Conestoga Capital Advisors, an asset management company, released its second-quarter 2026 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The letter reports a positive market shift towards Small Caps, with the Russell 2000 Index achieving its best first half since 1991 and the Russell 2000 Growth Index up 25.7% in Q2, fueled by AI enthusiasm and semiconductor stocks. However, market leadership was uneven, mirroring the Tech Bubble, with high-beta stocks outperforming while high-quality companies lagged, which impacted Conestoga’s quality-focused strategies. Management expressed confidence in long-term outcomes, noting that speculative leadership won’t last as monetary policy tightens and market breadth improves. The firm remains committed to high-quality growth businesses, expecting these to regain favor as leadership broadens. The Conestoga Small Cap Composite returned 14.32% net-of-fees in the second quarter, with 25.71% for the Russell 2000 Growth Index. Narrow Index leadership hurt the relative results, but it also hid Composite improvements. In addition, please check the Strategy’s top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, Conestoga Capital Advisors highlighted Crane NXT, Co. (NYSE:CXT). Crane NXT, Co. (NYSE:CXT), an industrial technology company that focuses on providing solutions to secure, detect, and authenticate customers’ important assets, was sold from the portfolio during the quarter. On August 5, 2026, Crane NXT, Co. (NYSE:CXT) closed at $52.37 per share, reflecting a market capitalization of $3.01 billion. Crane NXT, Co. (NYSE:CXT) posted a one-month return of 11.27%, while its shares lost 2.78% over the past 52 weeks.
Conestoga Capital Advisors stated the following regarding Crane NXT, Co. (NYSE:CXT) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
“Crane NXT, Co. (NYSE:CXT) provides authentication, detection, and traceability technologies for currency, consumer products, and industrial markets. We exited the position after the company completed several strategic acquisitions that expanded its addressable market but also increased integration and execution risk. With much of the near term benefit reflected in management’s outlook, we believed other opportunities offered a more attractive balance of risk and reward.”
Crane NXT, Co. (NYSE:CXT) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 33 hedge fund portfolios held Crane NXT, Co. (NYSE:CXT) at the end of the first quarter, the same as in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Crane NXT, Co. (NYSE:CXT) 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.