From corporate earnings and rising interest rates to the November midterm elections, there is no shortage of developments keeping the investment team at Carnegie Investment Counsel on its toes. As we enter the final months of 2026, investors are navigating a market shaped by resilient consumer spending, persistent inflationary pressures and the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI). With AI continuing to dominate market headlines, we're also looking beyond the technology sector to identify opportunities across the broader economy.

With plenty of moving parts in the market, we're closely monitoring these developments while keeping our focus on long-term investment opportunities. Here's a closer look at the key trends and events we're watching as we approach year-end.

Over the last few weeks, investors reading the news headlines, tuning into CNBC or checking their account balances, have taken note of an uptick in volatility. It’s hard not to pay attention when markets turn choppy. Some begin to wonder if they should take action.

But market ups and downs—what investors call volatility—aren’t a sign that something is wrong. They’re a normal part of how investing works. We all want the long-term growth that comes from owning stocks. What we don't want are the uncomfortable stretches that come with it. Unfortunately, you can't separate the two. The superior long-term returns equities provide relative to other asset classes are available precisely because markets are uncertain and prices move around.

As 2026 draws to a close, investors are facing some important questions. How will higher interest rates affect stocks and bonds? Are artificial intelligence companies living up to their valuations? And could the index funds many investors rely on be exposing them to more risk than they realize?

In this edition of Front Row with Carnegie, our investment and financial planning professionals discuss these questions, along with year-end planning opportunities that could make a difference in your financial picture. Below are some of the key takeaways from the conversation, or you can watch the full discussion in the video below.

Fall means cooler weather, changing leaves, and for investors it's another earnings season. Between the Fed's new rate-hike cycle, Big Tech's ongoing AI spending spree, and consumers gearing up for the holidays, there's a lot to watch this month.

At Carnegie Investment Counsel, we're focused on three things: what companies are actually getting for their AI investments, how healthy the consumer really is, and whether rising energy prices start feeding back into inflation.

As we head into September, the investment team at Carnegie continues to monitor key data that will impact market conditions. Interest rates remain elevated; inflation continues to be a concern, and the enormous investment behind artificial intelligence is creating opportunities as well as risks. At the same time, the strength of the consumer is becoming more difficult to assess, and markets continue to rotate beneath the surface.

Against that backdrop our focus remains on understanding what is driving portfolio performance, maintaining diversification and being selective about where we take risk.

The first half of 2026 gave investors plenty to digest. Artificial intelligence continued to dominate headlines, market leadership shifted beyond the Magnificent Seven, the Federal Reserve remained focused on inflation, and ongoing tariff and geopolitical developments added new layers of uncertainty.

In this edition of Front Row with Carnegie, our investment and financial planning professionals discuss the trends shaping today's markets, what they're watching for in the months ahead, and how those developments may affect long-term investors. Below are some of the key takeaways from the conversation, or you can watch the full discussion in the video below.

August tends to be a time when market activity can grow harder to analyze. Trading desks thin out, news flow slows, and short-term momentum can swing prices more than fundamentals do. Still, the month gives investors plenty to watch, including corporate earnings and Fed policy, to signs that market leadership may be broadening beyond artificial intelligence.

One of the most common questions investors ask is why a great company can report strong earnings and still see its stock price fall sharply. The answer often comes down to one word: expectations.

Over the long run, earnings growth is the primary driver of a company's stock price. However, in the short run, changes in investors' expectations about future growth can have an even greater impact. Understanding this relationship helps explain why some of the market's fastest growing companies can also be among its most volatile.

As we approach mid-summer, investors find themselves navigating two powerful forces: excitement and expectations. From headline-grabbing IPOs to the continued enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence (“AI”), markets are once again being shaped by a combination of innovation, optimism, and speculation. While these themes have helped propel stocks higher, they also serve as a reminder of an enduring investing principle: enthusiasm alone is not a substitute for fundamentals.

In our July commentary, we want to devote time examining the surge in mega-cap IPO activity, what earnings season may reveal about AI-related valuations, the evolving interest rate landscape, and where opportunities may exist beyond the technology sector.