AAON (AAON): A Case of Emotion Triggers Impulsive Trade
Giverny Capital Asset Management, LLC, an investment management company, recently published its second-quarter 2026 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The model portfolio returned 13.70% this quarter, compared to the S&P 500's 15.20% return. YTD, the portfolio gained 5.89%, while the index increased by 10.21%. The long-term link between stock appreciation and earnings growth is strong; Benjamin Graham described the market as a "voting machine" in the short term and a "weighing machine" in the long term. Despite the S&P 500's 10.2% rise in the first half of the year, 210 stocks lost value, indicating market anomalies. High-quality earnings compounders that benefit from AI capabilities are likely to maintain their competitive edge. Recently, the market has increasingly chased momentum. Tech giants are taking advantage of the optimism of investors amid fears of an AI bubble. Despite strong profit margins, reliance on "moonshot" investments raises sustainability concerns. The author recommends investing in both emerging tech leaders and established firms. In addition, please check the Strategy's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, Giverny Capital Asset Management highlighted AAON, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAON). AAON, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAON) designs and manufactures high-efficiency air conditioning and heating equipment. On July 21, 2026, AAON, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAON) closed at $105.61 per share, reflecting a market capitalization of $8.65 billion. AAON, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAON) posted a one-month return of -19.75%, while its shares gained 34.11% over the past 52 weeks.
Giverny Capital Asset Management stated the following regarding AAON, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAON) in its Q2 2026 investor update:
"This push and pull between greed and fear creates itchy trigger fingers. In May, we had a single day in which one of our holdings, AAON, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAON), reported strong earnings and saw its stock rise 31%, AAON has a terrific business unit that makes cooling systems for data centers, where demand is strong. Upward we go! [Reality check: AAON subsequently gave back a fair amount of the one-day increase.]"
AAON, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAON) 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 AAON, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAON) at the end of the first quarter, compared to 36 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of AAON, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAON) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.
In another article, we covered AAON, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAON) and shared a bullish thesis on the company. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q2 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.