Conestoga Capital Advisors, an asset management company, released its first-quarter 2026 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The first quarter of 2026 started with optimism about the domestic economy and attractive small-cap valuations, but was marked by volatility amid geopolitical unrest in the Middle East and shifting expectations for interest rates. This unrest drove up energy prices and created a cautious global market. Energy, Basic Materials, and Industrials performed well, while software companies faced challenges due to AI disruption concerns. Market sensitivity to geopolitical events, energy prices, and inflation remains high. The first quarter saw high volatility in the Russell Microcap Growth Index, which rose over +11% by late January, then fell -18% to a -4.25% quarter-end loss, compared to -7.14% for the Conestoga Micro Cap Composite. Initial positive relative performance declined as the war in the Middle East escalated, leading investors to unwind popular momentum trades and to cover significant short positions in biotechnology. In addition, please check the Strategy’s top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its first-quarter 2026 investor letter, Conestoga Capital Advisors highlighted stocks like Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN). Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN) is a leading consulting and technical services company that operates through engineering, program management, policy advisory, and software and data analytics. On May 7, 2026, Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN) closed at $74.47 per share. One-month return of Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN) was -4.79%, and its shares gained 75.64% over the past 52 weeks. Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN) has a market capitalization of $1.12 billion.
Conestoga Capital Advisors stated the following regarding Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
“Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN) provides energy and infrastructure consulting services. Shares pulled back despite strong results, as attention shifted to what comes next after a period of outsized growth. The company delivered over 20% revenue growth and significant earnings expansion, but forward targets suggest a more normalized pace. With a model tied to project awards and government spending, the debate centers on how repeatable that growth is from here.”
Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 30 hedge fund portfolios held Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN) at the end of the fourth quarter, the same as in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN) 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 Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN) and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
In another article, we covered Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN) and shared a bullish thesis on the company. 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.
