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Riverwater Small-Cap Strategy Outperforms in Q1 After Market Shake-Up

The firm cites macro shocks that created mispriced small-cap stocks.

Overview

  • Riverwater reported its Q1 2026 letter showed gains ahead of the Russell 2000 and said it targeted dislocations caused by geopolitical tension, AI skepticism, and stress in private credit.
  • Modine Manufacturing was a top contributor as data-center cooling demand grew and its auto cooling spinoff with Gentherm drew praise, which the firm said lifted shares more than 60% in the quarter.
  • Coastal Financial was the biggest laggard as investors questioned risks tied to its fintech partners and tighter credit, and Riverwater cut the position but kept a smaller stake.
  • The team exited Canada Goose after higher-than-planned selling and marketing costs and an Iran-linked energy price spike dampened consumer sentiment, and it sold Tennant following an ERP breakdown that paused orders for three weeks.
  • Riverwater added Cushman & Wakefield, arguing AI fears pushed the stock well below peers, and it stuck with AtriCure after Edwards Lifesciences announced a rival heart device that weighed on the shares without changing near-term fundamentals.