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Markets  ·  47th Edition

Choosing Resilience Over Rhetoric

March 2026

Team Spotlight

Anna Demarest

Operations Associate

We are excited to introduce Anna Demarest, our newest Operations Associate. Anna joined us on August 1st to ensure our internal systems run like clockwork, allowing our advisors to focus entirely on what matters most — our clients. A graduate of the University of Virginia with a degree in Cognitive Science and Linguistics, Anna brings a systems-oriented perspective to our operations. Her background in market research has given her a keen eye for the details that keep our firm moving forward. Outside of the office, she's a true coastal local — usually found reading by the waves, perfecting a new baked good, or spending time with her cat, Winnie.

Choosing Resilience Over Rhetoric

The financial headlines have been dominated by a singular theme: the "A.I. Scare Trade." We have recently witnessed what some are calling a "SaaS-pocalypse" — a feverish sell-off in Software-as-a-Service companies. This meltdown does not stem from a sudden collapse in corporate profits; rather, it reflects nebulous fears that artificial intelligence will eventually render existing business models obsolete. These anxieties have been exacerbated by a handful of viral, speculative blog posts envisioning a systemic economic collapse.

To put this in perspective, the market is punishing digital and asset-light businesses with a "guilty until proven innocent" verdict. This reflects a growing fear of "Ghost GDP" — a scenario where A.I. drives massive productivity gains while the human-centric consumer economy withers. In this narrative, white-collar layoffs lead to a negative feedback loop of falling consumption and permanent unemployment.

While A.I. can generate code in hours and autonomously complete tasks that once took weeks for human talent, we believe much of the current panic is economically incoherent. Investment in technology cannot be sustained if there is no consumer income to buy what the A.I. generates. Further, a successful business is rarely just a collection of code. Its true strength is built on:

  • Trust and reliability: Most corporations do not want to spend their time debugging "vibe-coded" A.I. alternatives. They prefer to buy trouble-free, all-in-one solutions from established partners.
  • Proprietary data: Rich datasets — transaction histories, customer preferences, and years of specialized business knowledge — remain locked within the walled gardens of the companies we favour.
  • Switching costs: Large enterprises are unlikely to risk operational chaos by switching to unproven A.I. startups.

Prudent, Not Polarized

In times like these, clarity of thought is our most valuable asset. We recognize that the market has reached a point where "doomer fan fiction" can cause significant stock moves. We are not "A.I. maximalists" betting the house on every new tool, nor are we "A.I. laggards" ignoring the shift. Our approach is one of measured participation.

We have maintained a disciplined posture. We continue to hold a moderate weighting of technology stocks in the portfolio, but our holdings within the sector are diversified and well-positioned for the future. We focus on companies that use A.I. as a tool to amplify their existing advantages rather than those whose only advantage is the tool itself.

Reiterating Discipline

Investing in a period of technological upheaval can feel like navigating through dense fog created by ancient fears of machines replacing their creators. However, our guiding principles remain unchanged. We seek to own a handful of the best-run companies that deploy capital effectively and maintain a deep moat against competitors.

History shows that while share prices may sway based on ephemeral news and viral blog posts, fundamental returns are generated by companies that successfully navigate shifts and emerge stronger. We aren't betting on the correctness of the next fear-driven headline, but on the long-term resilience of the business models we have carefully selected for your portfolio.

Sources

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