Fenton Shellman Wealth Management Team - Stifel

10/13/2026

Political tailwinds have benefited the financial services sector during the first two years of President Trump's term. We doubt that a Democratic win in the midterm elections would create a headwind for the industry, but, it might not enjoy as strong of a following breeze as it has to this point. In this note, it is discussed how the political environment could change for financials. Some headline risk is expected, especially for the Global Systemically Important Banks (GSIBs). However, few changes in policy are expected, although it is acknowledged there is an increased risk for the credit card industry.

Also updated are thoughts on the state of the midterms. The base case remains: The House is likely to flip, while the Republicans still maintain a slim advantage to retain the Senate (an admittedly nonconsensus view). In the Senate, Democrats lead the polls in enough races to win, but several of the leads are within the margin of error. It has been questioned whether they will hold up.

Read more here: https://livesocial.seismic.com/iZJ9Y https://livesocial.seismic.com/aUrU76

10/13/2026

The upcoming midterm elections will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

Join Stifel's Michael O'Keeffe, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, and Brian Gardner, Chief Washington Policy Strategist, for two 45-minute sessions: the first to frame what is at stake and what markets have already discounted, the second to translate the results into portfolio implications.

Learn more here: https://livesocial.seismic.com/agOE_M

10/12/2026

Space is no longer just the domain of governments and astronauts. Falling launch costs, private-sector innovation, and growing strategic investment are expanding the range of commercial opportunities beyond Earth. In this week's , Stifel's Chief Investment Officer, Michael O'Keefe, explores how competition is accelerating the development of the space economy, the industries already benefiting from space-based technologies, and why investors should pay attention to a theme that could shape economic growth for decades.

Read the full report here: https://livesocial.seismic.com/aEXdvK

10/02/2026

The S&P 500 was little changed in September, leaving year-to-date gains near 12%. Performance was narrow, with artificial intelligence-driven technology and semiconductor stocks leading the market, while rate-sensitive sectors, smaller companies, and large value stocks lagged.

Read the full piece: https://livesocial.seismic.com/alx2KX

09/28/2026

With the 2026 midterm elections just six weeks away, investors are beginning to look beyond campaign headlines and toward the implications for markets and policy. In this week's , Stifel's Chief Investment Officer, Michael O'Keeffe discusses why divided government is likely to persist, how markets have historically behaved around midterm elections, and why the post-election policy environment may matter more than the election results themselves.

Read the full report here: https://livesocial.seismic.com/aU02Y8

09/25/2026

In the aftermath of the Fed's September rate decision to hike rates for the first time in more than three years to an upper bound of 4.00%, a number of Fed officials have offered updated commentary regarding the latest decision, as well as expectations for policy going forward.

amazonaws.com

09/21/2026

Congress returns to Washington for a brief period ahead of the midterm elections. For investors, the big event this week could be a Senate vote on digital asset legislation.

Read more in this week's Potomac Perspective from Stifel's Chief Washington Policy Strategist, Brian Gardner: https://livesocial.seismic.com/a1GpG_

09/21/2026

After cutting rates six times across 2024 and 2025, the Federal Reserve reversed course this week with a 0.25% rate hike as higher oil prices and renewed inflation pressures complicated the path back to 2%. In this week's , our CIO Office breaks down the Fed's decision, what the latest economic projections reveal, and why higher-for-longer rates may remain a key theme for investors.

https://stifel.info/SL091826

09/14/2026

Long-term interest rates have moved higher, with the 30-year Treasury yield reaching a level last seen nearly two decades ago, alongside similar moves across Europe and Japan. In this week's , Stifel's Chief Investment Officer, Michael O'Keeffe discusses what's driving longer-term yields higher, the growing role of the term premium, and what it could mean for investors going forward.

https://stifel.info/SL091126

09/03/2026

U.S. equities closed in August near record highs as strong artificial intelligence-related earnings outweighed mid-month jitters over rising long-term yields and questions about the durability of AI spending.

Read the full piece here:https://livesocial.seismic.com/a5iAb5