U.S. EIA reformulated gasoline inventories fell 3,000 bbl in the week to Oct. 23, versus a 2,000-barrel decline in the prior week.

Asset managers and the San Francisco Fed warn that a surge in AI capital spending and equity wealth effects is lifting U.S. demand and making the Fed’s job of cooling inflation harder. PIMCO says AI-related investment is relatively insensitive to rate moves, so further Fed hikes may first depress real estate and other traditional sectors rather than AI capex; it recommends more gradual tightening to avoid disproportionate shocks to non-AI industries. The San Francisco Fed sees AI infrastructure lifting tech-equipment demand and prices but finds limited spillover of AI-driven price pressure to other sectors so far; it notes long-run productivity gains could ease inflation even as short-term capex raises prices. Goldman Sachs Asset Management estimates about $1trn of AI capex plus government spending has lifted activity and cites a tracked U.S. Q3 GDP of ~3.4%; it says AI-related tech price rises are boosting goods inflation and expects one more Fed hike this year, with further tightening into 2027 not assured if inflation normalizes. Morgan Stanley flags strong data-center demand but rising financing costs: since January the U.S. 5-year Treasury yield is up over 100bps and data-center credit spreads have widened, increasing funding headwinds for AI projects. BlackRock warns ROI and financing sustainability need closer scrutiny and that higher energy and resource demand for AI infrastructure could create new supply bottlenecks and inflationary pressure. Citi Wealth Management and U.S. Bank say AI investment is extending into the real economy and supporting corporate investment and consumption, but persistent inflation, high rates and geopolitical risk keep conditions volatile; a sharp pullback in AI capex would amplify slowdown risk as high rates squeeze financing.

US forces in Japan fired nine HIMARS rockets at the JGSDF East Fuji training range in Shizuoka Prefecture on Oct 28, the Japan Defence Ministry said; it was the second such live-fire exercise this year.