Key TakeawaysUnlike in 2022, today’s higher rates are more tied to resilient growth than an intensifying inflation shock.Growth has remained robust despite higher rates and elevated energy prices, helping explain why long-term yields have moved higher.Higher starting yields create more optionality for success in fixed income, supporting a diversified approach rather than positioning for a single rate scenario.

Many investors may be less diversified than they think because AI exposure can show up across multiple asset classes, not just technology stocks.

Highlights from the week of October 16 – October 22, 2026.

The midterms may move markets on headlines. Active investors can find opportunity where political perception diverges from company fundamentals.

Last week, America continued its quest for homeownership, a process that somehow combines the cost of a luxury vacation with the emotional experience of visiting the DMV. A barrage of housing reports suggested prospective buyers are finding neither bargains nor shortcuts.

Every client has a money story. The most revealing chapters may have been written long before they had a portfolio or a financial advisor.

How concentrated are your clients, really? Many large-cap portfolios are driven by the same handful of stocks.

The latest round of student protests in France began with a relatively straightforward demand: better funding for schools. But like many things that start small and focused, the demonstrations quickly evolved into something much bigger. What began as concerns about poor school conditions have expanded into broader frustration over the rising cost of living and the financial pressures facing households across the country.

Higher rates are testing the most rate-sensitive parts of the economy, but they are also restoring income and creating sharper distinctions between risks worth taking and risks best avoided.

Election noise can distort market signals. Jim Lydotes looks beyond the headlines at consumers, AI infrastructure, and defense demand.