In this edition, trucking sector keeps on trucking; soft landing in sight for US economic outlook; a world of possibilities for Universal Music Group; and Accenture Plc, Koninklijke Philips NV, and Smartsheet.

Hub Group ranks among the largest providers of rail intermodal service. Roughly 60% of revenue comes from Hub's intermodal and transportation solutions division. ITS includes its flagship intermodal operations, which use the Class I rail carriers for the underlying line-haul movement of containers, as well as its dedicated truckload shipping unit. Hub's logistics segment includes its asset light truck brokerage operations, along with its outsourced transportation management, warehousing and fulfillment, and heavy-goods final mile delivery offerings. Hub is somewhat acquisitive in that it often makes tuck-in acquisitions which expand its brokerage, last-mile, and dedicated offerings.

Landstar System is an agent based asset-light third-party logistics provider focused on domestic truck brokerage (90% of revenue). Historically, around half of its truck transportation freight is hauled by leased owner-operators with the remainder hauled by third-party broker-carriers. To a smaller degree, it offers intermodal, global air and ocean forwarding, and warehousing services. Landstar also runs a small business that offers insurance programs to captive owner-operators. It has a long history of industry-leading execution and operating profitability.

Johnson & Johnson is the world's largest and most diverse healthcare firm. It has two divisions: pharmaceutical and medical devices. These now represent all of the company's sales following the divestment of the consumer business, Kenvue, in 2023. The drug division focuses on the following therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neurology, pulmonary, cardiology, and metabolic diseases. Geographically, just over half of total revenue is generated in the United States.