Stifel Bits

Summary

• Ben Shelton defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a historic U.S. Open quarterfinal that ended at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish in tournament history.
• Alexander Zverev won the 2026 U.S. Open men's title.
• Elena Rybakina captured her first U.S. Open crown.
• Nearly 800,000 Honey Deuces were sold during the 2026 U.S. Open.
• Wimbledon excluded influencers from its premises.
• The gap in science test scores is 28 points between students who never or almost never use AI for writing assignments (509) and those who use it daily (481).
• One intern used Rogo AI at an unnamed big bank at an annualized pace of $250,000 in token usage, prompting the implementation of guardrails.
• U.S. box office ticket sales from May through Labor Day reached a record $4.76 billion.
• The expected attendance at this year's Oktoberfest in Munich is 6.7 million.
• The annual August consumer price index inflation rate was 3.4%, with gasoline prices 27.4% higher than a year ago.
• Fantasy football has become a major attention magnet, causing fans to watch more games, follow more teams, and stay engaged longer.
• Fantasy platforms now utilize AI-powered draft tools, lineup recommendations, \& new league formats to maintain manager engagement.
• Snoop Dogg's Dr. Bombay ice cream brand is hiring an International Ice Cream Taster for $10,000 per month for three months.
• Unemployment among 22- to 34-year-olds without college degrees is near historic lows due to strong demand for skilled trades workers.
• Apple debuted the foldable iPhone Duo, which allows users to run two apps side by side.
• Rivian launched the R2, a smaller \& more affordable SUV designed for suburban life.
• Barilla acquired mac \& cheese disruptor Goodles, which holds 7.8% of U.S. category spending.
• UBS requires prospective junior bankers to demonstrate AI proficiency alongside academic credentials.
• Novo Nordisk is publicly going by the mononym "Novo" while keeping its legal name intact.