MRM Commentary

Commentary

Monthly Investment Commentary

August 2026

      Energy

        July was characterized by two distinct market narratives. Early in the month, escalating tensions between the US and Iran briefly pushed Brent crude above $100 per barrel. Also, the durability of outsized profits across parts of the AI ecosystem was at the heart of the volatility in technology.

        MRM NET COMPOSITE PORTFOLIO RESULTS (As of 7/31/2026)
        MRM Group claims compliance with the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS®).
        Please contact MRM Group to obtain a Compliant Presentation and/or MRM's list of Composite descriptions.

        MRM Portfolio

        Equities
        Investors performance across regional equity markets reflected meaningful differences in sector composition during July. The UK FTSE All-Share outperformed most developed market peers, rising 3.7%, benefiting from its relatively low exposure to technology and greater weight in sectors that performed well during the month. Strong performance in energy stocks, supported by higher oil prices, alongside gains in financials, helped offset weaker returns elsewhere. Japanese equities were mixed over the month. The TOPIX finished broadly flat, while the technology-heavy Nikkei 225 fell by almost 8% as semiconductor companies came under pressure. The divergence between the two benchmarks reflected differences in sector composition, with the TOPIX’s greater exposure to industrials, financials and domestically oriented companies helping to offset weakness in technology. European equities were broadly flat over the month. The region sits somewhere between the UK and the US in terms of sector composition, with exposure to industrials and financials helping to offset weakness in technology-related companies.

        The Weakest Performance
        The weakest performance came from emerging markets, with the MSCI Emerging Markets Index falling 3.0% and the MSCI Asia ex-Japan Index falling 3.2%. Unlike the US, where AI exposure is concentrated in hyper-scalers and software platforms, emerging markets are more heavily exposed to the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain. Concerns surrounding advanced semiconductor technology from China triggered steep sell-offs in SK Hynix (-35%) and Samsung Electronics (-21%), with leveraged single stock ETFs exacerbating the declines. As a result, Taiwan (-5.3%) and South Korea (-17.1%) underperformed, more than offsetting China’s (+9.0%) positive contribution to the index over the month.

        MRM’s View
        In summary, July highlighted how quickly markets can pivot between geopolitics and the AI-led investment cycle. A brief oil spike revived inflation concerns and pushed bond yields higher, while equities rotated away from semiconductor companies toward value-oriented sectors such as energy and financials. These differences were also reflected in regional returns, with the UK FTSE All Share and Japanese TOPIX proving relatively resilient and emerging markets underperforming due to their heavier reliance on the semiconductor supply chain. Looking ahead, markets are likely to remain sensitive to both energy-driven inflation risks and the sustainability of AI-related earnings. As we discussed in our Mid-Year Outlook, these risks call for different diversifiers: government bonds remain the most effective protection against a growth slowdown driven by a reversal in AI enthusiasm, while real assets can provide resilience should inflation prove more persistent than expected.

        Source: J.P.Morgan

        MRM model holdings as of June 30, 2026

        Allocations

        IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES

        MRM Group, Inc. (“MRM”) is a state-registered investment advisor and an independent management firm that is not affiliated with any parent organization. Using quantitative selection methods, each MRM strategy searches within a well-defined universe of securities, using consistent investment criteria to identify attractive investments and create diversified portfolios. MRM seeks to provide long-term capital growth.

        Allocations

        The portfolios do NOT use inverse or leveraged ETFs. Universe vehicles may change, from time to time, when approved by the principal of MRM Asset Allocation Group at its sole discretion.

        BENCHMARK NOTES

        Effective January 1, 2026, the Dynamic Overlay benchmark was changed to the Vanguard Balanced Index Fund (VBIAX). This benchmark has been applied retroactively to the beginning of the performance period, January 1, 2008. We believe VBIAX provides a reasonable and transparent proxy for a diversified, balanced allocation strategy and serves as a consistent point of comparison, given the discontinued publication of the Morningstar Tactical Allocation Category, which was previously used as the Dynamic Overlay benchmark. The S&P 500 Index with dividends is an unmanaged composite of 500 large-capitalization companies whose data is obtained from the Standard & Poor’s website. S&P 500 is a registered trademark of McGraw-Hill, Inc. The Dow Jones US Select Dividend Index comprises 100 stocks and aims to represent the U.S.’s leading stocks by dividend yield. An investment cannot be made directly into an index.

        DISCLOSURES

        MRM Group claims compliance with the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS®). MRM has been independently verified for the periods January 1, 2008 through March 31, 2026. The verification report is available upon request. Verification assesses whether (1) MRM has complied with all the composite construction requirements of the GIPS standards on a firm-wide basis and (2) MRM’s policies and procedures are designed to calculate the present performance in compliance with the GIPS standards. Verification does not ensure the accuracy of any specific composite presentation.

        Valuations are computed and performance is reported in U.S. dollars. Client performance may differ based upon the structure of a particular investment program. For example, some programs are structured as wrap fee programs in which trading costs and brokerage commissions are included in one all-inclusive wrapped fee. As such, these costs may be higher than if the client were to pay trading costs and brokerage commissions separately. The standard management fee is 2.0%. Deviation from the model’s diversified structure may result in different risk, return, and diversification characteristics and would therefore not be representative of the models.

        All information contained herein is for informational purposes only. This is not a solicitation to offer investment advice in any state where it would be unlawful. There is no assurance that this platform will produce profitable returns or that any account will have results similar to those of the platform. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. You may lose money. Factors impacting client returns include individual client risk tolerance, restrictions client may place on the account, investment objectives, choice of broker/dealer or custodians, as well as other factors. Any particular client’s account performance may vary substantially from the program results due to, among other things, commission, timing of order entry, or the manner in which the trades are executed. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate dramatically, and an investor’s equity, when liquidated, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Investors should consider the investment objective, risks, charges, and expenses carefully prior to investing.

        Investors should not rely on charts and graphs alone when making investing decisions. Investments in securities of non-US issuers involve investment risks different from those of U.S. issuers, including currency risks, political, social, and economic risks. Net-of-fees returns are presented after advisor, management, custodial and trading expenses. The net of fee returns are calculated using actual management fees. The actual fees charged vary and range from .5% to 2.2%, depending on the size of the account and the custodian.

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