The Trump administration is taking stakes in chip, defense, quantum, and rare earth companies that align with policy priorities. These “National Champion” stocks could see long-term competitive advantages that aren’t immediately apparent.

Lower income households are getting a raise, increasing capex estimates signal confidence, and small businesses are catching up in their use of AI.

Highlights from the week of July 3 – July 9, 2026.

Private credit redemption pressure and default upticks are not likely to affect well-diversified secondary private equity portfolios.

Jim Lydotes flips the timer on a retail energy deal, thinner consumer cushions, and how index rebalancing shows why investors should look beneath the market surface.

Last week, America's pre-birthday physical came back mixed. The labor market remains robust and spending is up. The number nobody wants elevated is inflation, which reached a three-year high. Factory orders are the bruise that looks worse than it is; blame aircraft.

The back half of 2026 may hinge on six themes: AI spending, uneven growth, labor supply, sticky inflation, uneasy central banks, and volatile bond markets.

​​Recent liquidity events related to portfolio companies in which PIF invests through its private equity holdings​.

Jim Lydotes flips the timer on our Grassroots Research on data centers, healthcare companies reinvesting AI dividends, and the breakdown in common value metrics.

Government-backed mortgage bonds have outperformed during some of the market’s worst quarters. Here’s how they work and what their track record has historically meant for investors seeking diversification.