Would You Invest?

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

April 27, 2026

If the entirety of Delaware was a stock, would you buy shares? If Delaware was a mutual fund, and each of the three counties and the 54 municipalities were stocks within that mutual fund, would you invest? My answer would be yes, but in large part, that is because I think we have room for improvement. So, as the saying goes, buy when prices are low, hold, and realize greater value over the long term.

To get there, we need to step back and look at layers of policy, including existing laws and regulations, and consider where we can simplify, condense, and make simpler that which presently creates layers of complexity. I hope we might deploy AI tools to analyze these layers and sort through recommendations to eliminate outdated policies, simplify processes, and modernize our state and local agencies. By doing so, we will lead the nation or at least our region with our commonsense approach to modernization.

Efforts like this will make policymaking decisions easier, administrative actions clearer, interactions with the public simpler, and more. If we don't step into this space, some state will pioneer this and be hailed as brilliant. So, why not us?

News You Can Use

Key economic data for the week gets started tomorrow morning with the S&P Case-Shiller home price index and results from February. Consumer confidence numbers for April are also released tomorrow morning. Wednesday is a big day with durable goods orders from March, February and March housing starts and building permits, and an FOMC interest rate decision that afternoon. That will be followed by a press conference hosted by Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Thursday data includes Q1 GDP, March personal income and personal spending, and February leading economic indicators. We wrap up a busy week on Friday with April manufacturing data.

Verizon Communications, Lending Club, Nucor, Public Storage, and Simpson Manufacturing lead off a busy week of earnings reports and calls. Tuesday is led by BP, Ares Capital, Centene, Coca-Cola, Ecolab, General Motors, Incyte, Novartis AG, Smithfield Foods, Sysco, UPS, Bloom Energy, Caesars Entertainment, Fair Isaac, PPG Industries, Starbucks, T-Mobile US, Visa, Waste Management, and others. AbbVie, Alphabet, Amazon, FMC, Moelis, Tetra Tech, Tyler Technologies, Biogen, Garmin, Humana, Navient, Phillips 66, Wingstop, Yum! Brands, and others are scheduled for a busy Wednesday. Thursday calls include ADT, Air Products and Chemicals, Altria, Insperity, Merck, PBF Energy, Valero Energy, Boston Beer Company, Clorox, Tanger Factory, and dozens of others. The Friday lineup includes Chevron, Cinemark, Moderna, Piper Sandler, and others.

Michael J. Quaranta

President

Delaware State Chamber of Commerce

Founded in 1979 by artists, The Delaware Contemporary, Delaware’s only contemporary art museum, presents exhibitions of regionally, nationally, and internationally recognized artists that explore topical issues in contemporary art and society.

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