Week in Review: 5 CEO Interviews on Tech, Industrials, Credit, and Financial Innovation

PUBLISHED 08 Aug 2026 | 4 min read

Dimitra DeFotis

Senior Editor

We interviewed CEOs last week who wanted to talk after reporting earnings as markets rallied to new highs.

As for the market's weekly performance, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DJI) was up 3% and the S&P 500 Index (SPX) was up 3.6%. The small cap Russell 2000 Index (RUT) rose 3.5%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) was up 5.1%, and the PHLX Semiconductor Index (SOX) jumped 9.3%. The U.S. oil price benchmark fell roughly 11% for the week to near $77 per barrel, from about $87 one week ago. Markets like that negotiations are happening, even if Iran and Oman said Thursday that they want to ban U.S. and Israeli tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

As for the c-suite, it's telling that CEOs are not talking about commodity price fears or parabolic stock charts. They are focused on niche growth opportunities in insurance, credit, and financial services, with industrial power infrastructure and technology as central themes. Together, these CEOs are tapping new corners of U.S. GDP that were unimaginable just a few years ago.

Here's more from the c-suite along with a short list of some of our most popular content last week.

Ethos Technologies (LIFE) CEO Peter Colis talks about building a mass-market brand to democratize life insurance sales online, so a new generation can get its “adulting” duties done quickly without an agent’s hard sell. It’s a big market: 10 million Americans buy life insurance annually, he notes. Ethos, which went public in January, reported results that included triple-digit revenue growth and a share buyback plan. See Ethos CEO Peter Colis on Triple-Digit Growth & Future of Digital Life Insurance

American Superconductor (AMSC) CEO Daniel McGahn discusses record revenue in the latest quarter, with a significant backlog as it deploys power control systems it designs and develops to help manage power flow in industrial settings. These include a new $25 million utility project, and strength in semiconductors, mining, traditional energy, and power generation markets. Data center power is also in the mix, given increasing demand and reliance on electricity. American Superconductor’s business tracks with capital spending in manufacturing, materials, semiconductors, and spaces “that are big and bright for us in the coming quarters,” he said. AMSC CEO on Expanding Across Mining, Energy, and Data Center Infrastructure

Trex (TREX) CEO Adam Zambanini talks about consumer habits post-pandemic, the state of the housing market, and demand for composite decking. He says there is a 7-year return on investment when building a deck or repairing it with pressure-treated material versus traditional wood. See TREX CEO on ROI with Composite Decking | Morning Movers

Trinity Capital (TRIN) CEO Kyle Brown discusses demand for private credit, lending to small businesses and startups, and late-stage, lower/middle-market financing tied to AI, space and frontier technology markets. He sees growing demand for AI infrastructure financing, including GPUs and power equipment. See Trinity Capital CEO on Record Fundings, AI, and Frontier Tech Growth

Aristotle Pacific Capital CEO Dominic Nolan discusses the firm's $31 billion portfolio focused on liquid credit investing strategies, regulation, and the launch of three actively managed ETFs. He explains how research and portfolio positioning in bonds, leveraged finance, structured finance, and other credit assets can help uncover relative value opportunities, while short-duration bonds continue to offer attractive yields in the current market environment. Aristotle Pacific Capital CEO on Finding Value in Credit With Active ETFs

Here are some of our most popular articles and videos this week:

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