Nuveen's analysis suggests that dividend growth stocks provide attractive returns with lower risk, making them appealing options for investors, according to financial analysts.
The Thrift Savings Plan's 2025 funds had mixed results in 2025, with most funds ending the year in positive territory, though overall returns were modest, and only one fund exceeded 1% growth in December.
Real estate stocks experienced varied returns in 2025, with some subsectors underperforming the broader market, and expectations for 2026 remain uncertain.
Berkshire Hathaway's shares slightly declined on Warren Buffett's last day as CEO, as he prepares to hand over leadership to Greg Abel. Buffett's investment since 1965 has yielded an extraordinary 6,100,000% return, outperforming the S&P 500. Buffett remains involved as chairman, while Abel will oversee key business segments, with the future of Berkshire's $283.2 billion stock portfolio still to be announced.
Nancy Pelosi has outperformed the S&P 500 with an 816% return over the past decade, largely through strategic stock trades, including selling Microsoft and Visa shares before regulatory actions and investing in Tempus AI before a major deal. She is considered a highly skilled investor among politicians, with her trades tracked by ETFs that mimic her and other politicians' strategies.
Family offices are becoming more cautious in their investments due to concerns over dollar depreciation, tariffs, and geopolitical tensions, leading to increased cash holdings and lower return expectations, especially in private equity and venture capital.
Harvard University's endowment reached nearly $57 billion in 2025, driven by strong investment returns of 11.9%, and received a record $600 million in donations, despite political and funding challenges from the Trump administration.
Investing $7,000 in Palantir, AppLovin, and Carvana at the start of 2023 would now be worth over $1.1 million due to their extraordinary growth, with Carvana showing the highest returns despite its risks.
Investing in Donald Trump's 1980s companies would have resulted in significant losses, as most of his ventures, including Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts and Trump Entertainment Resorts, went bankrupt or lost substantial value. However, Trump Media & Technology Group remains active, with recent stock fluctuations reflecting ongoing challenges and developments.
Dawson Partners, a key player in the $1.2 trillion fund finance market, is facing challenges as its strategy of leveraging investments is showing cracks. The firm's inaugural fund, which initially posted strong returns, has seen its internal rate of return drop to less than 4%, placing it in the bottom quartile of peers. This decline is partly due to investments like Brightline railway, which has struggled financially. Despite raising over $5 billion for a new fund, some long-time investors, including the Alaska Permanent Fund, are pulling back due to concerns over Dawson's rapid growth and mixed returns.
Quantitative analysts like Barry Griffiths are developing new methods to measure the performance of private market investments, such as buyout funds and venture capital, amid challenges like high borrowing costs and regulatory scrutiny. These methods aim to provide clearer comparisons with other asset classes and better assess the value provided by investment managers.
Financial experts are projecting lower returns for U.S. stocks and high-grade bonds in the coming years, with emerging market stocks and junk bonds expected to outperform. Projections suggest that U.S. stock market returns will be less than historical averages due to high price-to-earnings ratios. Additionally, inflation is expected to be around 2.5%. The article provides insights into various methods for estimating future stock returns and emphasizes the importance of long-term financial planning in light of these projections.
In Washington, political polarization is influencing stock market returns, with exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tracking Democratic (NANC) and Republican (KRUZ) lawmaker investments showing divergent performances in 2023. Democrats' tech-heavy portfolios have outperformed, gaining nearly 20%, while Republican investments have seen over 9% returns. The political divide is also evident in other ETFs like MAGA and DEMZ, with long-term returns favoring Republicans. Despite the performance, there are ongoing bipartisan efforts to ban stock trading by lawmakers to prevent conflicts of interest, though these efforts face challenges in becoming law.