--- title: Friday Fast Five - 4/17/2026 description: We aim to help investors separate the news from the noise by providing our perspective. Every Friday the Hodges Capital research analysts list the five most interesting things they discovered that week. Subscribe to receive the Hodges Friday Fast Five in your inbox every Friday. image: https://blog.hodgescapital.com/hubfs/Hodges-FridayFastFive.jpg --- [![Hodges-Logo-1](https://blog.hodgescapital.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hodges-Logo-1.png?width=215&height=98&name=Hodges-Logo-1.png "Hodges-Logo-1")](https://www.hodgescapital.com/) [![Connect With Us](https://hubspot-no-cache-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/9402040/5025aacb-6e9a-4ab0-8651-1dfa57e962c6.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/9402040/5025aacb-6e9a-4ab0-8651-1dfa57e962c6) ** ** [![](https://blog.hodgescapital.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hodges-Logo-1.png?width=521&height=237&name=Hodges-Logo-1.png)](https://blog.hodgescapital.com/) [![Connect With Us](https://hubspot-no-cache-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/9402040/5025aacb-6e9a-4ab0-8651-1dfa57e962c6.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/9402040/5025aacb-6e9a-4ab0-8651-1dfa57e962c6) ** ** **Menu** ** ** ![Outside 1-1-2](https://blog.hodgescapital.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Outside%201-1-2.jpeg?width=4106&name=Outside%201-1-2.jpeg "Outside 1-1-2") # Hodges Friday Fast Five *"In the investment business, you go to school every day, but never graduate." - Don Hodges*   # Friday Fast Five - 4/17/2026 by [Hodges Investment Team](https://blog.hodgescapital.com/capital-fast-five/author/hodges-investment-team), on April 17, 2026 Five interesting things that Hodges Capital research analysts discovered this week... **#1 ****CRUISING ALONG: **Fortune Business Insights estimates that the global cruise tourism market reached $86.3 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow from $94.5 billion this year to $204.9 billion by 2034, representing an annual growth rate of more than 10%. North America dominated the cruise tourism market last year, accounting for approximately 37% of global market share. **#2 ****FARM INCOME: **The USDA’s latest forecasts indicate a 0.7% decline in farm profits to $153.4 billion for calendar year 2026. Despite this expected decline, net farm income remains above its 20-year average in inflation-adjusted dollars. Direct government farm payments are forecast to increase by $13.8 billion to $273.9 billion this year. **#3 ****BABY BUST: **According to the CDC’s preliminary 2025 birth data, U.S. fertility continues to decline, with births rising among older women but falling more sharply among younger women. The total fertility rate fell from 1.599 in 2024 to 1.574 in 2025, a 1.6% decline. It is once again at a record low (excluding the brief 2021 rebound) and has now declined for 10 consecutive years. **#4 ****TEXAS POWER: **Data center power consumption in Texas is currently the fastest-growing source of electricity demand in the U.S. ERCOT data suggests that active data centers consume between 9,500 and 10,000 MW of power today—roughly 10–12% of the Texas grid’s peak demand, or the equivalent of 2–3 million homes. Furthermore, ERCOT projects that data center energy demand could increase fourfold by 2028 and account for 30–50% of peak grid load. **#5 ****KEEP ON TRUCKING: **U.S. spot truck rates (excluding fuel surcharges) grew by an average of 16% in March but slowed from February’s above-seasonal pace, according to Goldman Sachs Research. Including fuel surcharges, March spot rates were up approximately 53% year over year.    *HCM is an Investment Advisory Firm registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hodges Capital Holdings and serves as investment advisor to the Hodges Funds. HCM is affiliated with First Dallas Securities, Inc, a broker-dealer, and investment advisor registered with the SEC.* *This discussion is not intended to be a forecast of future events and should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible. Investing in smaller companies involves additional risks such as limited liquidity and greater volatility. No current or prospective client should assume that information referenced in this communication is a recommendation to buy or sell any security or is a substitute for personalized investment advice from your individual advisor. HCM does not provide tax or legal advice. Consult your tax or legal advisor for any related questions.* *All information referenced herein is from sources believed to be reliable and is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice. This material was created for informational purposes only and the opinions expressed are solely those of HCM. HCM shall not in any way be liable for claims and makes no expressed or implied representations or warranties as to the accuracy or completeness of the data and other information. The data and information are provided as of the date referenced and are subject to change without notice.* ### Hodges Friday Fast Five We aim to help investors separate the news from the noise by providing our perspective. Every Friday the Hodges Capital research analysts list the five most interesting things they discovered that week. 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