TWST

During the third quarter of 2026, the Polen 5Perspectives Growth Opportunities Composite Portfolio returned -6.2% net of fees compared to the 0.5% return of the Russell 3000 Growth Index. The top contributors to relative performance in the period were Twist Bioscience, CrowdStrike and Micron Technology (underweight). The most significant detractors from the Portfolio's relative performance in the quarter were Argan, Microsoft (underweight), and Bloom Energy.

The portfolio's outperformance was primarily driven by our holdings in the Health Care sector, which delivered strong returns for the quarter on company-specific catalysts. Information Technology holdings and underweight to the Energy sector detracted from returns. For the year-to-date period, the Fund returned 5.80% (net of fees), outperforming the Russell Midcap Growth Index's 1.01%.

The portfolio generated a negative absolute return but outpaced the Russell Midcap Growth Index. During the quarter, we initiated new positions in Manhattan Associates, Okta and Clean Harbors. We ended our investment campaign in Monolithic Power Systems, FTAI Aviation and Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the quarter.

Forte Biosciences Inc., Twist Bioscience Corp., and Adaptive Biotechnologies Corp., were among the top contributors to performance. Cardinal Infrastructure Group, Inc., RBC Bearings Incorporated, and VSE Corporation were among the top detractors from performance. VSE Corporation shares detracted from performance during the quarter despite strong revenue growth, record profitability, and an improved full-year outlook.

During Q3 2026, the Polen 5Perspectives Small-Mid Growth Composite Portfolio returned -12.5% (net of fees) compared to the -10.4% return of the Russell 2500 Growth Index. The top contributors to the Portfolio's relative performance in the quarter were Twist Bioscience, Twilio, and Embraer. The most significant detractors from the Portfolio's relative performance in the quarter were nLight, Terawulf, and BWX Technologies.

.Danaher (DHR), one of the world's largest providers of medical diagnostics and laboratory equipment, recently announced plans to launch its first AI-powered autonomous laboratory, scheduled to operate at commercial scale in early 2027. While market trading barely moved the stock on the announcement date, the news marks a quiet turning point for life science automation.

Strong performance across the healthtech sector over the past two quarters has sparked renewed market interest in medical innovation. Given the volume of inquiries landing on our desks, we compiled this guide to answer a mix of the most frequent and most interesting questions we have received regarding our Healthcare Technology and Innovation Index (HTEC).

Louis says buy the AI dip

If AI and robotics suddenly feel like they are moving faster, August gave investors plenty of evidence that the pace really is accelerating. We saw longer-running agents, faster and cheaper inference, AI systems reaching into laboratories and physical equipment, robots learning from fewer demonstrations, and new capital and infrastructure forming around commercial deployment.

Twist Bioscience Corporation is rated Hold, as its $9.5bn valuation appears disconnected from current fundamentals, and profitability remains elusive. TWST's recent 200% stock surge is driven by AI-related news, short squeeze dynamics, and strong DSPS revenue growth, not by blowout earnings. Full-year 2026 guidance was raised to $456–$457m revenue with adjusted EBITDA breakeven targeted, but losses and elevated SG&A persist.