April 6: This Week's Thematic Reads
If you missed out on this week's signals, we've got you covered
Artificial Intelligence
Insurance executives overwhelmingly recognize AI’s importance, with 82% reporting it as a strategic corporate initiative to improve financial and operational performance… Department priorities align closely with AI capabilities, the survey found. For underwriting professionals, increasing premium growth (75%), speed to quote (53%), and lowering loss ratios (43%) top the 2025 priority list. Read more here
Amazon, in an effort to infuse generative artificial intelligence across a wider swath of its e-commerce universe, recently began testing a shopping assistant and a health-focused chatbot with a subset of users… The shopping tool, called Interests AI, prompts users to describe an interest “using your own words,” and then it generates a curated selection of products. The feature lets consumers browse for products using more conversational language and is separate from the main search bar on Amazon’s website. Read more here
In an industry known for tradition and caution, generative AI is rapidly transforming the legal profession. While the promise of great efficiency is compelling, concerns around AI ethics, data security, billable hours, and hallucinations persist across many law firms… Similar to others, we are interested in automating rote, low-risk tasks while freeing attorneys and policy professionals to work on more high-level client issues. Read more here
India is emerging as a global leader in Agentic AI adoption, with over 80% of businesses actively exploring the development of autonomous agents, a Deloitte report says. Autonomous agents are AI systems that can act independently to achieve specific goals without constant human guidance. Agentic AI refers to the broader concept of using these agents to automate tasks and processes. Read more here
Nearly half of supply chain leaders say their organizations are achieving a return on their investments in artificial intelligence (AI)—with most pointing to logistics and transportation as the areas where they are seeing the most improvement from AI implementations. Read more here
Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity
Our updated Frontier Safety Framework recognizes that advanced AI models could automate and accelerate cyberattacks, potentially lowering costs for attackers. This, in turn, raises the risks of attacks being carried out at greater scale. Read more here
“Anyone that works in cybersecurity, if you’re working on the manual side, a lot of times will say, ‘hey, it’ll take hours, days, weeks to be able to analyze specific traffic, specific lines of code.’ We have now been able to leverage AI to be able to get through that in minutes and hours,” Adamski said during an event hosted by the Information Technology Industry Council in Washington, D.C. The agency created an AI roadmap last year that laid out approximately 100 different tasks for integrating AI into logistics, security, and national defense. Read more here
“The rise in ransomware sophistication and the increasing prevalence of AI-driven attacks are undeniable trends in today’s cybersecurity landscape,” said Gal Diskin, Vice President of Threat & Research at Delinea. “Our research reveals that cybercriminals are increasingly using AI and powerful Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) tools to launch more targeted and scalable attacks, particularly around phishing and machine identities. Read more here
Artificial Intelligence, Digital Lifestyle
Starting this week, Google is rolling out a slew of new travel features across its product line to keep users from defaulting to artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots to help with vacation planning as competition intensifies. Google has added new features for vacation planning to Search, Maps, Lens and Gemini, according to a Thursday (March 27) company blog post. The features including getting new ideas for trips with a personal AI assistant, tracking prices of hotels and automatically saving locations the user wants to visit... AI startup Perplexity is taking it a step further by announcing partnerships with Tripadvisor and Selfbook. Travelers can now book hotels within Perplexity Read more here
The modern workplace is undergoing the most transformative era since the dawn of the internet, with AI PCs emerging as a driving force in redefining productivity, security, and enterprise IT management. Unlike previous hardware refresh cycles, AI PCs represent a foundational shift in how businesses operate—leveraging AI to create smarter, more efficient, and agile organization. According to a recent IDC survey, AI PC adoption is surging, with 82% of ITDMs surveyed expected to acquire AI PCs before the end of 2025. Read more here
Artificial Intelligence, Safety & Security
As criminal investigations become increasingly data-driven, Cellebrite’s 2025 Industry Trends Survey paints a clear picture: law enforcement is overwhelmed — but not without hope. With nearly 70% of investigators saying they don’t have enough time to review all the digital data tied to their cases, and an average of five devices per case demanding over 60 hours of review, it’s no wonder digital backlogs persist. But the tide is turning. The sixth annual survey shows growing momentum behind AI and cloud adoption. Nearly 80% of respondents view AI as a critical tool for automating repetitive tasks and accelerating analysis, while 40% of agencies are now open to cloud-based solutions to streamline digital evidence workflows. Read more here
Artificial intelligence is reshaping military decision-making. This concise overview explores how AI-enabled systems can enhance situational awareness and accelerate critical operational decisions—even in high-pressure, dynamic environments. Yet, it also highlights the essential need for clear operational scopes, robust training, and vigilant risk mitigation to counter the inherent challenges of using AI, such as data biases and automation pitfalls. Read more here
Cash-Strapped Consumer
Generation Z saw the sharpest increase in the number of people living paycheck to paycheck over the past two years. The share of Gen Z consumers living paycheck to paycheck leapt from 57% in January 2023 to 69% in January 2025… Read more here
A new CBS News poll finds a majority of Americans think the president is focusing too much attention on tariffs and not enough on lowering prices. Although inflation has fallen substantially since peaking in 2022, consumer prices are still high — and are likely to climb even higher as tariffs take effect. Read more here
NRF expects ‘slower trajectory for consumer spending’ in 2025 as tariffs fuel uncertainty, inflation fears Read more here
Let’s be upfront here: US cars haven’t been cheap for a long time. The average price of a new car in the US is close to $50,000, up some $5,000 from two decades ago, even adjusted for inflation. The reasons are manifold: Vehicles have gotten more complicated—and expensive—to manufacture, the Covid-19 pandemic bent global auto supply chains out of shape, and Detroit automakers put the brakes on relatively more affordable passengers cars in the past decade in favor of higher-margin (and more in-demand) trucks and SUVs. But auto tariffs applied by the Trump administration this week—and another set of parts tariffs set to kick in next month—may effectively put a stake in the American affordable car… Read more here
Cybersecurity
The UK government will pass legislation compelling companies providing IT services to critical national infrastructure to improve their cyber defenses after a wave of attacks by Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. As many as 1,000 firms will fall under the scope of a new law aimed at improving national resilience from cyberattacks, to be introduced later this year. Read more here
The State Bar of Texas is warning it suffered a data breach after the INC ransomware gang claimed to have breached the organization and began leaking samples of stolen data… The threat actors were able to steal information from the network, including full names and other data that is redacted in the public data breach notifications filed with Attorney Generals' offices. Read more here
Some members of AustralianSuper, the country’s top pension fund, have lost substantial amounts of retirement savings in industry-wide cyber attacks that potentially compromised the personal data of thousands. AustralianSuper confirmed on Friday that cyber criminals may have used up to 600 members’ stolen passwords over the past week in their attempts to commit fraud. Read more here
Cybersecurity firm CybelAngel first revealed that Oracle told clients that an attacker who gained access to the company's Gen 1 (also known as Oracle Cloud Classic) servers as early as January 2025 used a 2020 Java exploit to deploy a web shell and additional malware. During the breach, detected in late February, the attacker allegedly exfiltrated data from the Oracle Identity Manager (IDM) database, including user emails, hashed passwords, and usernames. Read more here
A US$10 million ransomware attack on the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Malaysia resulted in hours — if not days — of disruption, a signal that the nation and the region at large must harden defenses against cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure. Read more here
Security researchers this week raised an alarm after finding hidden remote access tunnel service pre-installed on the Unitree Go1 robot dog, warning that the backdoor activates once the device detects internet connectivity. Read more here
An ongoing campaign that infiltrates legitimate websites with malicious JavaScript injects to promote Chinese-language gambling platforms has ballooned to compromise approximately 150,000 sites to date. Read more here
Digital Infrastructure
Google is reportedly in advanced talks about renting Nvidia Blackwell chips from CoreWeave… While Google is one of the largest purchasers of Nvidia chips, the company has been struggling to get capacity online. Read more here
"Customers want to easily deploy AI models. They have certain constraints - like how fast it can be done, how cheaply, and where they want to deploy it geographically speaking. They don't really want to deal with the complex world of GPU providers and different types of hardware. We built an AI platform that connects all these different providers together, and we have more on-demand capacity than Oracle's entire GPU fleet," Henry said… Regarding whether the company will see Blackwell GPUs joining its fleet, Henry said that it will be coming, but that he expects Hopper to be "pretty dominant" for the next year, and to still be a "workhorse for the next seven to ten years" as the price will become more and more favorable. Read more here
PGIM Real Estate has closed a $2 billion fund to back data center developments around the world. The investment manager said it had completed fundraising for the Global Data Center Fund (GDCF), which makes investments across North America, APAC, and Europe. Read more here
Nuclear Energy & Uranium
When asked about AI’s effect on power and energy storage, 55 percent of respondents cited increased energy efficiency requirements, while 54 percent emphasized the growing need for higher power density and smaller footprints. Read more here
The West Virginia House of Representatives has approved an amended bill proposed by Governor Patrick Morrisey to incentivize the construction of microgrids for data centers in the state… The bill will also establish a “High Impact Data Center Program” within the Division, to encourage their development and expansion. Under the program, a “High Impact Data Center” is defined as an installation or group with a critical IT load of 50MW or higher. If it passes, it will be placed into service beginning or after July 1, 2025. Read more here
Projected power demand from cloud computing and AI activity has been a major new market opportunity for utilities, with S&P Global Market Intelligence 451 Research recently forecasting 59,000 MW of new datacenter power demand by 2029. Read more here
Safety & Security
A bill to authorize body cameras for law enforcement officers across state agencies has advanced in the state Senate. Senate Bill 520, sponsored by state Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne), would authorize deputy law enforcement officers with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Fish & Boat Commission, and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Rangers and State Park Officers to wear body cameras. Read more here
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has introduced a groundbreaking update to the regulatory process for Drone as First Responder (DFR) operations. Chief (Ret.) Charles Werner of DRONERESPONDERS has described these changes as the most significant since 2016. The new Certificate of Waiver (COW) process replaces the traditional Certificate of Authorization (COA), simplifying and expediting approvals for public safety agencies utilizing drones in emergency response. Read more here
Countries from the U.K. to Germany and Denmark have announced vast increases in military spending to counter Russia’s threats as the U.S. warns Europe not to take America’s protection for granted. For some economists, this could be just what the region needs to support an under-pressure manufacturing sector and unlock new engines for growth and exports. Read more here
Space Economy
SpaceX, United Launch Alliance and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin won billions of dollars in contracts to loft the Pentagon’s most-sensitive satellites over several years. The national security launch awards, announced late on Friday, reflect the deepening ties Elon Musk’s rocket company has made with the US government and its strong challenge to longstanding incumbent ULA, a joint venture of Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. Read more here
Honda Motor Co. has created a space business unit in the US to promote its technology and spur more collaboration with American companies… The new division will work with the company’s Japan-based Space Strategy Office to “leverage Honda core technologies and apply them to the expansion of human activities and development on the lunar surface,” Read more here
The Strategies Behind Our Thematic Models
Aging of the Population - Capturing the demographic wave of the aging population and the changing demands it brings with it.
Artificial Intelligence – Software, chips, and related companies that facilitate the collection and analysis of large data sets and autonomous generation of solutions given non-machine language prompts.
Cash Strapped Consumers - Companies poised to benefit as consumers stretch the disposable spending dollars they do have.
CHIPs Act – Capturing the reshoring of the US semiconductor industry and the $52.7 billion poised to be spent on semiconductor manufacturing.
Cloud Computing – Companies that provide hardware and services that enhance the cloud computing experience for users, such as co-location, security, and edge computing.
Core Holdings – Companies that reflect economic activity and are large enough to not get pushed around by day-to-day market trends. Low-beta, large-cap names able to better withstand economic turmoil.
Cybersecurity - Companies that focus on protecting against the penetration of digital networks and the theft, ransom, corruption, or destruction of data.
Data Privacy & Digital Identity - Companies providing the tools and services that verify authorized users and safeguard personal data privacy.
Digital Infrastructure & Connectivity - Companies that are integral to the development and the buildout of the infrastructure that supports our increasingly connected world.
Digital Lifestyle - The companies behind our increasingly connected lives.
EPS Diplomats - Profitable large capitalization companies proven to produce above-average EPS growth and provide investors with the benefit of multiple expansion.
EV Transition - Capturing the transition to EVs and related infrastructure from combustion engine vehicles.
Guilty Pleasure – Companies that produce/provide food and drink products that consumers tend to enjoy regardless of the economic environment and potential long-term health hazards associated with excessive consumption.
Homebuilding & Materials – Ranging from homebuilders to key building product companies that serve the housing market, this model looks to capture the rising demand for housing, one that should benefit as the Fed returns monetary policy to more normalized levels.
Market Hedge Model – This basket of daily reset swap-based broad market inverse ETFs protects in the face of market pullbacks, overbought market technicals, and other drivers of market volatility.
Nuclear Energy & Uranium – Companies that either build and maintain nuclear power plants or are involved in the production of uranium.
Luxury Buying Boom - Tapping into aspirational buying and affluent buyers amid rising global wealth.
Rebuilding America - Turning the focused spending on rebuilding US infrastructure into revenue and profits.
Safety & Security – Targeted exposure to companies that provide goods and services primarily to the Defense and security sectors of the economy.
Space Economy – Companies that focus on the launch and operation of satellite networks.
The Strategies Behind Our Dividend Income Models
Monthly Dividend Model – Pretty much what the name indicates – this model invests in companies that pay monthly dividends to shareholders.
ETF Dividend Model – High-yielding ETFs that provide a range of exposures from domestic equities, international equities, emerging market equities, MLPS, and REITs.
ETF Enhanced Dividend Model – A group of high-yielding ETFs that utilize options to enhance yield through collecting option income.
Don’t be a stranger
Thanks for reading and if you have a suggestion for an article or book we should read, or a stream we should catch, email us at info@tematicaresearch.com. The same email works if you want to know more about our thematic and targeted exposure models listed above.