Oct 19, 2026 · 7 min listen · Last updated October 19, 2026
From storyflo. This is your daily audio brief. It's Mason. October 19th. Five things on the tape worth your attention this morning. Let's get into it. First, from A Wealth of Common Sense. 15 Year Stock Market Returns. 7%. 2% over seven years.
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Daily Finance & Markets Brief · October 19th
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Daily Finance & Markets Brief · October 19th · Storyflo
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15 Year Stock Market Returns
The S&P 500 has seen some solid annual returns through September, with the 15-year return sitting at 15.7%. If you look at it over shorter time frames, the numbers are even more impressive—22.9% over the last three years and 16.2% over seven years. But as we stretch the time frames to 20 years and beyond, the returns start to converge closer to the long-term average of about 10% per year. It’s interesting to see how the shorter-term gains stand out, while the longer-term returns are more in line with historical averages.
For listeners who want low-fee crypto exposure, our markets partner Kraken supports Bitcoin — link in show notes.
Artificial intelligence cloud company Nscale is reportedly facing pushback from investors to its IPO valuation target. Some backers are balking at the company’s initial public offering (IPO) goal of around $30 billion, instead suggesting a range of $16 billion to $19 billion, Bloomberg News reported Sunday (Oct. 18). The report, citing sources familiar with the […] The post Nscale Investors Seek Lower IPO Target Amid AI-Related Concerns appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
Anthropic commits 5% of its stock to a new ‘public benefit’ fund and may give large donations to traditional nonprofits or to specific populations
Anthropic said Sunday it is committing 5% of its shares to a new “public benefit” fund, with the fund’s worth potentially increasing as its shares grow in value. The shares will go to the Anthropic Public Benefit Fund, a new entity within the company. The fund “will have increased flexibility and scale, enabling us to pursue our mission in new ways: for example, we might explore large donations to traditional nonprofits or direct distributions to specific populations,” Anthropic said in a blog post.
Leveraged exchange-traded funds (LETFs) first appeared in 2006 and were initially viewed as revolutionary investment products. In Reference [1], the authors examined several important aspects of LETFs. Almost two decades later, following numerous market stress events, including the recent 2026 South Korea extreme-volatility episode, they published a follow-up article [2] revisiting the insights and conclusions of their earlier work.
As cash builds up on their balance sheets, senior miners are considering their options. One thing they’re watching closely is the drill results of successful explorers. The more metal a given explorer finds, the higher the odds that a cash-rich senior will swoop in with a compelling offer. The following explorer is becoming this kind of takeover candidate. It’s up about 200% since it joined our Portfolio, and — based on its most recent batch of drill results — that might be just the beginning.
FTSE 100 Live: UK Stock Futures Hold Steady, Pound Stays Above $1.33
It looks like there’s not much movement in the FTSE 100 today, with UK stock futures holding steady. The pound is also maintaining its position above $1.33, which is a good sign for those keeping an eye on currency stability. It’s interesting to see how the markets are reacting, especially with all the chatter around global economic conditions.
No major shifts mean traders are likely watching for signals rather than jumping into anything drastic. It’s a calm before the storm kind of vibe, you know? Just keep an eye on those trends as we move through the week.
For listeners who want low-fee crypto exposure, our markets partner Kraken supports Bitcoin — link in show notes.
Simons: September Data Bring “Totally Different Texture” to Inflation Environment
Thomas Simons, chief U.S. economist at Jefferies, has over 20 years of experience in analyzing economic data and Federal Reserve monetary policy with a strong background in financial economics and bond markets. He joins me after the September CPI and PPI reports have been released and both have come in hotter than expected, just ten days ahead of FOMC’s October meeting. Before the Fed’s September meeting, Tom says the latest inflation data were “showing something for everyone...
On Friday, the NASDAQ dropped 2% with almost all of the action being in AI-related stocks. The week as a whole was mostly a loser for stocks, meaning not just AI, but a more general slide. However, it focused on a shift away from tech and artificial intelligence-related names in conjunction with another big rise in oil prices that took North Sea Brent above $110/bbl and West Texas Intermediate above $100.
Buy Now, Sell Later? The Jury’s Out on Payment-Themed ETFs
What’s all the Stripe hype? The payment processing platform Stripe has generated a lot of IPO excitement since it was reportedly valued at $159 billion earlier this year, even if the company’s executives haven’t indicated they plan on going public anytime soon. Several ETFs give investors access to major payment processing companies like PayPal and their buy-now, pay-later cousins, like Affirm and Klarna. But whether these investments are worthwhile depends on your view of the risks, sources said, as well as the ever-changing ways in which people buy things.
Ahead of GM Earnings, Disciplined Pricing and New Business Lines Come into Focus
General Motors pulls up tomorrow to release its third-quarter results and will try to extend a streak of 16 consecutive earnings per share beats, according to Zacks Investment Research. The streak could face a real challenge. GM already reported third-quarter sales volumes earlier this month, revealing deliveries fell at a 5.5% annualized rate to 670,974 vehicles in the three months ended Sept. 30. But expectations aren’t sky-high, with Wall Street eyeing flat revenue of $48.2 billion, according to Zacks.
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