Parnassus Investments, an investment management company, released the "Parnassus Growth Equity Fund" second-quarter 2026 investor letter. The letter can be downloaded here. During the quarter, the Fund (Investor Shares) returned 17.49% (net of fees), outperforming the Russell 1000 Growth Index's 16.74%.
Holdings in Information Technology and Consumer Discretionary sectors boosted relative returns, while Communication Services and Financials holdings detracted. For the year-to-date period, the Fund returned 6.17% (net of fees), outperforming the Russell 1000 Growth's 5.33%. The firm remains constructively bullish on U.S. equities and continues to be selective, valuation-sensitive, and focused on disruptive growth opportunities through active stock selection.
Growth stocks advanced during the second quarter, as the Russell 1000 Growth Index generated strong double-digit returns driven by increased confidence in the durability of the ongoing artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure build-out. Additionally, reviewing the Fund's top five holdings could help identify its best picks for 2026. In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Parnassus Growth Equity Fund highlighted Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO).
Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) is a leading insurance brokerage firm operating through Retail and Specialty Distribution segments. On September 15, 2026, Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) closed at $67.23 per share, reflecting a market capitalization of $22.5 billion. Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) posted a one‑month return of -6.29%, while its shares lost 27.35% over the past 52 weeks.
Parnassus Growth Equity Fund stated the following regarding Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) in its Q2 2026 investor letter: "We sold Brown & Brown Inc. during the quarter. Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) remains a high-quality business, but we see rising near term risks as the company navigates an industry downturn, integrates a large acquisition and works to close an AI capability gap versus larger peers." Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 44 hedge fund portfolios held Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) at the end of the second quarter, compared to 41 in the previous quarter.
While we acknowledge the potential of Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) 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. In another article, we discussed Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) and shared Orbis Global Equity Strategy's insights on the company.
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