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Whalen Financial: How We Invest

Our Approach

At Whalen Financial, we take a big-picture, research-driven approach to investing—anchored in global trends, macroeconomic cycles, and strategic timing. We don’t chase the headlines; we build portfolios that anticipate what’s next by studying where the world is heading—economically, politically, and technologically. Our focus is long-term growth through selective, high-conviction stock ideas, balanced with smart risk management using bonds, dividend-paying assets, and cash when needed.

We adapt actively, always asking: What stage of the economic cycle are we in? and Which sectors and regions are positioned to lead next?


The Framework: Investing by Global Stage

Our core strategy follows a four-stage global economic framework (2023–2035) that helps us identify where to deploy capital:

  1. Disruption & Destabilization – Rising volatility, dislocation, and early disinvestment

  2. Strategic Realignment – Trade shifts, tariffs, reshoring, regional alliances

  3. Capital Deployment – Infrastructure, automation, energy, and industrial investment

  4. Stabilized Expansion – Productivity gains, digital scale, and new leadership

We tilt portfolios toward sectors and regions aligned with the current and upcoming stage—adjusting based on inflation trends, policy moves, growth outlooks, and geopolitical shifts.


How We Pick Stocks

Our equity strategy centers around concentrated exposure to themes we believe are reshaping the global economy. We focus on dominant long-term trends and own companies that benefit directly from them. A few of our core themes:

  • AI Stack: From chipmakers to workflow automation and cybersecurity. We own large caps like Microsoft and ServiceNow, plus mid-caps like Confluent and Elastic—and we include European names like Dassault Systèmes.

  • Reshoring & Industrial Infrastructure: U.S. and allied manufacturing is being rebuilt. We invest in the software and engineering backbone—names like Oracle, HubSpot, Eaton, ABB, and others.

  • Global Trade Realignment: Our international exposure is GDP-weighted and tied to regional trade shifts—investing across Mexico, Brazil, India, Japan, Germany, and more.

  • Energy & Electrification: We focus on firms driving the mid- and downstream energy transition—natural gas, nuclear, and infrastructure providers tied to grid upgrades and storage.

  • Biotech & Bioprocessing: We target scale-ready platforms in diagnostics, biosimilars, and oncology—not moonshots, but innovation that’s already moving.

To manage risk within these themes, we apply what we call the Centipede Strategy—building baskets of companies that can keep marching even if a few legs falter. In short: more names, less single-stock risk, same big conviction.


Fixed Income and Income-Focused Positions

Our bond strategy is just as deliberate. We don’t set it and forget it—we adapt duration, credit risk, and regional exposure based on the macro outlook. This includes:

  • Short-to-intermediate duration bonds in line with rate expectations

  • TIPS for inflation protection

  • Plus: high-dividend stocks, infrastructure REITs, and MLPs tied to global growth and resource flow


How We Build Portfolios

We follow structured allocation principles—never overloading one sector or idea. Every portfolio we build considers:

  • Risk-balanced weightings to avoid concentration

  • Macro scenario modeling (e.g., tariffs, central bank policy shifts)

  • Quant tools like beta analysis and correlation overlays

  • Global diversification that aligns sector bets with regional opportunity

  • Centipede resilience to ensure our themes can adapt without falling apart


Execution & Outlook

We stay hands-on with our portfolios, adjusting positions based on macro signals, earnings, and policy news. We track secular trends, but we’re not afraid to shift tactically when opportunity or risk emerges. If the data supports it, we’ll go against consensus. But we always pair conviction with discipline.


In Summary

At Whalen Financial, we invest with a global lens, a thematic edge, and a deep respect for the macro backdrop. Our portfolios reflect where we are in the cycle—and where we’re headed next. It’s a dynamic strategy built on structure, powered by research, and made resilient through diversified exposure.


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