Market Update

Hot CPI, CoreWeave's Financing Strain, a 3.6% Social Security COLA, and Why Housing Is Next

By Corey HinklePublished October 14, 2026

The short answer

On October 14, 2026, Corey Hinkle discussed a 3.7% year-over-year CPI reading, financing pressure at CoreWeave, a 3.6% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, and plans for more housing coverage. These are one day's observations in a financial education presentation, not forecasts or personalized advice.

Full video transcript

Very big news day today where we're going to talk about inflation. We're going to talk about something interesting that CoreWeave's doing, what stocks are moving in the market. We're going to look at the Social Security cost of living update. And then what I'm most interested in discussing today is that we're going to increase some of our coverage on the housing market over these next couple of weeks, maybe even months because there's not only interesting price action going on, but there's interesting developments happening in the housing market all over the country right now. And I think it's something that we haven't highlighted enough on the show and we need to adjust accordingly. So before I begin, I must remind this is a financial education presentation. You must do your own due diligence before acting on anything you hear in this presentation. More disclaimer information can be found on ankerstarwealth.com. The opinions expressed are mine alone. We do have some volatility creeping into the S&P 500 today, down about two-thirds of a percent as is. Look, it still seems like this is a market that wants to go higher. There are quite a few problems right now. Bond yields and the volatility that have resulted in these higher bond yields, that's not favorable for risk assets. Oil continuing higher, pushing to new highs. I didn't look to see if the energy sector ETF hit an all-time high today, but I know it did yesterday and I think it's up again today. So, I'm guessing that it's another new all-time high for the energy sector ETF out there. These are real problems and headwinds to a market, to the economy, and as I look at it, you know, the market has not responded to that. The market has not accurately kind of priced in any ongoing disruption related to rates or oil or anything else for that matter. Right? We are still sitting at all-time highs on the S&P 500. So, my read into that is that this is a market that wants to go higher. It's looking for a reason. It's looking for the administration to pivot. It's looking for some peace after the elections coming up. It's looking for anything, any reason to go higher here. And I think you have to kind of keep that in the back of your mind. Okay. So, some of these headlines can be concerning and you just want to be mindful that the market does want to go higher here. It's just looking for a reason. It can't find enough of a reason to. So, again, you know, a hot CPI number, and we'll touch on that. Inflation number dropped this morning. You know, 3.7% year-over-year. Core inflation, which takes energy out, which why would you do that, was only up 2.6% year-over-year. Okay. But this is, it's just too much inflation. And the Federal Reserve is taking measures to counteract it. But one of the things we'll talk about is as you raise rates, you're trying to offset demand. You're trying to cool things down. You know, it's running too hot. You're trying to cool things down, but the biggest spenders in today's market do not care about inflation, right? Google, Meta, Amazon, Tesla, SpaceX, or who are we at? Oracle, any of the, you know, even Microsoft building the data centers, they're out there thinking if we can reach artificial general intelligence, then the return on our investment will be infinite. So, we're not deterred by higher rates or inflation. We are trying to build something more elusive than, you know, like anything anyone has built before and they're not going to slow down. Now, the semiconductors, why are they going to be selling down like this today? These high rates, these debt problems are piling up, not only for Oracle, but also for CoreWeave. And CoreWeave truly does have some level of bankruptcy risk. So with the higher rates and the hotter inflation signaling that the Fed will continue to raise rates, some CoreWeave bonds are already yielding like 15% based on how they've deteriorated since issuance. I don't know what the sticker rate was for CoreWeave, but you know, the current buyer of those is locking in like 15%. CoreWeave can't really pay for these debts. CoreWeave announced that they're going to issue 35 million shares of equity. So, you think about CoreWeave, they're not a profitable company. They're having to pay for these debts, right? They're building out the data centers, leasing it out. That's the business model. If you're looking to raise money, you're thinking, well, we can raise debt. Well, there's no demand for CoreWeave debt at this point. I guess when I say no demand, it's like it's shrinking. So, maybe "no" is the wrong word. But then the other avenue to raise money would be to issue equity. So, CoreWeave is kind of doing both. They announce it's like a preferred, it's either preferred equity or preferred stock offering and then it's going to be an equity offering at open market equity offering of like $2.5 billion, aka if you own the stock like 8% you know, they're going to issue 8% or so more shares than what currently exists and they're going to dilute you away and then essentially, you know, devalue the shares that you own. People don't want to own that. So, I don't know. They're kind of running out of leash, it seems, on some of these financing deals, you know, and that's one of the big buyers. Oracle is, too. Of course, you have the hyperscalers as well, but we can talk more about CoreWeave later, but in the event that CoreWeave does have like structural problems that go much deeper than just having to sell some additional stock, you could then have additional capacity, additional data center capacity, hit the market, right? Looking for a new buyer and then causing additional supply which wouldn't be good for any of the semiconductors. And we've talked about a lot of these things at length. This is kind of the newest iteration of it. Inflation's hot. Rates are going to potentially continue higher. That's not really a shock. But then how does that filter through to the AI race? At this point it hasn't at all, but it could. And if there was going to be a first domino to fall there, it might be an Oracle or a CoreWeave. So, I hope I did an okay job kind of explaining some of that. It's very complex at this point. But higher rates, hotter inflation, not bullish as it relates to any of the above. Social Security Administration announces 3.6% cost of living adjustment for 2027. This is kind of in line with what we've seen on the wage growth nationally. So, this isn't outside of the norm there. This is kind of in line with inflation and wage growth. So, makes sense. And that's good that folks will be able to preserve their purchasing power in retirement there through their Social Security benefits. You know, that's a scary thing for folks who spend 20 years retired, right? You depend on this and you maybe or maybe not your nest egg is keeping up with inflation. That's not always the case. So for these benefits to keep up with inflation is very helpful to folks. All right, to kind of the bigger story of the day. Housing. We're seeing some questionable price activity in the home construction ETF. That probably comes as no surprise to anyone because housing has been dead for multiple years now. But in this there's multiple stories and I'm not going to get into all of them today. I'm sort of introducing the topic and we're going to be kind of coming back to it over and over the coming months. People first of all, people do have interest in housing. Not only do lots of folks own their own home, but people do have a general interest in real estate investing more broadly through either REITs or through rental homes or either in syndicates where you're taking your own piece of a larger real estate asset, commercial real estate. There's lots of interest in this from people. People understand real estate more inherently than they understand stock market investing because, I don't know, maybe you grew up in a house, you just feel like you kind of understand the asset in a more natural way than maybe you do CoreWeave stock, for example, which we were just talking about. So I'm going to highlight some of these stories. There's some interesting stuff going on with LAR. There's interesting stuff going on with some of the homebuilders as it relates to these interest rate buydowns. Why are they doing interest rate buydowns? How common are interest rate buydowns? Does any of this, you know, how prevalent is it? What are the consequences or pros and cons? What stories are being told to people who are assuming these mortgages as they buy new homes from builders? Where in the country are these dynamics more or less impactful? So there's a lot of that going on and I'm going to be highlighting some of that over the coming weeks in more detail one at a time. But bringing it a little more local here. There has been some increase in foreclosures in Texas over the past year. Now we are nowhere near like some scary level. So, it's not scary. That's not the word. But it is interesting, I would say. And I've never been to one of these foreclosure auctions. I'm looking at going to the next one in Williamson County. So, that's a local one. Again, lots of our clients would be familiar with Williamson County here in Texas, in terms of folks who are clients in Texas. And they do these once a month foreclosure auctions. And I went and looked at a real estate app last night and I was kind of reading about this. There is an increase in foreclosures and I was seeing it on like a Zillow map more than I had in the past. And I was thinking I've never been to one of these foreclosure auctions. I'm just curious who's there. Are these mostly mom and pop, you know, rental companies, small LLCs looking to go scoop up a property for cheap? Are these bigger companies? Are these other banks? I don't know exactly what pool of people will be there, but this is a live auction where it goes to the highest cash bidder. And actually, you can see I clicked on the first one there. This is just a single family home in Williamson County. It looks like the obligations of the person who got foreclosed on here were pretty significant, even higher than the home value. So it looked like this would be maybe the first one auctioned that morning and I was looking at the home value. It looked like they might have had somehow $600,000 in obligations on this, but the home value peaked around $500,000 and then of course it's being foreclosed on now. So I'm just kind of curious what this looks like. How does this relate to what we do? We do work with folks on any aspect of building wealth in their life and real estate investing is part of that that we do advise people on and that's what we spend most of our time doing. So when I put out a show like this, I try to do the very best that I can to make it educational, beneficial, and insightful. But I would be lying if I said that we're spending a majority of our time trying to make the most polished YouTube video you can find. You know, we're spending the majority of our time advising our clients and doing research to the benefit of our clients. But one of the ways that we advise people is related to real estate. And I've just never been to a foreclosure auction. So, I don't have anything I can offer to someone who wants to have that conversation or even has that come up in a conversation that we're talking about as it pertains to real estate investing. So, this would be educational for me. I'm looking at going there on November 3rd and at some point maybe reporting that back. That'd be part of kind of the ongoing real estate focus topic that I'll be hitting in multiple ways. So anyway, I hope you, you know, stay with us on that journey. There's quite a bit of interesting stuff going on in real estate right now and, you know, we'll be kind of learning a few things together along the way. Thanks for joining us and of course look forward to talking to you.

Key Takeaways

• The S&P 500 was down about two-thirds of a percent while still sitting near all-time highs. Corey reads it as a market that wants to go higher but is waiting for a reason, and he lists bond yields, oil, and inflation as real headwinds.

• According to the video, headline CPI was 3.7% year over year and the core measure was 2.6%. Corey says inflation is still running too hot.

• Corey says the largest AI spenders are not slowing down for higher rates, while debt and financing strain at Oracle and CoreWeave showed up in semiconductor selling.

• The Social Security Administration announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, which Corey describes as in line with national wage growth and inflation.

• Housing coverage is expanding on the show, starting with a rise in Texas foreclosures and a Williamson County foreclosure auction Corey plans to attend on November 3.

Why does Corey say the market still wants to go higher?

Corey's read is that the S&P 500 is holding near all-time highs despite higher bond yields, elevated volatility, and oil pushing to new highs because buyers are waiting for a catalyst, such as a shift in administration policy or relief after the coming elections. The index was down about two-thirds of a percent when he recorded. He believed the energy-sector ETF had set another all-time high, though he said he had not checked that day. Corey covers this at (0:48).

He is clear that the headwinds are real and that, in his view, the market has not fully priced in ongoing disruption from rates or oil. A market near highs can still fall, and one day of trading does not predict what follows. These are Corey's opinions in a financial education presentation, not a forecast.

What did the 3.7% inflation reading show?

According to the video, the inflation report released the morning of October 14 showed headline inflation up 3.7% year over year, while the core measure, which removes energy, was up 2.6%. Corey questions why anyone would strip out energy and says the result is still too much inflation. He covers the numbers at (2:54).

He notes that the Federal Reserve is taking measures to counteract inflation, and that raising rates is meant to offset demand and cool the economy. How inflation affects a household depends on its spending, debt, and income, which is a question for financial planning rather than a single data point.

Why might the biggest AI spenders ignore higher rates?

Corey's explanation is that the largest spenders in the market are not responding to inflation or rate hikes because they are pursuing something they see as unprecedented. He names Google, Meta, Amazon, Tesla, SpaceX, Oracle, and Microsoft as companies building data centers, and he characterizes their thinking this way: if artificial general intelligence is reached, the return on their investment will be "infinite." He covers this at (3:23).

That is Corey's characterization of other companies' motives, and no one can say whether the spending will pay off. For investors, the planning takeaway is concentration: when a large share of market momentum depends on one theme, a slowdown in that theme can affect many holdings at once. Reviewing that exposure belongs in investment planning, alongside diversification and tolerance for loss.

How does CoreWeave's financing strain connect to semiconductor stocks?

Corey ties the day's selling in semiconductors to rising debt problems at Oracle and CoreWeave, which he says are made harder by higher rates and hotter inflation. He says CoreWeave is not profitable, builds data centers it leases out, and has some level of bankruptcy risk. He also says some of its bonds have deteriorated since issuance, so a current buyer would lock in a yield of about 15%. He covers this at (4:22).

On equity, Corey describes a preferred offering plus an open-market stock offering of about $2.5 billion, which he estimates could add roughly 8% more shares and dilute existing shareholders (5:05). He adds that if CoreWeave's problems proved structural, more data center capacity could reach the market and weigh on semiconductors, and that if a first domino were to fall, it might be Oracle or CoreWeave (7:14).

These are Corey's characterizations as of October 14, 2026. This recap does not verify them and is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. Higher rates and inflation had not yet filtered through to the broader AI race, in his words, but it could happen.

What does the 3.6% Social Security COLA mean for retirees?

The Social Security Administration announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2027, which Corey describes as in line with national wage growth and inflation. A COLA is designed to help benefits keep pace with rising prices. Corey covers the announcement at (7:36).

Corey notes why this matters over a long retirement: someone who spends 20 years retired may depend on these benefits while their own savings may or may not keep up with inflation. How a COLA fits into one person's income depends on their benefit amount, taxes, health-care costs, and other resources. Questions like these are part of retirement planning.

Why is housing getting more coverage on the show?

Corey says the show will cover housing more closely over the next weeks and possibly months because of questionable price action in the home construction ETF and a range of developments across the country. He points out that many people own a home and are interested in real estate through REITs, rental homes, syndicates, or commercial property, and that many people understand real estate more naturally than stock investing. He introduces the topic at (8:31).

Planned topics include why homebuilders offer interest rate buydowns, how common they are, what the pros and cons may be for buyers assuming those mortgages, and where in the country the effects are larger or smaller. Any real estate decision involves trade-offs in cash flow, leverage, liquidity, and taxes, which is why it fits within a broader financial plan.

What is happening with foreclosures in Texas?

Corey says foreclosures in Texas have increased over the past year, though he stresses they are nowhere near a scary level. His evidence is informal: he read about it on a real estate app and saw more foreclosure listings on a map than before. A rise in one state over one year is not, by itself, a measure of the broader housing market. He covers this at (10:30).

Williamson County holds foreclosure auctions once a month, sold live to the highest cash bidder. Corey looked at one single-family listing where he thought the obligations might be around $600,000 against a home value that peaked near $500,000. He plans to attend the November 3 auction to see who bids, and may report back. He frames it as personal education, since real estate investing is part of what the firm advises on. Foreclosure auctions carry real risks, and this recap is not a recommendation to attend or bid.

Putting the headlines back into your plan

Inflation readings, financing strain at AI companies, a Social Security COLA, and shifts in housing can all feel urgent on the same day. A plan built around goals, time horizon, cash needs, and diversification is designed to be less dependent on any one headline being right.

If these topics raise questions about your own situation, contact Ankerstar Wealth to talk through how they relate to your plan. Any decision should reflect your circumstances and a full review of risks and trade-offs.

This article is general information, not personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Your situation is specific to you — talk to a qualified professional before acting on anything here.

Frequently asked questions

What did the October 14, 2026 inflation report show?

According to the video, headline inflation was up 3.7% year over year and the core measure, which removes energy, was up 2.6%. Corey says that is still too much inflation. These figures come from the video and should be checked against the official release.

What is the 2027 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment?

The Social Security Administration announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, according to the video. Corey describes it as in line with national wage growth and inflation. How it affects an individual's income depends on their benefit, taxes, and other factors.

Why did semiconductor stocks sell off, according to the video?

Corey links the selling to higher rates, hotter inflation, and mounting debt problems at Oracle and CoreWeave. He says that if CoreWeave had deeper structural problems, more data center capacity could reach the market. These are his views as of October 14, 2026, not verified facts or advice.

What does dilution mean when a company issues new shares?

Dilution happens when a company issues new shares, so each existing share represents a smaller portion of the company. In the video, Corey says CoreWeave's planned stock offering could add about 8% more shares. Whether dilution affects a share's value depends on how the new money is used.

Are foreclosures rising in Texas?

Corey says foreclosures in Texas have increased over the past year but are nowhere near a scary level. His observation is based on a real estate app and a map, not a complete data set. He plans to attend a Williamson County foreclosure auction on November 3.

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