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Artisan Partners, an investment management company, released its first-quarter 2026 investor letter for the “Artisan Mid Cap Fund”. A copy of the letter is available to download here. In Q1 2026, the Artisan Mid Cap Fund reported negative absolute returns but slightly outperformed the Russell Midcap® Growth Index. The market favored lower volatility and income-oriented equities, with value outpacing growth significantly. Despite challenges for growth strategies, selective stock choices in sectors like industrials and healthcare provided strength, while consumer discretionary faced weaknesses. Mid- and small-cap indices showed resilience amid lagging large-cap growth stocks. The escalating conflict in Iran influenced market behavior, and AI-related investments continued to support capital spending and earnings. In addition, please check the Fund’s top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its first-quarter 2026 investor letter, Artisan Mid Cap Fund highlighted stocks like Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW). Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) is a leading medical technology company specializing in the treatment of advanced cardiovascular diseases. On May 8, 2026, Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) closed at $79.96 per share. One-month return of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) was 2.36%, and its shares gained 6.90% over the past 52 weeks. Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) has a market capitalization of $46.04 billion.
Artisan Mid Cap Fund stated the following regarding Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
"We also added to Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW), Waters and Arthur J. Gallagher during the quarter. Edwards Lifesciences designs, develops, manufactures and markets products and services for the treatment of late-stage cardiovascular disease. The company has a long history of leadership in heart valve replacement products and is the market leader in minimally invasive valves delivered via catheters. We added to the position as the core aortic valve franchise has been reaccelerating and demand for newer tricuspid valves has been rapidly growing, expanding Edwards’ addressable market. This next product cycle is supported by strong clinical data and increasing physician adoption, with Edwards gaining share as competing solutions have struggled to match its clinical outcomes. After several years of heavy investment to support long-term growth, we expect stronger revenue growth to drive margin expansion."
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 64 hedge fund portfolios held Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) at the end of the fourth quarter, the same as in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) 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 covered Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) and shared the list of best medical device stocks to invest in. 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.