Markets Overview
- ASX SPI 200 futures down 0.1% to 7,536.00
- Dow Average little changed at 35,515.38
- Aussie up 0.5% to 0.7371 per US$
- U.S. 10-year yield fell 8.2bps to 1.2767%
- Australia 3-year bond yield rose 0.8bps to 0.31%
- Australia 10-year bond yield rose 3bps to 1.22%
- Gold spot up 1.5% to $1,779.74
- Brent futures down 1.0% to $70.59/bbl
Economic Events
Asian stocks are set for a steady start Monday as investors await key Chinese data to gauge how the delta virus strain is impacting the recovery from the pandemic.
Futures fell in Japan and Australia but inched higher in Hong Kong, while U.S. contracts dipped. U.S. stocks eked out another record Friday but a drop in consumer sentiment to a near-decade low injected some caution, pushing down Treasury yields and the dollar.
China retail sales and industrial output numbers may show growth slowed in July amid mobility curbs to fight a virus outbreak and flooding. Investors are already unnerved by Beijing’s regulatory crackdown on private industries, and speculation is growing that officials could further ease monetary policy.
Other News
If you frequent food websites, you’ve probably come across Donald Gorske, even if the name doesn’t ring a bell. He’s not a celebrity chef or renowned winemaker, but he has achieved an oddly remarkable feat: In 2016, he was recognized by Guinness World Records for achieving “the most Big Mac burgers eaten in a lifetime.” When his record was certified, Gorske had scarfed down burger number 28,788. A couple of years later, he eclipsed another milestone: 30,000 Big Macs. And in 2021, not only is he still going, but Guinness World Records once again caught up with this living McDonald’s legend to highlight his continuing achievement. The new video — posted to YouTube this week — is one of the most engaging 4:45 seconds I’ve ever watched. Even if you’re familiar with Gorske’s record, some of the details and discussions in this video were new to me. Now, at 32,340 Big Macs, Gorske reveals the way he’s kept track of that number, and it’s stunning: “May 17, 1972, was the day I got my first car. I drove to McDonald’s. I ordered my first three Big Macs, went out in the car and ate them,” he begins. “And I said right there that I’m going to probably eat these the rest of my life, and I threw the cartons in the back seat and starting counting them from day one.” He wasn’t kidding: He reveals his boxes where he stores the cartons from every single Big Mac he’s ever eaten and the pouches where he saves every receipt — all meticulously organized and sorted by year. As if that’s not enough, he also keeps a running count on a calendar — yes, dating all the way back to the first Big Macs on May 17. “I can tell you which Big Macs I ate on which day,” he boasts.
