February 2026

February 27, 2026 | R. Matthew Lauer


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Creative Destruction

Percentage S&P500 Stocks Outperforming the S&P500 over the Calendar Year

Periods of transition are rarely linear. Leadership rotates, sectors dislocate, and technology reshapes incentives.

This is creative destruction at work – a process that reallocates capital, reprices risk, and ultimately rewards discipline over concentration.

In this environment, opportunity expands – but so does dispersion.

Periods of narrow leadership are often followed by broader participation across sectors.


Disruption Creates Opportunities for Investors

With recent headlines surrounding the disruption in credit markets, Apollo provides a perspective offering a more measured view for patient investors during periods of dislocation.

Technology often accelerates this process. 

The bottom line is that individual sectors of the economy can be in distress while the rest remain fine. In fact, that is what creative destruction and disruption are all about.

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AI Doesn’t Reduce Workload – It Intensifies It

As AI becomes central to nearly every strategic conversation, we thought this article might provide a unique perspective on how AI is truly shaping the workplace. In periods of structural change, capital allocation becomes less about reacting – and more about intention.

The promise of generative AI lies not only in what it can do for work, but in how thoughtfully it is integrated into the daily rhythm… The question facing organizations is not whether AI will change work, but whether they will actively shape that change—or let it quietly shape them.

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The Art of Spending: 5 Key Takeaways from Morgan Housel’s New Book

Our team strongly resonate with the principles taught in Morgan Housel’s book, The Art of Spending. But rather than expecting you to complete the book, this article covers the key takeaways that challenge your perspective on wealth, making you ask yourself: years from now, what choices will you be glad you didn’t trade for a momentary thrill? At its core, creative destruction rewards clarity – about what to pursue, and what to decline.

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The Ultimate Productivity Hack is Saying No

James Clear distills a simple but profound truth about the art of saying no.

More effort is wasted doing things that don't matter than is wasted doing things inefficiently. And if that is the case, elimination is a more useful skill than optimization.

I am reminded of the famous Peter Drucker quote, “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”

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Lauer Private Wealth at RBC serves a select group of very-high-net-worth families navigating increasing financial complexity.

In times of transition, discipline compounds.

“What I value most is their patience, consistency, and willingness to take the time needed to understand my concerns and manage the details on my behalf..”

Client – Private Investor

Works cited: Apollo, ChatGPT, Harvard Business Review, James Clear, RBC, The Daily Shot.