No pressure, everybody else – Nvidia became the world’s first $5 trillion company on 10/29, making it worth more than some entire sectors of the S&P 500 Index (utilities, industrials, and consumer staples). The company grew from $4 trillion in market cap to $5 trillion in 78 trading days. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)

Waiting with bated breath and trade-happy fingers – The Federal Reserve has made eight rate decisions per year since 2020, and each one has tended to have a big impact on stocks. The average intra-day S&P 500 Index swing on rate-announcement days has been 1.7% for the last five years, despite the Federal Reserve's best efforts at transparency before each meeting. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)

Started off with a kiss, how did it end up like this? – Three-quarters of Canada’s exports are sold to the US, making the latest round of 35% tariffs that much more painful for our northern neighbor. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said his country is prepared to resume trade negotiations with the US when Americans are ready, after President Donald Trump ceased talks following a critical TV ad. (Source: BBC)

Video killed the radio star – New college graduates are facing the worst job market in more than a decade (excluding the pandemic). While the overall unemployment rate is 4.3%, the rate for new grads is 6.5% as of August. Hiring is especially tough for entry-level roles with the increased use of AI for many tasks, but employers have also paused hiring or laid off workers due to economic uncertainty. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)

Price check on aisle four – While most government data has been delayed due to the shutdown, the Consumer Price Index is one of the few reports that’s still being updated. The latest report from 10/24 showed that consumer prices increased by 3.0% year-over-year, slightly under expectations. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

The plus is simply too much – Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV. In the ninth paragraph of a news release promoting one of its upcoming movies, the streaming service casually announced it was dropping the "plus" from its moniker. With the change, Apple TV will no longer be part of the lengthy roll call of streaming plus services, including AMC+, Discovery+, Disney+, ESPN+, and Paramount+. (Source: The New York Times)

Move over Coke, we’re getting more COLA – Social Security benefits for retirees will rise 2.8% in 2026, reflecting a recent pickup in inflation. Starting in January, the average monthly check for the nation’s 53 million retired recipients will be $2,064, up $56 from this year. The cost-of-living adjustment follows this year’s 2.5% increase, which was the smallest in four years. (Source: AARP)

The "AI took your job" layoffs certainly aren’t helping the vibes – Americans are feeling more anxious than optimistic about AI’s growing influence. More than half believe it will hurt our ability to think creatively (53%) and form meaningful relationships (50%). And while 76% say it’s extremely important to know if content is AI-generated, only 12% feel confident they can actually spot it. (Source: Pew Research Center)

Pour one out for the oddly named brews – US craft breweries are closing down or filing for bankruptcy at a rapid rate. Sales of craft beer fell 4% last year, and for the first time in 20 years, more breweries closed than opened over the past 18 months. Reasons include rising labor costs, higher prices for aluminum cans, high commercial real-estate leases, and a supply/demand imbalance. (Source: The New York Times)

They need dollar coffee night, apparently – For the fourth time, country singer Brad Paisley performed the national anthem before an MLB World Series game that went into extra innings. The avid baseball fan opened the Dodgers' 10/27 game against the Blue Jays, which went on to last 18 innings. Paisley also sang the anthem for Game 2 in 2017 (11 innings), Game 3 in 2018 (18 innings), and Game 1 in 2024 (10 innings).