NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 2026 /CNW/ — Stock Preachers News Commentary – U.S. 10-year Treasury yields fell about 17 basis points last week while the Nasdaq 100 dropped 5.5%, the largest same-week decline in both since the April 2025 tariff turmoil, Bloomberg reported. The move caught investors who had positioned heavily for a deeper slump in bonds, after 10-year yields climbed over the prior seven months to their highest levels in more than two decades. Active Companies from around the markets with current developments this week include: iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ: TLT), iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ: IEF), ProShares UltraShort 20+ Year Treasury (NYSE Arca: TBT), Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ), CoreWeave, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRWV).

The trigger was a sell-off in AI-linked technology stocks. As shares fell, Treasuries showed early signs of acting like a safe haven again, a role they have failed to play for much of the past few years, partly because oil-driven sell-offs can push stocks and bonds lower together. Commodity trading advisers, the trend-following funds that had built bearish Treasury futures positions at what Bloomberg described as ‘extremely short’ levels, exited those bets last week, adding fuel to the rally.

Rate expectations had swung hard. Traders at one point priced about a 50% chance of a Federal Reserve rate hike in October, and still expect one increase by year-end and another in 2027, according to Bloomberg. At the same time, the AI build-out has leaned on bond markets: investment-grade companies, led by megacap technology, have sold about $1.7 trillion of bonds this year, up about 29% from a year earlier.

“To paraphrase Mark Twain, rumors of the death of US Treasuries are greatly exaggerated,” James Athey, a portfolio manager at Marlborough Investment Management, told Bloomberg.

Bond and tech charts told this story in real time. Learn how to read them with the free Stock Preachers guide at stockpreachers.com

In other industry developments and happenings in the market this week include:

iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ: TLT)

The long end did the heavy lifting. The iShares fund, which tracks U.S. Treasuries with more than 20 years to maturity, rose 2.65% last week, from $77.98 at the October 9 close to $80.05 on October 16, according to Stock Analysis data. The fund holds about $47 billion in assets and charges a 0.15% expense ratio. Long-dated bonds move the most in price when yields change, which is why the long end led the rally.

iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ: IEF)

The intermediate fund gained 1.14% over the same period, from $89.40 to $90.42, with about $41 billion in assets. Some strategists favor intermediate maturities as the hedge. Julius Baer found that 10-year Treasuries consistently delivered positive returns during equity drawdowns from 2000 to 2020, and fixed-income strategist Afonso Borges said intermediate Treasuries “should again serve as an effective portfolio hedge,” Bloomberg reported.

ProShares UltraShort 20+ Year Treasury (NYSE Arca: TBT)

For investors on the other side of the trade, last week hurt. The ProShares fund seeks two times the inverse of the daily performance of the ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index, and it fell 5.07%, from $42.05 to $39.92. ProShares notes that returns over periods longer than one day can differ significantly from that daily target.

The fund is a simple read on how the short-bond trade fared. Its steepest drop came on October 15, when it lost 2.94% as the 10-year yield fell 10.5 basis points, according to TheStreet.

Leveraged funds like this one reward timing. The free Stock Preachers guide walks through the chart basics traders use to time entries and exits, at stockpreachers.com.

Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ)

The Invesco fund that tracks the Nasdaq 100 fell 5.52% last week, from $751.27 to $709.80, matching the index’s 5.5% slide. It dropped 1.97% on October 14, the day a hotter-than-expected inflation report pushed yields higher, and another 2.50% on Friday as the AI sell-off resumed.

CoreWeave, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRWV)

CoreWeave became the market’s clearest gauge of stress in AI debt. The shares fell 25.21% last week, from $82.08 to $61.39, including drops of 15.46% on October 14 and 11.91% on October 16. The spread on its five-year credit default swaps hit a record of about 1,195 basis points on October 15, and the yield on its October 2031 bond rose above 16%, The Motley Fool reported, citing roughly $52 billion in loans and lease obligations.

“If investors are seeing their AI-linked bonds losing value, they will be less interested in buying new bonds,” John Briggs, head of U.S. rates strategy at Natixis North America, told Bloomberg.

Want to spot the next turn in bonds, tech or the AI trade on the chart first? Download the free Stock Preachers guide to reading charts, plus The Roadmap market reports, at stockpreachers.com.

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New model gives every employee access to AI and human skills development, with learning accessible directly from the AI tools they already use

BOSTON, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Electives, the AI fluency and workplace learning platform, today announced Electives for Everyone, a new model that gives every employee in an organization full access to live, expert-led classes and hands-on AI simulations. The launch reflects a simple belief: high-quality learning and a safe place to practice should not be reserved for a select few.

As AI reshapes nearly every role, unequal access to development has become a business risk. Organizations are asking all of their people to adapt, but only some are getting the support to do it.

“AI can give you answers. But changing how you work takes more than answers. It takes learning from people, hearing their stories, and practicing with others,” said Jason Lavender, Co-Founder and CEO of Electives. “Until now, that kind of learning was reserved for a few. Electives for Everyone changes that.”

“The amount of change employees and businesses face will only accelerate over the next 24 months,” said Linda Aiello, Chief People Officer at DraftKings. “Employers can’t upskill a small slice of their workforce and expect to keep pace. They need to build both human and AI skills across all of their people.”

Since launching its Membership program two years ago, Electives has grown its community of learners to a scale that makes company-wide access to live classes economically possible, at a fraction of the traditional per-person cost.

“From day one, one of our goals was to build the operational infrastructure to scale live learning and make it accessible to as many people around the world as possible,” said Krikor Dzeronian, Co-Founder and COO of Electives. “We’ve reached a milestone where we can offer live, expert-led learning to everyone at a lower price than some pre-recorded content. For our team, that’s a special day.”

Electives for Everyone is built around three A’s for People teams:

Accessible. Learning should be available where employees already work. Electives has built an MCP server that lets employees discover and register for relevant classes directly from the AI tools they already use.Affordable. Live learning should reach everyone, not just the 5% of employees who traditionally receive the greatest investment in development. Electives’ scale makes broader access economically possible.Adaptive. Learning needs to keep pace with a changing world. Every month, Electives curates new live classes around the AI and human skills employees need most right now.

Electives for Everyone includes:

Live, expert-led classes covering foundational and advanced AI skills, manager training, and the human skills employees need to navigate change and do their best workAI simulations for every employee, providing a safe place to practice applying AI skills in realistic scenarios and learn by doingLearning in the flow of work, with an MCP server that brings Electives into the AI tools employees already use, making it easier to discover and register for classesMinimal administrative lift for People and L&D teams, without the burden of managing a complex learning program

Electives for Everyone is available now.

As AI makes it easier to get answers on demand, building real capabilities matters more than ever. Electives brings together expert instruction, human connection, and hands-on practice to help employees do more than understand new ideas. It helps them put those ideas to work.

About Electives
Electives is a Boston-based AI fluency and workplace learning platform that helps organizations build the AI and human skills their people need to thrive. Through live expert-led classes, AI fluency assessments, cohort programs, hackathons, and AI simulations, Electives works with People and HR leaders to turn AI strategy into people strategy.

Contact:
Electives
***@electives.io

Photo(s):
https://www.prlog.org/13177526

Press release distributed by PRLog

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SOURCE Electives, Inc.

Leading printing and shipping solutions provider ranks as one of the largest U.S.-based franchise systems

DENVER, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — PostNet, a global leader in high-quality printing and shipping solutions, has been named to the 2026 Franchise Times Top 400, ranking No. 327 among the largest U.S.-based franchise systems.

“PostNet has built its success around helping small businesses and consumers get more done in one convenient location,” said PostNet Vice President of Franchise Development Bill McPherson. “That same approach creates an attractive opportunity for entrepreneurs who want to own a community-focused business while benefiting from the resources, experience and support of an established franchise system.”

This recognition also reflects PostNet’s ability to evolve alongside the businesses and communities it serves. Over the years, the brand has expanded beyond its roots in traditional printing and shipping to offer a broader mix of design, marketing, mail and business services, allowing franchise owners to adapt to changing customer needs while remaining a trusted local resource.

Ranking Provides Insight into Franchise Growth

The Franchise Times Top 400 is based on global systemwide sales and provides sales and unit growth data on the largest U.S.-based franchise brands. The 2026 ranking found that combined annual sales among the largest U.S.-based franchisors increased 4.3% in 2025 to $784.6 billion.

Franchise Times Editor in Chief Laura Michaels said the annual ranking gives both franchisees and franchisors a clearer picture of system performance across the industry.

“Backed by more than 25 years of research, the Top 400 provides sales and unit growth data points that are essential to understanding franchise system performance,” Michaels said. “Our team of researchers and reporters provides comprehensive segment analysis that is used by existing and prospective franchisees to evaluate a brand’s health and by franchisors to gauge how they stand up against their competitors.”

Recognition Validates PostNet’s Franchise Model

PostNet has earned recognition from several of the franchise industry’s leading organizations in 2026. In addition to its No. 327 ranking on the Franchise Times Top 400, PostNet ranked No. 88 on Franchise Direct’s 2026 Top 100 Global Franchises list and climbed 54 spots to No. 272 on Entrepreneur’s 2026 Franchise 500. The recognition across three prominent industry rankings highlights PostNet’s growth, longevity, franchisee support and strength as an established franchise opportunity.

“Being recognized by several respected franchise industry organizations provides valuable validation of the strength and staying power of the PostNet model,” McPherson said. “For more than 30 years, we’ve continued to adapt our services, technology and support to help our franchise owners meet the changing needs of their customers. These rankings show that our approach continues to resonate in a competitive franchise marketplace.”

PostNet has more than three decades of experience in the printing and shipping industry and more than 200 domestic locations. The company is part of Fortidia, a global commerce platform that includes brands providing shipping, fulfillment, logistics, marketing and print solutions.

For more information about PostNet, visit postnet.com. To learn about franchise opportunities, visit postnetfranchise.com.

About PostNet
PostNet opened its doors in 1993. With over 700 locations in North America, Central America, South America and South Africa, PostNet is a global leader in printing and shipping solutions. In 2017, PostNet joined the MBE Worldwide family. In 2024 the company rebranded under Fortidia. For more information about PostNet services, visit postnet.com. To learn about franchise opportunities, visit postnetfranchise.com.

About Fortidia
Fortidia is the brand identity of MBE Worldwide S.p.A. – a company headquartered in Italy – and its affiliates. Fortidia is a global commerce enabler for MSMEs and consumers thanks to its platform including brands providing shipping, fulfillment, logistics, marketing and print solutions: Mail Boxes Etc. (outside the U.S. and Canada), World Options, PACK & SEND, PostNet, ParcelValue, Spedingo, GEL Proximity, AlphaGraphics, Kwik Kopy Australia, Multicopy, and Print Speak. In 2024, its platform – including 3,200+ Business Solutions Centers in 57 countries with over 14,000 associates – served 850,000 business customers worldwide generating €1.45 bln (US$1.65 bln) of System-wide Gross Revenue.

For more information, visit the Fortidia Group websites:

fortidia.com – mbeglobal.com – mbe.it – mbe.es – mbe.de – mbefrance.fr – mbe.pl – mbe.pt – mbe.co.uk – worldoptions.com – packsend.com.au – packsend.co.uk – postnet.com – parcelvalue.eu – spedingo.com/en –  gelproximity.com/en – alphagraphics.com – kwikkopy.com.au – multicopy.nl – printspeak.com 

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SOURCE PostNet