WHAT THE DATA SAY: 1 in 3 Americans believe gambling is a better bet today than the stock market

By: Ray Day

CONTACT:

Ray Day
ray.day@stagwellglobal.com 

We wanted to share our latest consumer and business insights, based on research from Stagwell and Allison Worldwide. Among the highlights of our weekly consumer sentiment tracking:

STOCK MARKET HAS A REPUTATION PROBLEM

The U.S. stock market is up 17.3% during the past 12 months. Yet you wouldn’t know that by the views of most Americans, according to our Harris Poll research with the Guardian.

• Two in five Americans believe the stock market only benefits the top 1%.
• A third believe they will have higher financial returns focusing more on gambling than the stock market.
• That increases to 46% among Millennials and to 44% among Gen Z.
• 65% of Americans wrongly believe that a growing stock market means the economy is growing.
• 38% don’t know the economy and stock market aren’t the same thing.
• Half of Americans believe today’s stock market is weak or are unsure how it is doing.

AI’S MONEY ADVICE COMES WITH RISK

Americans are increasingly turning to AI chatbots for personal finance help, yet the payoff is mixed, according to our Harris Poll research with NerdWallet.

• 26% of Americans say they’ve used an AI chatbot to answer personal finance questions.
• Among those users, 49% say they asked AI a money question in the past week.
• Americans are divided on trust, however: 45% say they trust AI chatbots to give good personal finance advice, while 55% do not.
• Among those using AI for finance questions, the top reasons are quick answers (50%) and avoiding multiple websites (35%).
• Oversharing is a concern: 77% of users shared some kind of personal information with a chatbot, including 38% who shared their credit score, 9% who shared their Social Security number and 10% who shared account numbers.
• See also: 81% of Americans Would Let an AI Agent Handle Part of Their Job Search

BUY NOW, PAY LATER

Americans see Buy Now, Pay Later plans as a smart, flexible alternative to high-interest credit cards, according to research from HarrisX and the Financial Technology Association.

• 77% of U.S. adults say BNPL plans have had a net positive impact on American consumers, rising to 91% among users.
• 74% say BNPL is better for their financial well-being than high-interest credit cards.
• 78% say they would recommend BNPL to a friend or family member, while 7% would not.
• The top reasons users choose BNPL are to spread out costs without interest (89%), gain greater flexibility (88%) and have more control over payments (86%).
• Among all U.S. adults, roughly three-quarters agree BNPL helps consumers budget (76%), avoid high-interest credit card debt (76%) and navigate financial hardship (75%).

A BOOM AT THE BOX OFFICE

Going to the movies is back in America, according to the State of Cinema Report from Stagwell’s The People Platform.

• People are attracted to a wider variety of films than in recent years – with nearly 390 million movie admissions recorded in the first half of 2026. That’s one of the strongest moviegoing environments since the pandemic.
• The Top 10 films accounted for 57% of total admissions. The next tier also mattered – titles ranked 11–20 delivered another 22%, showing the box office rebound is being powered by depth.
• Family titles still led the market, with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (11%) and Toy Story 5 (9%) combining for 20% of admissions.
• PG and PG-13 titles make up seven of the year’s Top 10 films, yet R-rated films are also pulling real weight, making up 30.5% of total admissions and reinforcing that audiences are engaging across ratings and genres.
• Nearly half of all moviegoers are adults 18–34, including 25% women and 21% men 18–34.

ICYMI: In case you missed it, check out the thought-leadership and happenings around Stagwell making news:

• Which Sports Should You Sponsor in 2028? (Harris Poll) 
• 89% of consumers say they prefer digital payment methods when receiving a payout (National Research Group)
• Most American voters have favorable view of AI (HarrisX)
• Most Americans are willing to make a weekly meat-for-beans swap to save money (Harris Poll)