Welcome to Markets Desk, here's what's moving the conversation today.
Americans are pulling back on Halloween spending in a meaningful way, with a Lending Tree survey showing only eighty percent plan to make a Halloween-related purchase this year, down from ninety percent last year, and average spend falling sixteen percent to one hundred sixty two dollars. That kind of discretionary pullback is worth watching as a consumer sentiment signal heading into the holiday stretch.
Shifting to memory markets, Micron has been under pressure as investors worry that rising Chinese supply could eventually flood the global market and compress margins. But the company's latest long-term supply agreements are changing that calculus, locking in demand visibility that gives investors something concrete to anchor against the noise around Chinese competition.
And on Wall Street's AI enthusiasm, Schwab CEO Rick Wurster is offering a measured counterpoint to the hype around autonomous trading agents. His view is straightforward — certain investing decisions carry enough nuance and emotional weight that human judgment isn't just preferable, it's necessary. That's a notable posture from the head of one of America's largest retail brokerages.
That's the tape. Markets Desk, signing off the floor.
