Markets Overview
- ASX SPI 200 futures up 0.4% to 7,458.00
- Dow Average up 0.7% to 33,936.48
- Aussie little changed at 0.7053 per US$
- U.S. 10-year yield fell 1.7bps to 3.5216%
- Australia 3-year bond yield fell 1 bp to 3.18%
- Australia 10-year bond yield rose 1.7 bps to 3.55%
- Gold spot up 0.3% to $1,928.96
- Brent futures down 0.5% to $84.49/bbl
Economic Events
- 09:00: (AU) Jan. Judo Bank Australia PMI Mfg, prior 49.8
- 11:00: (AU) Australia to Sell A$700 Million 3.75% 2034 Bonds
Australia’s housing market declined further in January, resulting in the median price in Sydney dropping below A$1 million for the first time in almost three years.
US stocks ended January with a gain, as investors cheered signs of labor costs easing and inflation cooling as they gear up for Wednesday’s Federal Reserve decision.
With volumes relatively light on Tuesday, the stock gains could have been spurred by short covering. The S&P 500 still had its best month since October, as traders expect the Fed to slow its pace of interest-rate hikes. The Nasdaq 100 rallied the most this month since July and had its best start to year since 2001, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Treasuries gained, with the 10-year yield sliding to around 3.49%. It fell more than 30 basis points during January, the most since November. A dollar index dropped.
Other News
All the single ladies are going on a shopping spree – at Home Depot.
Vying for a chance to meet an eligible bachelor among the aisles of hardwood, screwdrivers and nails, the women of TikTok have discovered the perfect spot to window shop for single men.
“Delete the dating apps in 2023,” content creator Breanna Nichols advised in a clip with over 24,000 views. “I’m headed to Home Depot to ‘look confused’ in the lumber aisle.”
While the dating strategy gives some people hope they’ll find a soul mate, some taken women watching from afar are aghast.
“I am so glad I’m wifed up & a stay-at-home mom. It’s getting hard out there,” one user commented on Nichols’ TikTok.
“Home Depot Dating” on the platform has 3.6 billion views, so clearly it’s a trend women are willing to try – but the jury’s out on whether it hits the nail on the head.
While some bachelorettes are boasting meet-cute success, others are declaring the DIY dating hack amusing but faulty.
Creator Megan Louise decided to make a quick trip to her local Home Depot and test the trick out herself. To her surprise, the male shoppers were “made out of husband material,” she admitted online.
“Home Depot is where you go if you want to meet a man,” she exclaimed in a video. “I found at least three husbands.”
One TikToker, who goes by @latinkitty online, has taken her followers along for the trip in a series of posts, which have racked up more than 9 million views.
“When they tell you to go to Home Depot to find guys,” the text on one clip reads, along with footage of her excursion into the world of home improvement.
At one point, she even pretended to need help in an attempt to catch the eye of a handyman. But her valiant effort was for naught — she didn’t seem too impressed by the slim pickings. She captioned the clip, “Meh. Maybe A diff location?”
Inspired by the singleton’s smart thinking, viewers applauded her genius idea, despite many users suggesting that the men could still be taken.
“If they are there on a weekend, definitely not married lol,” one person commented.
“Gotta go early. I work there and well you see some great things around 7-10,” another advised.
“Listen up — go on a Saturday morning,” someone else offered.
“Hell na my man not going there anymore hahaha,” joked one TikToker.
And it turns out, men have their own tricks. Instead of Home Depot, one male TikToker claimed, single guys do a loop around Target for single gals.
“That’s like Target for us guys. We go in there when we don’t need a damn thing sometimes,” the man commented.
Some, though, are still hammering out the details for cruising Home Depot.
One user, known as @itscybersav online, frequented her local branch multiple times only to come out empty handed as well. Joleene, a fellow single lady, also admitted the so-called hack “didn’t work.”
But after striking out the first time, @latinkitty was determined to try her luck again and made her way back to Home Depot.
In the clip, which amassed 8.8 million views, she shows a variety of men to choose from. While one even appeared to check her out, he might’ve just noticed her dolled-up ‘fit or the camera rolling.
Apparently, the second time was the charm – she scored one man’s digits.
“Which one asked for my number?” she captioned the video.
After she proved the trick to be successful, worried partners flocked to the comments section to assure others they’d be the ones running to Hope Depot from now on.
“If my man needs anything from Home Depot I’ll pick it up for him I’m so thoughtful,” one quipped.
Meanwhile, others who touted the method even admitted that the hot working men were the reason they applied for a job at the hardware chain.
“I found my husband at Home Depot … we been together for 8 years,” someone shared.
“That is why I got a PT job at HD … Tinder wasn’t cutting it,” another revealed.
“No boo! You gotta get there before the sun comes up. Anytime after that, you’ll get the employees,” someone else suggested.
(New York Post)
