Late August 2026 Random Ramblings
Higher rates could compress equity multiples and raise AI data center lease costs, while UWMC and Cogent raise questions about CEO-driven capital allocation.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
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From X
catechwilliams on X
$AVO $CVGW 1) Retailers $CMG, etc sourcing elsewhere given MX tariff risk. 2) Avocado price spike during last year’s peak harvest season enabled distributors to realize outsized margins. 1-time benefit has reversed, significant earnings misses ahead for these commodity businesses
catechwilliams on X
$NX Outlandishly guiding to flat 2025 sales, customers and channel -DD. Commodity window and door components facing pricing pressure from larger customers ($JELD, $OC). Now levered 4x, trading at a premium to higher value-add building products peers. Guide cut inevitable.
catechwilliams on X
$J Beat earnings yesterday. Holding back detailed guidance for Investor Day (2/18)—likely raise ’25 #s, 4-year financial targets w significant upside on margins ($ACM and other peers +15% EBITDA margins). Record backlog and multi-year growth runway.
catechwilliams on X
$NX Rapidly declining levered (4x) commodity biz. Q1’25 guide -12% sales, mgmt hoping for 2H’25 recovery. End-mkts deteriorating ($OC -20% Q4 guide, $JELD), customer losses, internal controls issues, integrating a large acq, 0 prior M&A experience. +30x P/E on best case 2025 #s
catechwilliams on X
@StockJabber Thank you. As a read on $PLUS Q3 is tracking in October, $CSCO just reported -23% sales in networking (products account for ~50% of $PLUS revenue) for the Oct quarter-end. Further confirmation that PLUS Q3 is going to be ugly and no turnaround in sight.
catechwilliams on X
$PLUS Accelerating, sales -14% y/y in Q2, noted Q3 not improving yet implied FY guide is for flat sales (downward revisions to come). Margins benefitted from 1-time financing segment gain-on-sale. Still trading at a premium to higher quality industry leader CDW, makes zero sense.
catechwilliams on X
$AS 50x P/E levered retail roll-up w only one decent asset (Arc’teryx). Stagnating in the US, nearly fully-penetrated in China. >$500 jackets didn’t work for $GOOS in Asia. Arc already bigger. Hyper promotional mgmt sent the stock skyward. This is going to be an epic crash.
catechwilliams on X
$CVGW In MRQ benefited from temp avocado price spike and 1-time F/X add-back. Volumes have been declining LDD for the last 3Qs ($CMG shifting suppliers). DOJ investigation continues. Prices & earnings reverting lower. Commodity distributor trading at 30x P/E is not sustainable.
Investor Letters
All letters- Protean Funds July 2026 EVGGF $17BNVO $175B
- Royce Investment Partners Year-to-Date Through 6/30/26 AAP $2.6BCBZ $3B
- Polaris Capital Management Second Quarter 2026 ENI $81BIX $42B
- First Eagle Investments second quarter 2026 032830 $42BBABA $288B
- Oakmark Funds 2Q 2026 ORCL $437B
- Greenhaven Road Capital second quarter CLBT $2.9BHGTY $4.7B
- RGA Investment Advisors Q2 2026 ADBE $99BADYEN $33B
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Airbnb Model Update (2026)
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catechwilliams
Charles Frischer
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Clark Square Capital
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Connor Haley
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Convequity
David Orr
Deep Sail Capital
Devin LaSarre
DOMO Capital Management, LLC
Edwin Dorsey
Evan Tindell
Farmer
Fierce_beast
Fred Liu
Gavin Baker
Ian Bezek
Idea Brunch
JabroniCoin.USD
John_Hempton
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kab60
KEDM.com
Laughing Water Capital
Lee Roach
Little Owl Research
Maius
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marginofdanger
mavix
Mike
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Myles
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Negligible Capital
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Rusholme Capital
Sahil Khetpal
SG
Sheel Mohnot
Tim Eriksen
Timyan Bank Alert
Todd Wenning
ToffCap
Trevor Scott
Voss Capital
Yaron Naymark
Investor letters we follow
- 1851 Capital
- Aikya Investment Management
- Akre Capital Management, LLC
- Alluvial Capital Management
- Alpinum Investment Management AG
- Ariel Investments
- Artisan Partners
- Askeladden Capital
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- Baron Funds
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- Biglari Holdings
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- Cedar Creek Partners
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- Distillate Capital
- Dodge & Cox Stock Fund
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- Fred Alger Management, LLC
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- Lindsell Train Limited
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- Markel Group
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- O'Keefe Stevens Advisory
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- Pershing Square Holdings
- Polaris Capital Management
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- Praetorian Capital
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- Sequoia Fund
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- Third Avenue Management
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Sectors
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