: Strong Buy
Chris’ Rating: Strong Buy

Chris remains highly bullish on Lam Research (LRCX) because the company plays a critical role in semiconductor manufacturing equipment and advanced chip production. As artificial intelligence demand explodes globally, semiconductor fabrication capacity continues expanding aggressively, benefiting companies like Lam Research.

Chris believes AI, autonomous systems, cloud infrastructure, robotics, and advanced computing will require enormous semiconductor investment for many years. He views Lam Research as one of the key “behind the scenes” beneficiaries of the global AI buildout.

Closing Price: $133.99
Portfolio Gain: -6.93%
Wall Street Consensus: Buy
Chris’ Rating: Strong Buy

Chris continues to maintain very strong conviction in Palantir (PLTR) despite near-term volatility in the stock price. He believes Palantir’s artificial intelligence platform and enterprise data analytics capabilities position the company to become one of the most important AI software firms in the world.

Chris especially likes Palantir’s growing commercial adoption alongside its longstanding government and defense relationships. He believes the company is still in the early stages of monetizing its AI ecosystem and could experience substantial long-term growth as organizations increasingly rely on data-driven decision making and AI automation.

Closing Price: $1,049.23
Portfolio Gain: +946.68%
Wall Street Consensus: Strong Buy
Trip’s Rating: Strong Buy

GE Vernova (GEV) continues to be one of Trip’s most successful long-term investments and remains his largest position. Trip believes the company is perfectly positioned for the massive increase in electricity demand tied to artificial intelligence, data centers, power grid modernization, and global electrification trends.

Trip also believes natural gas turbines, renewable infrastructure, and power systems will become increasingly important over the next decade as AI infrastructure consumes enormous amounts of electricity. He continues viewing GE Vernova as one of the premier energy infrastructure growth stories in the market.

Closing Price: $1,048.95
Portfolio Gain: +127.58%
Wall Street Consensus: Buy
Trip’s Rating: Strong Buy

Trip continues to like Costco (COST) because of the company’s incredibly loyal customer base and highly resilient business model. Even during periods of inflation and economic uncertainty, Costco continues generating strong sales growth and steady membership renewals.

Trip also appreciates Costco’s disciplined management team and long-term consistency. He believes the company’s pricing power and membership structure provide a major competitive advantage that can continue compounding shareholder value over time.

Closing Price: $396.78
Portfolio Gain: +13.67%
Wall Street Consensus: Strong Buy
Trip’s Rating: Strong Buy

Trip remains very bullish on Alphabet (GOOGL) because of the company’s dominance in search, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital advertising. He believes Google remains one of the most important AI companies globally and still has significant long-term growth opportunities ahead.

Trip also believes YouTube and Google Cloud continue providing major revenue expansion potential. With AI rapidly transforming technology markets, he sees Alphabet as one of the safest long-term AI investments available.

Closing Price: $133.99
Portfolio Gain: -5.86%
Wall Street Consensus: Buy
Trip’s Rating: Strong Buy

Trip continues holding Palantir (PLTR) because he believes the company is becoming a major player in enterprise artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics. Despite recent volatility, he believes Palantir’s long-term growth opportunity remains extremely compelling.

Trip especially likes the company’s growing commercial customer base and expanding AI platform adoption. He believes Palantir could eventually become deeply integrated across corporations, defense agencies, and critical infrastructure systems worldwide.

Closing Price: $0.82
Portfolio Gain: +2.02%
Wall Street Consensus: Speculative Hold
Trip’s Rating: Speculative Buy

Trip views Eightco Holdings (ORBS) as a speculative small-cap position with significant volatility but potential upside. He understands the risks associated with lower-priced equities but believes select speculative opportunities can sometimes generate outsized returns when properly managed.

Trip continues monitoring the company carefully and recognizes this is a higher-risk position within the portfolio. He remains patient while evaluating future execution and business developments.

Closing Price: $19.87
Portfolio Gain: -19.62%
Wall Street Consensus: Speculative Buy
Trip’s Rating: Buy on Weakness

Trip continues to hold BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) because he believes cryptocurrency infrastructure and digital asset mining may continue evolving as emerging sectors over the long term. While the stock has experienced volatility, he believes the company could benefit if Bitcoin prices strengthen again.

Trip also believes speculative positions tied to digital assets can offer asymmetric upside potential when sized appropriately within a diversified portfolio. He understands the volatility involved and remains focused on long-term risk management.

Closing Price: $21.32
Portfolio Gain: +186.56%
Wall Street Consensus: Buy
Frankie’s Rating: Strong Buy

Frankie continues to believe Navitas Semiconductor (NVTS) has tremendous long-term potential because of its exposure to next-generation power semiconductors, AI infrastructure, electric vehicles, and fast-charging technologies. The company’s gallium nitride and silicon carbide technologies continue gaining traction in advanced power efficiency applications.

Frankie believes the world’s increasing electricity demands tied to AI data centers, EV adoption, and energy infrastructure modernization could create significant long-term demand for Navitas products. Despite volatility, he continues viewing NVTS as a high-upside long-term growth position.

Closing Price: $1,049.23
Portfolio Gain: +946.68%
Wall Street Consensus: Strong Buy
Frankie’s Rating: Strong Buy

GE Vernova (GEV) remains one of Frankie’s highest conviction positions and one of the largest winners in the portfolio. Frankie believes the company is positioned directly in the center of the global energy transformation involving electrification, power generation, AI-driven electricity demand, and grid modernization.

Frankie also believes artificial intelligence infrastructure growth will require enormous amounts of additional energy generation worldwide. He views GE Vernova as one of the premier long-term infrastructure beneficiaries of the AI boom.

Closing Price: $1,048.95
Portfolio Gain: +127.17%
Wall Street Consensus: Buy
Frankie’s Rating: Strong Buy

Frankie continues to like Costco (COST) because of the company’s incredibly loyal customer base and durable membership-driven business model. Even during uncertain economic periods, Costco continues producing consistent sales growth and strong operational execution.

Frankie also appreciates Costco’s disciplined management team and ability to compound shareholder value steadily over long periods of time. He believes the company remains one of the highest-quality retail businesses in America.

Closing Price: $219.94
Portfolio Gain: +159.45%
Wall Street Consensus: Buy
Frankie’s Rating: Strong Buy

Frankie remains highly bullish on Nebius Group (NBIS) because of the company’s exposure to artificial intelligence infrastructure, cloud computing, and next-generation technology development. He believes AI demand globally is still in the very early stages of expansion.

Frankie also believes companies providing AI-related infrastructure and computing capacity could experience substantial long-term growth over the next decade. He continues viewing NBIS as an aggressive growth-oriented AI position.

Closing Price: $421.92
Portfolio Gain: +277.32%
Wall Street Consensus: Strong Buy
Frankie’s Rating: Strong Buy

Frankie continues to believe Microsoft (MSFT) remains one of the most dominant technology companies in the world because of its leadership in cloud computing, enterprise software, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. The company’s Azure platform continues benefiting from massive AI infrastructure spending worldwide.

Frankie also believes Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI gives the company a major strategic advantage in the AI race. He views Microsoft as one of the safest and highest-quality long-term AI investments available today.

Closing Price: $264.14
Portfolio Gain: +26.98%
Wall Street Consensus: Strong Buy
Frankie’s Rating: Strong Buy

Frankie owns Amazon (AMZN) because he believes the company remains one of the strongest long-term technology and infrastructure companies globally. AWS cloud computing continues serving as one of the primary foundations powering AI growth and enterprise digital transformation.

Frankie also likes Amazon’s scale advantages in logistics, advertising, cloud computing, and e-commerce. He believes the company remains positioned for strong long-term growth despite short-term market volatility.

Closing Price: $422.24
Portfolio Gain: +41.98%
Wall Street Consensus: Hold to Buy
Frankie’s Rating: Strong Buy

Frankie remains highly optimistic about Tesla (TSLA) because of the company’s leadership in electric vehicles, autonomous driving, robotics, artificial intelligence, and energy storage. He believes Tesla’s innovation pipeline extends far beyond automobiles.

Frankie is especially excited about Tesla’s long-term autonomous driving and robotics opportunities. He believes the company could eventually become one of the most influential AI-driven industrial companies in the world.

Closing Price: $133.99
Portfolio Gain: -6.87%
Wall Street Consensus: Buy
Frankie’s Rating: Strong Buy

Despite recent volatility, Frankie remains very confident in Palantir (PLTR) and believes the company’s AI software platform could become deeply integrated across both government and enterprise operations. Palantir continues expanding commercial adoption while maintaining strong government relationships.

Frankie believes organizations increasingly need AI-driven data analytics and decision-making tools. He continues viewing Palantir as one of the most compelling long-term AI software opportunities in the market.

Closing Price: $7.71
Portfolio Gain: +97.69%
Wall Street Consensus: Speculative Buy
Frankie’s Rating: Strong Buy

Aurora Innovation (AUR) remains one of Frankie’s favorite speculative growth investments because of its exposure to autonomous trucking and artificial intelligence-driven transportation systems. Frankie believes autonomous logistics could eventually transform the transportation industry.

Frankie is willing to tolerate volatility because he believes Aurora’s long-term opportunity is substantial if autonomous trucking adoption accelerates over the next decade. He continues viewing AUR as a high-risk, high-reward innovation investment with significant upside potential.

Closing Price: $614.23
Portfolio Gain: +6.29%
Wall Street Consensus: Strong Buy
Frankie’s Rating: Buy

Frankie owns Meta Platforms (META) because he believes the company remains one of the dominant global digital advertising and AI platform companies. Meta’s massive user ecosystem across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp continues generating enormous engagement worldwide.

Frankie also believes Meta’s artificial intelligence investments could unlock substantial future monetization opportunities across advertising, social media, and digital content delivery. He continues viewing Meta as an important long-term technology holding.

As we wrap up this week’s Smart Wealth Newsletter, one thing continues standing out to our family: the future economy is increasingly being shaped by artificial intelligence, energy infrastructure, cloud computing, semiconductors, automation, and advanced software platforms. Many of the companies across our portfolios are directly tied to those long-term themes.

While markets will always experience volatility, pullbacks, geopolitical uncertainty, and interest rate concerns, we continue believing patient long-term investing remains one of the most powerful wealth-building strategies available. The key is remaining disciplined, continuing to learn, and focusing on businesses with durable competitive advantages and strong long-term growth opportunities.

We appreciate all of you following along with our family’s investing journey each week. Our goal continues to be helping others think long term, build financial confidence, and create wealth through both investing and real estate ownership.

This newsletter is provided for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. We are not licensed financial advisors, broker-dealers, or investment managers. All investments involve risk, including possible loss of principal.

The stocks and investment strategies discussed in this newsletter reflect the personal opinions and positions of our family and should not be interpreted as individualized investment recommendations. Always conduct your own due diligence and consult with a licensed financial advisor, CPA, or attorney before making investment or real estate decisions.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Markets are volatile and investment values can rise or fall substantially over time.