Carillon Tower Advisers, an investment management company, released its first-quarter 2026 investor letter for the “Carillon Eagle Mid Cap Growth Fund”. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. Mid-cap stocks delivered mixed results in the first quarter, and value notably outperformed growth. The Russell Midcap® Growth Index (down 6.35%) lagged behind the Russell Midcap® Value Index (up 3.69%). The notable contributing sector was energy, returning 45.23%, outperforming other sectors in the growth index and its value peers. The first quarter was volatile for equity markets, but investors were optimistic. However, military strikes on Iran caused energy prices to rise, shifting investor sentiment to uncertainty. Despite this turbulence, with improved valuations and potential positive developments from de-escalation in the Middle East, the firm is optimistic that the current market fluctuations will be short-lived. In addition, please check the Fund’s top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its first-quarter 2026 investor letter, Carillon Eagle Mid Cap Growth Fund highlighted XPO, Inc. (NYSE:XPO) as a notable contributor. XPO, Inc. (NYSE:XPO) is a US based transportation and logistics company that provides freight transportation services. On April 20, 2026, XPO, Inc. (NYSE:XPO) closed at $228.37 per share. One-month return of XPO, Inc. (NYSE:XPO) was 22.56%, and its shares gained 136.85% over the past 52 weeks. XPO, Inc. (NYSE:XPO) has a market capitalization of $26.81 billion.
Carillon Eagle Mid Cap Growth Fund stated the following regarding XPO, Inc. (NYSE:XPO) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
“XPO, Inc. (NYSE:XPO), a leading provider of less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation services, delivered strong performance despite a challenging freight environment that has persisted for several years. The company’s execution has been particularly evident in improving service levels, helping to narrow the market share and pricing gap with its best-in-class peer. Additionally, a recovery in the Institute for Supply Management® manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index® (PMI®) above the key 50 threshold, along with constructive forward commentary from management, supported improved sentiment and contributed to the stock’s strong performance during the quarter.”
XPO, Inc. (NYSE:XPO) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 46 hedge fund portfolios held XPO, Inc. (NYSE:XPO) at the end of the fourth quarter, compared to 40 in the previous quarter. In Q4 2025 XPO, Inc.’s (NYSE:XPO) total revenue increased 5% year over year to $2 billion. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of XPO, Inc. (NYSE:XPO) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than XPO, Inc. (NYSE:XPO) and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
In another article, we covered XPO, Inc. (NYSE:XPO) and shared ClearBridge Small Cap Growth Strategy’s views on the company. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q1 2026 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
