Stock Funds Cling to a 10.3% Gain for 2026

Markets managed to stay resilient in the third quarter despite rising interest rates and global turmoil, allowing stock funds to hold onto a 10.3% gain for 2026. The article frames performance as a “solid first half” for equities, followed by a tougher third quarter where the market struggled to gain momentum. While the piece references a “Financial Flashback” to 15 years ago, centered on Steve Jobs’s death, its main takeaway is the persistence of returns into 2026 despite a difficult macro backdrop. The focus remains on how investors handled rate pressures and uncertainty as the year progressed.