Carillon Tower Advisers, an investment management firm, has released an investor prospectus for the first quarter of 2026 for the “Carillon Eagle Mid Cap Growth Fund”. A copy of the book can be downloaded here. Mid-cap stocks delivered mixed results in the first quarter, and were largely responsible for better-than-expected growth. The Russell Midcap® Growth Index (down 6.35%) lagged behind the Russell Midcap® Value Index (up 3.69%). The leading contributor was energy, which returned 45.23%, outperforming other sectors in the growth and value peers. The first quarter was volatile for equity markets, but investors were optimistic. However, military strikes in Iran sent energy prices soaring, turning investor sentiment into uncertainty. Despite the turmoil, with improved valuations and positive developments possible from the slowdown in the Middle East, the firm is optimistic that the current market volatility will be short-lived. In addition, please check the top five funds of the Fund to know their best choices in 2026.
In its investor note for the first quarter of 2026, Carillon Eagle Mid Cap Growth Fund highlighted Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY). Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) is a US-based convenience store operator under the Casey’s and Casey’s General Store names. On April 17, 2026, Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) closed at $754.72 per share. Casey’s General Stores, Inc.’s one-month return. (NASDAQ:CASY) was 12.41%, and its shares gained 68.48% in the last 52 weeks. Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) has a market capitalization of $28.21 billion.
Carillon Eagle Mid Cap Growth Fund says the following about Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
“Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) operates a chain of gas, grocery, and prepared foods, such as pizza, stores primarily in small towns and rural areas across the Midwest. The stock is doing well, driven by strong quarterly results, continued strength in fuel margins and strong store sales, particularly in prepared foods and pizza. It also benefited from expectations that the recent rise in oil prices may increase fuel prices.”
Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) is not on our list of the 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Entering 2026. According to our data, 47 hedge fund portfolios hold Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) at the end of the fourth quarter, compared to 51 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the power of Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer great potential and carry little downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely overlooked AI stock that will benefit greatly from the Trump-era costs and sea trend, check out our free report best short term AI stock.
