In the week ending October 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance was 246,000, unchanged from the previous week’s revised level of 246,000. The four-week moving average was 249,250, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week’s revised average of 252,750. This is the lowest level for this average since November 3, 1973 when it was 244,000.

The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is 3.47%, up from 3.42% one week ago, according to Freddie Mac. The average interest rate for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage is 2.76%, up from 2.72%. 

Thursday, the Dow was down 45.26 points (0.25%) at 18,098.94, the NASDAQ lost 25.69 points (0.49%) to finish at 5,213.33, and the S&P 500 decreased 6.63 points (0.31%) to 2,132.55. The Russell 2000 fell 11.48 points (0.94%) to 1,215.74, and the Wilshire 5000 closed 89.69 points (0.40%) lower at 22,167.79.

On the NYSE, 3.1 billion shares changed hands with declining issues outnumbering advancing issues 2 to 1. On the NASDAQ, 2.9 billion shares traded, with a more than 2 to 1 lead for decliners.

The price of the 10-year Treasury note was up 8/32, decreasing its yield to 1.745%. The price of the 30-year Treasury bond increased 11/32, bringing its yield down to 2.482%. 

And now it’s time for FRIDAY FILES!

In Landaff, New Hampshire, a couple’s wedding was delayed for hours―because the groom’s mother went for a walk. According to the Associated Press, the mother had gone for a walk in nearby woods, and went she didn’t return in time for the wedding, help was called. Several troopers responded with conservation officers from New Hampshire Fish and Game and a K-9 unit. The woman was found an hour and a half later. She had gotten lost.

In Half Moon Bay, California, a third-grade teacher from Washington State won a pumpkin-weighing contest. Hers weighed in at 1,910 pounds. At $6 a pound, the woman will receive nearly $11,500 in prize money.

In Falmouth, Maine, a 24-year-old woman was issued a summons after police caught her stealing a Trump campaign sign off public property. There were several more in her car. The Bangor Daily News reports that the woman told police she “is upset with Trump.”

In Omaha, Nebraska, a man was worried after he couldn’t reach his grandmother, who lives in Palm Coast, Florida, after Hurricane Matthew struck. The man told ABC News, “I was calling the police department, I was calling the sheriff’s department, and no one was answering, so I was really worried.” So, he finally decided to order a pizza for her. He said he wrote a special instruction when he placed the pizza order, asking the delivery person to call his phone when the pizza was delivered. He then asked the deliveryman to give his cellphone to his grandmother so he could hear from her and make sure she was OK.  The man said when he heard his grandmother’s voice on the other line, he felt “relief, absolute relief.” He joked, “Police and fire couldn’t do it, but Papa John’s got there in 30 minutes and put the cellphone to her ear.”

In Houston, Texas, a former 911 operator has allegedly confessed to hanging up on callers seeking emergency help because “she did not want to talk to anyone at that time.” The local NBC News station reports, she is charged with two counts of interference with an emergency telephone call, a class A misdemeanor that carries a punishment of up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine for each count upon conviction.

Have a great weekend, everyone!