Wall Street is heading into the close on Wednesday with two things on its mind: the Fed's favorite inflation gauge and Micron Technology. According to Bloomberg, US stocks paused ahead of both, with the inflation data key for interest rates and Micron's report key for the AI trade. Micron reports fiscal fourth-quarter results after the closing bell, and a big move in either direction could ripple into Asian chip stocks when markets open in the morning. The Numbers, Verified Across Sources What Micron guided (SEC filing): For the quarter ending in August, Micron told investors to expect revenue of $50 billion, give or take $1 billion, non-GAAP earnings of $31 per share, give or take $1, and a gross margin of about 86%. What analysts expect (Alphastreet, 33 analysts): Consensus sits at $31.56 per share on $51.20 billion in revenue, slightly above the top half of Micron's own guidance range. Estimates are wide, running from $28.04 to $37.44 per share for earnings and from...
If you're one of the roughly 75 million Americans receiving Social Security, there's a specific date worth circling on your calendar: October 14, 2026 . That's when the Social Security Administration will officially announce next year's cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) the annual bump that determines how much bigger your monthly check gets in 2027. What's Actually Expected The COLA isn't announced until the September inflation data is released, which happens the same morning as the announcement itself. But based on data collected so far this year, most projections are converging around a 3.6% increase , according to estimates from both AARP and The Senior Citizens League. For context, that would be noticeably higher than the 2.8% COLA seniors received for 2026. At 3.6%, the average retired worker's monthly benefit currently around $2,086 would increase by roughly $75 a month. It's worth noting these numbers have already shifted once this year: earlie...