Market Data

West Lafayette – November 03, 2026 -- The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer rose to 126 in October from 123 in September, as the Index of Current Conditions gained 16 points and the Farm Capital Investment Index climbed from 39 to 55, its strongest reading in nearly a year.

The Index of Future Expectations fell 2 points, with high input costs remaining producers' biggest concern. The survey of 400 U.S. farmers ran Oct. 12-16.

Farm financial and investment indexes improve, but large purchases stay on hold

The Farm Financial Performance Index rose from 90 to 94. Only 20% of respondents said now is a good time to invest in machinery and buildings, so most producers still hesitate on large outlays.

The improvement coincided with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's distribution of Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage payments. The survey did not ask respondents about the effect of those payments.

Frankfurt – October 31, 2026 -- Orders at German machine tool makers rose 12% year on year in the second quarter of 2026, following a 15% gain in the first quarter and bringing the first-half increase to 14%, according to the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders' Association). Domestic orders climbed 16% and foreign orders 13%.

Bernhard Geis, head of economics and statistics at the VDW, said the trough is behind the industry and the upward trend is consolidating. He cautioned against an all-clear, however. The recovery starts from a low base, and project business still contributes substantially to growth, so a broad-based demand recovery can only be claimed to a limited extent.

United States – October 23, 2026 -- Nielsen's The Gauge now reports a quarterly Ad Supported Gauge for Q1 2026, measuring the share of U.S. TV viewing that is ad supported across total day among Persons 2+, alongside its monthly platform and distributor breakdowns.

Nielsen splits ad-supported TV viewing by category for Q1 2026

The quarterly view contains two components: the Ad Supported Share of TV and the Category Share of Ad Supported TV. Both cover Q1 2026 on a total-day basis for Persons 2+. The monthly Gauge separately tracks viewing by platform and by media distributor.

Two separately weighted panels feed the data

Nielsen builds the Gauge from two panels. Streaming data comes from a subset of Streaming Meter-enabled TV households within the National TV panel. Broadcast, cable and total usage come from Nielsen's overall TV panel.

Medellín – October 15, 2026 -- Medellín welcomed 1.2 million foreign tourists in 2025, and the tourism sector generated an economic impact of five trillion pesos ($1.552 billion), according to the city's Department of Tourism and Entertainment.

The department says international arrivals to Colombia's second-largest tourism hub, behind only Bogotá, are growing at nearly 10% annually.

U.S. travelers make up 33% of foreign visitors to Medellín

Mexico, Ecuador, Spain, Peru and Panama follow the United States among the main source countries. Foreign tourists stay four to six nights and spend an average of about 210,000 pesos (around $66) per night, mainly on gastronomy, culture, shopping and wellness.

The true visitor count is believed to be higher than arrivals at José María Córdova International Airport. Many tourists enter Colombia through Bogotá or Cartagena de Indias and then travel inland to Medellín.

Irvine, Calif. – September 14, 2026 -- U.S. consumers received just under 3.9 billion robocalls in August 2026, a 10% drop from July and the lowest monthly total since October 2025, according to the YouMail Robocall Index.

August volume falls to 125.4 million calls per day, reversing a year-long upward trend

Daily robocall averages dropped to 125.4 million calls, or 1,451 calls per second, down from July's 139.3 million calls per day and 1,612 calls per second. The decline pulls August volumes back to levels last seen in January and February, breaking the upward trajectory that had persisted through most of 2026.