Friday Fast Five - 4/10/2026
by Hodges Investment Team, on April 10, 2026
Five interesting things that Hodges Capital research analysts discovered this week...
#1 HOT BOX OFFICE: The U.S. box office is off to its strongest start to a year since the pandemic, driven by a wave of positive industry developments. Domestic revenue is already running ~26% ahead of last year, with six films surpassing $100 million year-to-date and a more diversified slate boosting broader audience appeal. Over the recent holiday weekend, Super Mario generated $190 million in box office receipts in its first five days
#2 GOLF VS. DATA CENTERS: According to a survey conducted by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), U.S. golf courses use 1.63 million acre-feet of water annually—equivalent to approximately 531 billion gallons—to maintain course conditions. This is roughly 30x more water than U.S. data centers used in 2023 for cooling.
#3 PEDAL TO THE METAL: Copper is central to electrification, with 70–75% of global consumption (26–27 million metric tons annually) tied to electricity and power infrastructure. As AI and data center demand accelerates, the market could face a supply-demand imbalance over the next five years, given the time and capital required to expand global production.
#4 SOUTH KOREAN EXPORTS: South Korean exports are showing little impact from the military campaign in Iran. Widely viewed as a leading indicator of the semiconductor and AI capex cycle, exports have shown no meaningful signs of slowing. March data rose 48% year over year, reinforcing a positive outlook for forward earnings in the S&P 500, given the ~0.7 correlation. The technology sector is expected to continue driving the majority of earnings growth this year, even as valuations contract.
#5 ROBUST CORPORATE EARNINGS: U.S. companies continue to deliver strong performance, with tariffs largely fading as a headwind. Earnings estimates are still edging higher despite uncertainty tied to the Iran conflict. Valuations have compressed alongside solid EPS growth and lower stock prices. CG Capital Markets notes that when core inflation is between 1–3%, the S&P 500 has historically traded at an average multiple of 19.6x—roughly in line with current levels.
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