The market's favorite AI trades may already be priced for perfection. A quieter corner of the AI boom is generating real cash flows. Dividend growth investors may be looking in all the wrong places.

As I look ahead to 2026 and search for compelling investment opportunities, one productive place to focus is on stocks that lagged during an otherwise strong year for U.S. equities. The broader market notched its third consecutive double-digit gain, yet beneath the surface, performance was far from uniform.

Both companies have faced some headwinds recently, but the core businesses and dividend payouts remain strong. Blackstone is the top alternative asset manager in the world and operates as a premier global investment firm for institutional and individual investors.

NVIDIA, Palantir, Blackstone and Robinhood stand out as founder-run companies with strong vision, innovation and long-term growth drivers.

The most dangerous retirement risk has nothing to do with total returns. This income blueprint prioritizes cash flow when it matters most. I share some of my top retirment income picks.

The market is flashing a warning on several popular high-yield stocks that most income investors are ignoring. One key risk could completely reshape how these dividends are viewed. A seemingly safe yield may be closer to the chopping block than expected.

Ares Management (NYSE: ARES) projects the private credit market may be poised for even greater gains heading into 2026, thanks to diversified deal activity, expanded investor participation, and a broader role in corporate finance, according to its latest Private Credit Outlook 2026 report.

From a technical perspective, Blackstone Inc. (BX) is looking like an interesting pick, as it just reached a key level of support. BX recently overtook the 200-day moving average, and this suggests a long-term bullish trend.

Alternative asset manager Blackstone is reportedly in talks to offer its funds through FinTech company Revolut's platform. Revolut is developing a private banking service, and Blackstone's funds would be offered to that service's clients, Bloomberg reported Thursday (Dec. 18), citing unnamed sources.

Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman stated that the company is the largest data center owner in the world, and called the business "conservative," stating that it is not "bubble-type work."