The London Company, an investment management company, released its first-quarter 2026 investor letter for its “The London Company Income Equity Strategy”. A copy of the letter is available to download here. In early 2026, US equities declined, with the Russell 3000 falling 4% and the S&P posting losses. The year began positively on a broad rally, but sentiment reversed sharply in March due to the Iran conflict. Market leadership shifted to a narrow, commodity-focused sector benefiting energy, agriculture, and hard assets. Large-cap growth suffered double-digit losses amid weakness in Big Tech and AI-related concerns in software. Sector dispersion was extreme; Energy surged over 35%, while Tech dropped over 9%. The London Company Income Equity portfolio returned 4.4% (4.2% net) this quarter, outperforming the 2.1% rise in the Russell 1000 Value Index, supported by stock selection and sector exposure. In this environment, the portfolio is positioned to participate in market upside, offering diversification and quality. In addition, please check the Strategy’s top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its first-quarter 2026 investor letter, The London Company Income Equity Strategy highlighted Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is a leading multinational technology company that manufactures and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables, and accessories. On June 9, 2026, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) closed at $290.55 per share. One-month return of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was -2.78%, and its shares gained 46.17% over the past 52 weeks. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has a market capitalization of $4.27 trillion.
The London Company Income Equity Strategy stated the following regarding Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
“Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) – AAPL was a detractor despite strong results, including record iPhone revenue with demand partially constrained by supply. Investor sentiment focused on rising AI costs, including higher memory costs, overshadowing solid execution. We view this as a disconnect from fundamentals, as AAPL’s ecosystem strength, pricing power, and capital discipline remain intact. Continued iPhone momentum and significant capital return support our long-term thesis.”
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) ranks 10th on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 170 hedge fund portfolios held Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) at the end of the first quarter, up from 169 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
In another article, we covered Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and shared the list of stocks Jim Cramer discussed. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q1 2026 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
