September data just dropped and it's not pretty—US consumer spending basically flatlined. Americans were already feeling the squeeze before the government shutdown even hit, and inflation? Still refusing to budge.

This isn't just about groceries costing more. When household budgets are this tight, discretionary spending takes a hit first. People pull back, sentiment shifts, and that ripple effect touches everything—including risk assets.

The timing couldn't be worse either. Walking into a shutdown when wallets are already thin? That's a recipe for even more economic drag. Markets hate uncertainty, and this combo of stalled spending plus stubborn price pressures is exactly the kind of cocktail that makes investors nervous.

Keep an eye on how this plays out. Macro conditions like these don't exist in a vacuum—they shape sentiment across all asset classes.