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Good Afternoon. While accountants are bracing for new tax math, investors are debating whether the AI rally is brilliance or déjà vu. Washington’s building icebreakers, Wall Street’s launching quantum funds, and somewhere in the middle, $2.3 billion just vanished. Numbers change, narratives don’t. Let’s get into it.
—Rosie, Wyatt, Evan & Conor
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🔍 Section Focus
🔥 What’s Hot: 🔥
Tax Planners’ Inboxes: The IRS just dropped 2026’s new brackets—right when accountants thought they might get a fall break.
🥶 What’s Not: 🥶
Proper Accounting: $2.3B vanished at First Brands and the private credit market’s pretending it’s fine. Cool.
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🇺🇸 U.S. News
1. Airlines Climb as Markets Drift and Gold Holds Near Records
The News: U.S. stocks edged lower Thursday as investors rotated out of commodities and into travel names. While oil fell 1% after President Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a peace deal. Gold and silver steadied just below record highs after weeks of sharp gains. Delta Air Lines (DAL) jumped after quarterly results beat estimates and its holiday outlook lifted peers like United. MP Materials (MP) rose on tighter Chinese rare-earth export controls, while Ferrari (RACE) tumbled on weak guidance. In Asia, SoftBank (9984.T) soared, driving the Nikkei 225 to a record close after unveiling a $5.4B robotics acquisition.
Why It Matters: Stronger airline profits hint at resilient travel demand heading into the holidays and even with the shutdown causing problems at the FAA, don’t expect ticket prices to ease just yet. For investors, fading safe-haven demand for gold and energy suggests the market is cautiously embracing geopolitical stability after months of tension. Asia’s rally underscores how global capital is chasing AI and robotics momentum wherever it finds it. What to watch: U.S. CPI data next week for confirmation that disinflation is still taking flight. Markets may be drifting, but airlines clearly aren’t stuck on the runway.
Source: wsj.com
2. $2.3 Billion Vanishes in First Brands Bankruptcy Scandal
The News: Auto parts supplier First Brands Group—which filed for Chapter 11 on Sept. 28 with $11.6 billion in liabilities—is now facing explosive allegations that $2.3 billion from its factoring programs has “simply vanished.” Creditor Raistone demanded an independent examiner after company counsel admitted they “don’t know” whether roughly $1.9 billion in receivables were ever received, and confirmed “$0” remains in segregated creditor accounts. Major lenders including UBS ($500M exposure), Jefferies ($715M), and Katsumi Global ($1.7B) face potential losses. Analysts are split: Morgan Stanley calls it isolated; Jim Chanos warns it could be the “first thunderclap” in private credit’s $2 trillion boom.
Why It Matters: For investors, the missing billions highlight how opaque the fast-growing private credit market has become, where complex factoring deals can hide leverage as easily as they create liquidity. For banks and funds, the case could trigger closer scrutiny of receivables financing and “shadow lending” models that have quietly ballooned in size. Regulators may soon ask how debt backed by nothing keeps trading like equity. What to watch: court rulings on the independent probe and fallout across private debt portfolios. If this really is the first thunderclap, investors might want to check how waterproof their “diversified” portfolios really are and what if any exposure to private credit markets they have.
Source: reuters.com
3. IRS Unveils 2026 Tax Brackets Under ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
The News: The IRS released its 2026 inflation adjustments, reflecting changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed in July. The standard deduction will rise to $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for joint filers, while the top 37% bracket kicks in above $640,600 for individuals and $768,700 for couples. The estate tax exclusion climbs to $15 million, and the childcare tax credit cap more than triples to $500,000 for large employers. The earned income tax credit will reach $8,231 for families with three or more kids. The goal: offset inflation and prevent “bracket creep” from eating paychecks.
Why It Matters: For earners, the adjustments mean modest relief—but the real opportunity lies in how income is earned. In 2026, single filers can make up to $49,450—or $98,900 for married couples—and still owe 0% on long-term capital gains. Compare that to wage income taxed up to 37%, and the math speaks volumes: investors can keep tens of thousands more by earning from assets, not hours. It’s how the tax code quietly rewards ownership over labor. What to watch: whether Washington keeps those preferential rates intact in the next round of reform. Remember, money that works for you still beats money you work for.
Source: foxbusiness.com
4. AI Bubble Talk Heats Up as Dimon, Huang, and Goldman Weigh In
The News: The Nasdaq hit another record yesterday, then the debate began. AMD surged 11%, up 40% this week on its multibillion-dollar OpenAI deal, fueling both excitement and alarm. The Bank of England and IMF warned valuations in AI stocks look stretched, while Goldman Sachs countered that profit growth, not speculation, still drives the rally. Nvidia’s Jensen Huang said AI demand “has grown substantially” in six months, even as JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon cautioned that markets could face a “serious correction.” Dimon compared AI to the car and TV revolutions, transformative industries where “most people involved didn’t do well.”
Why It Matters: For consumers, the AI boom is already shaping daily life from pricier cloud services to smarter search engines but it’s investors who are taking the bigger gamble. For markets, this rally looks less like 1999 and more like a profit-fueled arms race: companies with real data and chips may survive, the rest may vaporize. Dimon’s warning echoes a timeless rule, revolutions create wealth, but rarely for everyone involved. A good reason to invest in index funds. What to watch: upcoming tech earnings for proof that AI spending is translating into cash flow. When CEOs start debating whether it’s a bubble, that’s usually the sound of air hissing out.
Source: barrons.com
5. WisdomTree Bets on Quantum Leap With New ETF
The News: WisdomTree (WQTM) launched the Quantum Computing Fund Wednesday on the Cboe, offering investors targeted exposure to what it calls “the next major technological transformation.” The ETF carries a 0.45% expense ratio and tracks the WisdomTree Classiq Quantum Computing Index, which spans 39 companies across chips, software, cryptography, and communications. Top holdings include Rigetti (9.8%), IonQ (7.8%), and D-Wave (7.4%), plus broader plays like Intel (4.7%) and Alphabet (3.4%). The global quantum market—currently about $1.6B—is projected to hit as much as $20B by 2030, a CAGR north of 40%.
Why It Matters: From faster drug design to unbreakable encryption, the promises of quantum computing have yet to materialize, but for now, it’s investors doing the experimenting. For markets, WisdomTree’s fund marks another step in turning frontier science into an investable theme, part hype, part high-stakes venture capital. With 80% of major banks now backing quantum initiatives, Wall Street’s already betting on the physics. If interested in Quantum ETFs, do your own research as that 0.45% expense ratio is significantly higher than Vanguard’s average fee. What to watch: Q4 fund inflows and any early performance signals from pure-play quantum stocks. If AI is this decade’s internet, quantum might be its electricity, still dangerous to touch, but too powerful to ignore.
Source: businesswire.com
🌎 World News
1. Gas Prices Ease as U.S. Storage Builds, Europe Tops Up for Winter
The News: U.S. natural gas futures slipped 0.6% to $3.31/MMBtu after the EIA reported an 80 Bcf storage build last week—slightly above analyst expectations (75 Bcf) and leaving inventories at 3,641 Bcf, about 157 Bcf above the five-year average. The larger build signals steady supply heading into winter. In Europe, benchmark Dutch TTF prices fell 1.7% to €32.14/MWh as storage sites reached 83% capacity, with strong LNG inflows and cooling Asian demand helping balance the market ahead of heating season.
Why It Matters: For consumers, fuller storage and milder demand could translate to steadier winter energy bills, good news after two years of price shocks. For traders and energy firms, the data points to a calmer pre-winter setup, with Europe’s stockpiles on pace to hit targets despite lower-than-usual fill rates. The U.S. market’s softening signals balanced supply even as exports rise. What to watch: November weather forecasts and any LNG reroutes from Asia to Europe. After a few volatile winters, “normal” gas prices might be the rarest commodity of all.
Source: wsj.com
2. Deutsche Bank Says Bitcoin Could Join Central Bank Reserves by 2030
The News: Deutsche Bank now predicts Bitcoin could appear on central bank balance sheets by 2030, arguing its volatility has fallen enough to behave more like gold. Analysts Marion Laboure and Camilla Siazon say Bitcoin’s “strategic value, liquidity, and trust” could make it a modern reserve asset despite being “backed by nothing.” Bitcoin hit a record $125,000 this week as demand from corporate “Bitcoin treasuries” and emerging-market diversification lifted prices. Gold, meanwhile, trades just below $4,000/oz, up 50% year-to-date, with Goldman Sachs hiking its target to $4,900 as central banks keep buying.
Why It Matters: For consumers, rising gold and Bitcoin prices show how inflation fears and geopolitical stress still drive the “safe haven” trade—even as the S&P 500 sits at record highs. For policymakers, it underscores a credibility gap: markets are hedging against the very system central banks manage. If Bitcoin ever joins gold in official reserves, it would mark crypto’s graduation from speculative asset to monetary tool. What to watch: G7 and IMF commentary on digital reserves and cross-border settlement pilots. As ETFs are making holding crpyto in your brokerage account easier, this is something to think about the next time bitcoin takes a dip.
Source: bloomberg.com
3. Trump, Finland Ink $6.1B Icebreaker Deal to Bolster Arctic Fleet
The News: President Donald Trump and Finnish President Alexander Stubb signed a $6.1 billion memorandum of understanding Thursday to build 11 Arctic security cutters, the largest expansion of the U.S. icebreaker fleet in decades. Finland will construct four vessels, while seven will be built at U.S. shipyards in Texas and Louisiana. The plan aims to counter Russia’s 40+ Arctic ships and China’s growing regional footprint. The program—expected to create thousands of skilled jobs—will see initial deliveries by 2028, with Davie Defense and Bollinger Shipyards leading U.S. production and Rauma Marine handling Finnish builds.
Why It Matters: For workers, the deal means years of steady shipyard employment and a fresh injection of industrial investment along the Gulf Coast, where defense contracts ripple into housing, logistics, and small manufacturing. For investors, the agreement deepens the U.S.-Nordic defense partnership and signals renewed focus on Arctic energy routes as sea ice recedes. The collaboration also reestablishes Finland as the world’s premier icebreaker designer, credited with 80% of vessels in service today. What to watch: when the government reopens and congressional funding approvals and contract awards through 2026. When national security and shipbuilding align, even cold policy can generate hot money.
Source: reuters.com
🥸 Dad Joke of The Day
Q: What do you call a fish that practices medicine?
A: A sturgeon.
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📖 MCAT® Vocab Word of the Day
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