Many software stocks have been under pressure in recent months, as investors have started to perceive them as vulnerable to emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technology. As highlighted in the “6-Month Price History of the S&P Software and Service Index” chart, software stocks have declined roughly 27% from their September 2025 high.

6-Month Price History of the S&P Software and Service Index

• Source: LPL Research, FactSet 02/17/26
• Disclosures: All indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Is This a Buying Opportunit

U.S. equity indexes have wobbled over the last couple of weeks. Concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) hyperscale spending have hit the high-profile mega cap growth names. At the same time, concerns about the impact of AI on established businesses have rippled through the software and finance industries.

In the short term, markets are always susceptible to headlines and future concerns that haven’t yet come to fruition. However, over the long-term, fundamentals drive markets. And for the most part, they remain supportive.

Let’s explore some of the more important ones.

Jobs Growth Slow bu

Wall Street narratives rarely stay still, and recent weeks have underscored how quickly sentiment can change as perceived new information challenges the status quo. Widely discussed anxiety over a potential artificial intelligence (AI) bubble fueled by relentless capital spending on data center infrastructure has now transitioned into a broader set of worries about industry ‑ level disruption driven by rapidly advancing AI platforms. The software sector has been in the eye of this storm, with legacy enterprise vendors suddenly confronting fears of displacement. That concern has ignited a negative feedback loop that is fueling a ‘sell

After a stellar 2025 in which emerging market (EM) equities returned 34%, 2026 is off to a good start with the MSCI EM Index up 7% year to date. Last year’s near doubling of the S&P 500 return was driven mostly by a weakening U.S. dollar, which propped up EM returns, but attractive valuations and artificial intelligence (AI) investment played a role. This week we highlight five reasons we’ve warmed up to EM. 

#1: U.S. Dollar Looks Like It Wants to Go Lower

Given the dollar was one of, if not the biggest drivers of EM outperformance last year, we’ll start there. The U.S. Dollar Index is on the cusp