News & Insights

Rising global bond yields are sending a warning as inflation, fiscal deficits, and monetary policy expectations pressure markets.

US long bond yields hit near 20-year peaks on debt concerns, with the national debt topping $40 trillion. The Treasury doubled buybacks of long-dated bonds to provide stabilization. Japanese, German, and French bond yields also hit multi-decade highs.

An explanation of why the turnaround narrative is so sticky, what the simulations reveal, and what a more durable small cap value alternative looks like.

July retail sales disappointed investors, but calendar shifts, auto sales comparisons, and other one-time factors suggest consumer demand remains relatively stable.

Bailard names Simon Smundak, CFA, as Senior Vice President, Private Markets & Solutions, deepening its UHNW advisory bench.

Q2 saw a sharp risk-on rally as easing Middle East tensions and renewed AI-buildout conviction reversed Q1's energy shock, with non-U.S. markets—especially hardware- and semiconductor-heavy economies—leading the rebound. Given the speed of thd reversal and July's renewed volatility for both geopolitics and AI sentiment, we continue to favor staying diversified rather than tied to one theme, country, or style, while still expecting non-U.S. equities to lead over a multi-year horizon due to broad participation, attractive valuations, and structural tailwinds.

Bailard earns its sixth consecutive appearance on the San Francisco Business Times' list of Top Bay Area Corporate Philanthropists.

Middle East tensions escalated as the US-Iran truce collapsed: the U.S. reinstated a naval blockade of Iranian ports and ordered fresh strikes, while Houthis hit Saudi-linked tankers in the Red Sea. Brent surged past $100/barrel before retreating.

A risk-on rally in April–May, fueled by economic resilience and easing Iran-conflict fears, pushed junk and meme stocks higher and made the Russell 2000 Value Index tough to beat, but June's shift to risk-off—spurred by AI funding skepticism—favored quality and value characteristics that benefit active managers. The Bailard Small Cap Value Strategy generated a 2Q26 total return of 17.57% net of fees, compared with the Russell 2000 Value Index at 17.19%

Brent crude topped $100 a barrel and the Fed held rates steady, but a hawkish dissent signals mounting pressure for a rate hike as soon as September.

Q2 2026 delivered the strongest quarterly return in more than five years, driven by continued enthusiasm around AI. However, AI is not a single investment theme; it is a stack. At its foundation are semiconductors, networking equipment, servers, and other hardware that power AI data centers.

AI investment is reshaping construction, energy, and supply chains. Dave Smith examines the opportunity, rapid growth, and risks beyond tech.

Maple Pond is a build-to-rent (BTR) townhome community in Charlotte's Newell neighborhood that will consist of 127 townhome units across 33 two-story buildings, plus one clubhouse, on 24 acres.

Fed rate cut urgency eases as June minutes show a resilient U.S. labor market broadening across industries and regions. Read Bailard's analysis.

The S&P 500’s second-quarter return was historic, but past strong quarters have often been followed by additional gains. Dave Smith looks at the data, the breadth of the rally, and what investors should watch next.

A US-Iran 14-point memorandum halted the costly four-month war, promised to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and drove oil prices near pre-conflict levels. Both sides agreed to stop attacks and resume peace talks, though each has alleged violations.