Aperture Small Cap Innovation - Q3 2025 Manager Commentary
In Short
Aperture Small Cap Innovation Fund: Commentary for Q3 2025
Q3 2025 Market Summary: Europe Leads as Dollar Slides
Global equities extended their rally in Q3, led by a strong rebound in U.S. technology sector. The Nasdaq index rose +8%,markedly outpacing European equities’ more modest +3.5% gain (M7EU Index). Risk assets were supported by renewed investor appetite following the Federal Reserve’s first rate cut of the cycle in September, during which Nasdaq advanced +5.4% in a single month. This sparked further debate around the sustainability of the AI-driven rally, with some questioning whether signs of speculative excess are emerging.
U.S. indices benefited from robust earnings delivery and resilient consumer spending. Meanwhile, China staged a tentative recovery, aided by incremental policy support and selective restocking, though the growth momentum remained uneven. Despite upside surprises in global growth data, investor sentiment was tempered by a weaker U.S. Dollar, ongoing trade frictions, and renewed political concerns in France late in the quarter. Sector-wise, cyclicals outperformed defensives, reflecting in our opinion the improved liquidity backdrop, with European banks continuing to lead within the region.
Against this backdrop, the discussion of an “AI-bubble” has intensified. Demand for High-Performance Computing accelerated, and Microsoft demonstrated notable aggressiveness in securing neocloud partnerships. Yet while U.S. technology sector delivered significant outperformance, the same dynamics did not translate to Europe. European technology (SX8P Index) fell -0.5% in Q3 and is up only +4% year-to-date, constrained by some of its largest constituents, such as SAP, which was increasingly viewed as potentially disrupted rather than positioned to benefit from AI tailwinds.
Overall, Q3 marked a transition from policy announcements to early-stage execution. In Germany, budget approvals are beginning to filter into procurement pipelines across energy grids, housing, and Defense. However, tariff disputes and broader geopolitical risks remain unresolved, while the U.S. Government entered a period of heightened shutdown risk.
