From volatility to value, the US’s competitive edge, and more

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Brought to you by Alex Panas, global leader of industries, & Becca Coggins, global leader of functional practices and growth platforms

Welcome to the latest edition of The Weekend Read. We hope you find our perspectives useful. Let us know what you think at Alex_Panas@McKinsey.com and Becca_Coggins@McKinsey.com.

—Alex and Becca

Explore this week’s highlights on managing geopolitical value, the US’s competitive edge, the discovery gap in oil and gas, and more.

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Geopolitical volatility has put multinational corporations at a crossroads, reshaping both risks and opportunities for value creation. Cindy Levy, Shubham Singhal, Matt Watters, Brooke Weddle, and Madeleine Goerg explain how leaders can prioritize actions, build resilience, and capture value in a fragmented global landscape.

How multinational companies can thrive

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At 250 years old, the United States is the world’s most competitive economy. What will it take to stay that way? Eric Kutcher and Olivia White discuss new McKinsey Global Institute research on drivers behind this competitive edge—and how leaders can sustain it in the AI era.

Tune in

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McKinsey’s alliance with ALICE Technologies brings AI-enabled scheduling to project delivery, helping owners and contractors improve how projects are planned and delivered. By rapidly testing thousands of construction scenarios, organizations can optimize timelines, reduce costs, and improve decision-making—driving more efficient, resilient project execution at scale.

Unlock value in capital projects

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Nikhil Ati, Spandan, and Sri Kandala examine the growing discovery gap in oil and gas, and outline the strategic, operational, and capability shifts needed to rebuild reserves and meet future demand.

Address the mismatch

ALSO NEW

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Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon on adapting to disruption

The chair and CEO reflects on an AI-fueled future, how he got through tough challenges early in his tenure, and how he sees the future.

Dive into the interview

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Beyond $1 trillion: The next chapter for insurance and private capital

Private-capital-backed insurers, whose assets totaled nearly $1.5 trillion in 2025, have reshaped the life insurance industry over the past decade. As growth matures and returns compress, sustaining advantage will require integration—not just scale.

Sustain advantage

Paving the road for AI agents: Interview with Factory CEO Matan Grinberg

Factory CEO and cofounder Matan Grinberg discusses why scaling AI in software engineering depends less on flashy demos and more on changes to the operating model and how teams work.

From AI pilots to scaled adoption

—Edited by Joyce Yoo, editor, New York

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At 250 years old, the United States is the world’s most competitive economy. What will it take to stay that way? Eric Kutcher and Olivia White discuss new McKinsey Global Institute research on drivers behind this competitive edge—and how leaders can sustain it in the AI era.﻿

﻿Nikhil Ati, Spandan, and Sri Kandala examine the growing discovery gap in oil and gas, and outline the strategic, operational, and capability shifts needed to rebuild reserves and meet future demand.﻿

﻿Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon on adapting to disruption﻿

﻿Beyond $1 trillion: The next chapter for insurance and private capital﻿

﻿Paving the road for AI agents: Interview with Factory CEO Matan Grinberg﻿

At 250 years old, the United States is the world’s most competitive economy. What will it take to stay that way? Eric Kutcher and Olivia White discuss new McKinsey Global Institute research on drivers behind this competitive edge—and how leaders can sustain it in the AI era.

Nikhil Ati, Spandan, and Sri Kandala examine the growing discovery gap in oil and gas, and outline the strategic, operational, and capability shifts needed to rebuild reserves and meet future demand.

Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon on adapting to disruption

Beyond $1 trillion: The next chapter for insurance and private capital

Paving the road for AI agents: Interview with Factory CEO Matan Grinberg