Every weekend, I recap “news you can use” from the week — a handful of quotes from major (and often expensive) financial news sources — so you can stay up to date on the news that affects your money without spending a dime and in less than a minute.
Here’s an overview of what happened this week.
U.S. economy added 165,000 jobs in October, way more than expected; unemployment rate at 4.1% (Nov. 6, CNBC):
In addition to the strong payroll gains for October, prior months were revised up substantially: The August figure moved up to 186,000, an upward revision of 53,000, while the September count moved to 60,000 following an upward revision of 31,000.
Payroll gains also came in better than forecast. Average hourly earnings increased 0.4% on the month and 3.1% annually, compared to respective estimates for 0.3% and 2.9%.
US and Iran Edge Closer to Deal With Nuclear Issue Back in Play (Nov. 6, Bloomberg):
Iran is studying proposals related to its atomic activities that were presented by chief mediator Qatar, according to the diplomat, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive information. Any concession on that issue could lead to a significant step forward in negotiations, which have been stagnating since the collapse of an interim peace deal agreed in June.
Micron, Sandisk and other AI stocks are falling hard: ‘Investors don’t like uncertainty.’ (Nov. 5, MarketWatch):
A dramatic selloff in chip stocks helped drive the Nasdaq Composite index toward its worst day since April 2025.
Shares of Sandisk fell 15% on Thursday, while Advanced Micro Devices, Micron and Western Digital were down between 11% and 13%.
Analysts say midterm election results could slow the artificial-intelligence data-center buildout due to regulatory and electricity-price concerns.
Unemployment claims drop to 189,000, the fewest since mid-July (Nov. 5, Associated Press):
So far this year, employers — companies, government agencies and nonprofits — have been adding an average of 68,000 jobs a month, including a disappointing 29,000 last month. That is modest by historic standards but an improvement on a lackluster 2025 when monthly job creation averaged 9,700 as high interest rates and President Donald Trump’s unpredictable trade policies discouraged hiring.
Private companies added 86,000 jobs in October, slightly higher than expected, ADP says (Nov. 4, CNBC):
Gains came across the board, with trade, transportation and utilities leading. Professional and business services lost jobs, as did information-related firms. Job changers saw significant pay gains, coming as the level of job quitters increased.
Democrats Clinch Huge Wins on Inflation Anger, Trump Fatigue (Nov. 4, Bloomberg):
Democrats won at least 228 House seats and will hold at least 54 seats in the Senate, flipping Senate seats in Republican bastions and racking up wins in competitive House races.
The results leave Trump far more hemmed in than he was in the first two years of his second term, with Democrats set to prioritize oversight of Trump and his allies, as well as focus on policymaking, especially on affordability issues.
US, Iran Pursue Diplomacy Despite ‘Limited’ American Strikes (Nov. 3, Bloomberg):
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and a senior negotiator with the US, said his country had “delivered a strong and rational response to the American side,” according to a report from Iran’s Fars news agency. “The ball is now in America’s court to prevent a war,” he added, reiterating Iran is ready to retaliate fiercely against any US-Israeli attacks.
Midterm elections could jolt stocks if Democrats sweep Congress (Nov. 3, CNBC):
Looking past any short-term move, stocks tend to rally after the midterms have concluded. In fact, the S&P 500 was up one year out after all midterm elections going back to the early 1980s.
But the S&P 500 has already recorded double-digit gains so far in 2026, so some on Wall Street worry that investors are being overly complacent heading into this year’s elections.
Oil prices could average $130 a barrel next year, according to Goldman Sachs (Nov. 2, MarketWatch):
They said that the global benchmark could reach $140 a barrel in 2027 and average $130 throughout the year if output remains 3.5 million barrels a day below its average in 2025. The most likely catalysts for this scenario to play out are increasing shipping attacks, sustained damage to oil refineries and a consistent risk premium.
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