← Storyflo·storyflo · finance and markets· finance
Finance
Daily Finance & Markets Brief · September 14th
storyflo · finance and markets
Sep 14, 2026 · 7 min listen · Last updated September 14, 2026
From storyflo. This is your daily audio brief. Hey, Mason here. September 14th. The opening read — five stories that explain today's tape. Let's get into it. First, from The Daily Upside. Franklin Templeton Converts Three Mutual Funds to ETFs.
Listen · storyflo · finance and markets
Daily Finance & Markets Brief · September 14th
0:00-7:15
Pick your daily storyteller
Subscribe to match with Theo, Jessica, Chloe, Mason, Brock — your voice, every brief.
Audio pre-rendered by Storyflo · cached + delivered from the edge
Franklin Templeton Converts Three Mutual Funds to ETFs
The U.S. Core Equity Fund will shift to the existing U.S. Large Cap Multifactor Index ETF, while the International Core Equity Fund and the Emerging Market Core Equity Fund will become new ETFs. This move taps into the growing trend of asset managers looking to streamline their offerings, especially since the SEC has opened the door for more share class innovations. The transition to ETFs can provide immediate scale and simplify distribution, which seems to be a strategic choice for the firm.
For listeners who want low-fee crypto exposure, our markets partner Kraken supports Bitcoin — link in show notes.
Wall Street Bets on Rate Hike From a Fed Hemmed In by Persistent Inflation
Someone tell the president not to check the news this week. The Federal Open Market Committee will convene tomorrow and announce Wednesday whether it plans to cut, hike or hold the federal funds rate steady, and all signs point to a hike. The last key piece of economic data the Fed saw was Friday’s Consumer Price Index update, which showed that inflation kept up its elevated pace in August with a 3.4% increase from a year ago. “Core” inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices and is closely watched by the central bank, rose 2.4%.
Fully revamped and upgraded show notes (plus lots of bonus content and material) are now being sent out by Benny & The Squirrel directly. These notes will usually come out a few hours after the show is live on YouTube. Please sign up via the link below. Episode 86 was recorded at 6.30 EST on Sunday 13th September, 2026 - and it’s another UNMISSABLE Sunday Show! If you act on anything provided in this newsletter, you agree to the terms in this disclaimer. Everything in this newsletter is for educational and entertainment purposes only and NOT investment advice.
If you actively read investment pitches on Substack or X you’re probably sick of Shift4 Payment pitches. It’s a very popular stock right now as shares continue to drop further. This pitch will quickly go over the general pitch and then look at the risks. I’ve seen a lot of enthusiasm about this stock. I get it, I own it. But reading tweets like “$FOUR is a set and forget stock for the next decade” is far from reality in my opinion. Let’s talk Shift4 payments and the risks associated with the company.
A deep dive into portfolio level risks: How risky is my portfolio?
Building a concentrated portfolio of 10–12 exceptional companies is one of the most effective ways to drive long-term compounding. When each position has the potential for strong intrinsic returns with controlled downside, concentration stops being a risk amplifier and becomes a performance engine. But the trade-off is obvious: with fewer holdings, you want to avoid permanent loss of capital even more.
In order to stay up to date with my portfolio and the opportunities within, I update my valuation spreadsheet monthly. In this post, we’ll look at the IRR distribution + Quality matrix for all my holdings. some of the most interesting opportunities in more detail (including IRR model). Right now, the weighted average company has a quality score of 54, with two outliers under 50. One of them is a candidate for a full sale, while most of the other companies are attractive opportunities.
Today’s Lead-Lag Report post is sponsored by Sparkline Looking for a fresh take on value investing? ITAN helps investors modernize their U.S. value allocations, providing exposure to innovative, intangible-rich companies at attractive prices. DISCLAIMER – PLEASE READ:This is sponsored advertising content for which Lead-Lag Publishing, LLC has been paid a fee. The information provided in the link is solely the creation of Sparkline Capital.
Monopoly Round-Up: Just Stop the Anthropic IPO Already
So, the big number to keep an eye on is 8.5%. That’s the drop in health insurance costs reported this week, which is pretty wild given the rising prices in oil and healthcare overall. Now, shifting gears, Anthropic's CEO, Dario Amodei, is calling for a suspension of antitrust laws for AI firms just as they’re gearing up for an IPO. It’s a curious move, suggesting they want to slow down AI development to manage risks, but it raises serious questions about accountability and the potential consequences of their technologies.
Interestingly, the SEC has the power to block this IPO if they feel Anthropic hasn’t properly disclosed the risks to investors. This isn't just about corporate insiders; it’s a broader regulatory issue that could have major implications. If Anthropic goes public, it might be because of a political decision rather than solid financials.
Speaking of finances, Anthropic claims to have strong gross margins, but the reality is more complex. They’re facing fierce competition, especially from cheaper Chinese models, which means they can’t just sit back and rake in profits without investing in new tech. The whole situation is a bit of a balancing act between maintaining pricing power and managing development costs.
So, as we watch this unfold, it’s worth considering how these dynamics might affect the broader market, especially for tech giants that rely on AI services. For listeners who want low-fee crypto exposure, our markets partner Kraken supports ETH — link in show notes.
According to a new report, the Justice Department has expanded its federal criminal investigation into California Gov. Gavin Newsom to include his international travel and personal expenses related to a nonprofit that funds his trips through private donations rather than taxpayer money. Earlier this month, the US Attorney's Office served subpoenas asking for about six years' worth of communications relating to the California State Protocol Foundation, according to the San Francisco Standard.
#37 Weekly Update - A 90% Hike Is Priced. Wednesday's Fed Can Still Break You
Hi and welcome back for a Quant data driven analysis. [Full Disclaimer] Before we get into it and in case you’ve missed it. I’ve launched a daily publication focused on a Intelligence brief all in one place. To save you time and spare you the grind! Your last chance to get grandfathered before it doubles! My Daily Update sub-publication is now paid premium includes 1-2 signals daily. You can lock in at the crazy price of $1.5/month or $18/year → SPECIAL LINK.
Send this story to anyone — or drop the embed into a blog post, Substack, Notion page. Every play sends rev-share back to storyflo · finance and markets.