Consider our interest piqued – On 10/7, the 10-year Treasury yield briefly climbed to a 24-year high of 5.36% as oil topped $100 a barrel and reignited inflation concerns. Yields later eased as oil prices fell and a strong $39 billion Treasury auction showed investors still had an appetite for government debt. The auction drew stronger-than-usual demand, suggesting higher yields may be starting to entice buyers despite recent market volatility. (Sources: Reuters and FactSet)

It’s called mega cap, not mega return – The S&P 500 Index hit a new all-time high on 10/5, but just four of the 13 companies worth at least $1 trillion have outperformed its 14.4% gain this year. Micron and AMD have surged nearly 275% and more than 200%, respectively, while Nvidia is up nearly 30% and Apple about 23%. Despite the attention on mega caps, most of the trillion-dollar club is actually trailing the broader market. (Source: Barron’s)

She’s mighty-mighty – US consumers continue to show their spending strength: Household spending rose 6.1% over the past year, accelerating from 4.3% growth at the end of last year. Just over half of that increase reflects higher prices, but even after adjusting for inflation, spending grew 2.6%, continuing a five-year streak of steady growth. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)

The heat is (back) on – Eurozone inflation jumped from 3.2% in August to 3.8% in September, its highest level in three years and well above the European Central Bank’s 2% target. Energy prices were the biggest driver, with energy inflation surging 18.8%, its highest level since January 2023. (Source: CNBC)

But teamwork makes the dream work, am I right? – A new survey found that full-time office workers spend an average of $6,736 a year on costs tied to working in person, from commuting and parking to food and work attire. Commuting alone accounts for about $2,751 annually, while workers spend an average of 184 hours a year commuting, the equivalent of 23 eight-hour workdays. (Source: Inc.)

Something we can both agree on – Americans are particularly skeptical of social media’s effect on democracy: 64% say it’s been a bad thing, compared with a 35% median across 37 countries. And 81% of Americans say the internet and social media have made people more politically divided—a view shared almost equally by Republicans and Democrats. (Source: Pew Research)

Eyes on the prize – Baby boomers and the Silent Generation are expected to free up 13.9 million homes over the next decade, nearly 6 million more than in the previous 10 years. But just 380,000 are expected to be starter homes, compared with 9.9 million family-sized homes, offering limited relief for first-time buyers. And because the homes will become available gradually, they’re not expected to close the nation’s 4 million-home shortage on their own. (Source: Morningstar)

12-foot skeletons don't just grow on trees, you know – Americans are expected to shell out a record $13.5 billion on Halloween this year, or about $115 per person. Candy alone is expected to account for $4.1 billion, but costumes and decorations are even bigger treats for retailers, at $4.4 billion and $4.3 billion, respectively. (Source: National Retail Federation)

Houston, we have a clue – Astronomers have spotted radio waves coming off a planet more than 63 light-years from Earth in what could be the first discovered magnetic field on a planet outside our solar system. A magnetic field could be an important clue in the search for worlds capable of hosting life, as Earth's magnetic field protects the atmosphere and, in turn, life from being blown away by the sun's radiation. (Source: The New York Times)

Money talks (and sometimes it files Chapter 11) – After more than $5 billion was poured into LIV Golf since its 2022 launch, the league has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with an estimated $500 million to $1 billion in liabilities. Its biggest creditors are now the golfers it once lured with massive contracts: The top seven creditors are all players, with Jon Rahm alone owed $7.4 million. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)