Kim Bolton’s Top Picks for July 6, 2026

Kim Bolton, President and Portfolio Manager, Black Swan Dexteritas

Top Picks: ServiceNow, Siemens AG, Datadog

Global financial markets delivered mixed performance in June, trading within a wide and volatile intramonth range as investors positioned for the record initial public offering (IPO) of SpaceX and other offerings expected through midyear. Global equity markets also posted mixed results, as technology and sectors related to artificial intelligence (AI) oscillated between risk-on and risk-off sentiment, while also responding favourably to falling oil prices and positive developments in the Iran military conflict.

Short-duration interest rates rose, while longer dated maturities were little changed, as inflationary pressures remained a key focus for investors. Edge AI marks the next phase of artificial intelligence deployment: moving intelligence from centralized cloud data centres into devices, machines, vehicles, factories, stores, hospitals, and cities.

From an AI and machine-learning perspective, the opportunity is structured across three layers: Hardware, where specialized chips, sensors, and embedded compute enable local inference; software, where lightweight models, orchestration tools, and development frameworks allow AI to run efficiently outside the data centre; and end-users, where vertical adopters turn real-time AI into measurable productivity, safety, cost, and customer-experience gains.

The core investor question is not simply who is building AI models, but who enables AI to operate where data is created, and decisions must be made instantly.

ServiceNow Inc. is a leading enterprise software company that provides a cloud-based AI platform to help organizations automate and streamline digital workflows.

Siemens AG is a German multinational technology company and Europe’s largest engineering firm, specializing in industrial automation, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare.

Datadog, Inc. is an American company that provides a cloud-scale observability and security platform for developers, IT operations teams, and business users.