William Blair industrials analyst Ross Sparenblek discusses how humanoid robotics could mark a structural shift in productivity by extending AI’s capabilities from digital tasks into real-world physical labor. He outlines the key forces accelerating adoption, from demographic pressures to supply chain dynamics, while highlighting both the long-term opportunity and the technical and scaling challenges still ahead.

As geopolitical tensions persist and inflation concerns resurface, equity markets remain resilient while bond markets signal a more cautious outlook. Richard de Chazal unpacks what’s driving this divergence, the durability of the U.S. consumer, and why quality may be coming back into focus.

Ryan Daniels, William Blair's group head of healthcare technology and services research , discusses how policy reform, reimbursement changes, technology innovation, and consumer preferences are accelerating a shift in care delivery toward outpatient, virtual, and home based settings. He outlines why this trend is reaching an inflection point in 2026 and what it could mean for providers, payers, employers, and healthcare investors.

AI is transforming drug discovery, but not by replacing the lab. In this episode of William Blair Thinking Presents, Matt Larew, partner and equity research analyst covering life science tools and diagnostics, explains where AI is accelerating early discovery, why wet lab validation still matters, and what real progress looks like as adoption moves from hype to practice.

War-driven energy shocks, sticky inflation, and an unusually split Fed are back at the center of the macro conversation. In this month’s Monthly Macro, William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal assesses what those dynamics, and the growing influence of AI, mean for bonds, equities, and portfolio risk.

In this episode of Biotech Breakthroughs, Matt Phipps, group head of biotech research, speaks with William Blair biotech analyst Myles Minter about how gene editing is moving from early hype toward clinically validated therapies. They discuss lessons from the first approved ex vivo product and highlight key 2026 catalysts across CRISPR, base editing, RNA editing, and DNA writing.

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal unpacks the market implications of the U.S.–Iran conflict, discussing how the war is reshaping inflation and growth risks and challenging central banks’ playbooks, and why markets may be underpricing the possibility of a more prolonged disruption. Richard also touches on emerging stress in private credit beneath the surface.

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal and co-head of technology, media, and communications research, Jason Ader, unpack the sharp selloff in software stocks and the growing fear around AI-driven disruption. They explore why the “software apocalypse” narrative may be overblown, how AI could ultimately expand the software market, and what investors should watch as winners and losers begin to separate.

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal breaks down rising geopolitical tensions, sticky inflation risks, Fed policy uncertainty, and the durability of U.S. growth amid fiscal stimulus and the evolving AI-driven productivity cycle.

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal discusses why 2026 looks brighter for the economy, exploring the impact of AI-driven investment, evolving policy risks, and the surprising strength of the American consumer.

*This episode was recorded December 16th, 2025