IDD Daily Brief: Tuesday, Nov 10, 2026 — October CPI rises 0.4%, NRG sells $4 billion of gas plants and Berkshire's operating earnings slip
Published
> “When you don’t know and you don’t have any special competence, don’t be afraid to say so.” — Charlie Munger
The Big Picture
- Consumer prices rose 0.4% in October. The Consumer Price Index increased 0.4 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis after a 0.6 percent rise in September, and the index excluding food and energy rose 0.3 percent for a third straight month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
- NRG Energy agreed to sell six natural gas plants for $4 billion. The 4.9 gigawatts of generation go to LS Power for cash, and NRG plans to use the proceeds to support $3 billion of share repurchases across 2026 and 2027 plus $2 billion of additional debt reduction.
- Berkshire Hathaway's operating earnings slipped 5.8% to $12.705 billion. Insurance underwriting and insurance investment income fell in the third quarter, and Berkshire said it acquired an estimated $9.6 billion of its own shares.
Economic Data
- October CPI: The all items index rose 0.4 percent, with shelter up 0.3 percent and accounting for over thirty percent of the monthly increase, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The food index rose 0.5 percent and the energy index rose 0.7 percent after a 5.2 percent increase in September.
- Core and components: The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.3 percent, led by recreation, medical care, motor vehicle insurance, household furnishings and operations, and education. The used cars and trucks index fell 1.2 percent and the communication index fell 0.1 percent.
What it means: BLS said it cannot publish 12-month percent changes for most October 2026 indexes because it did not collect October 2025 survey data during the 2025 lapse in appropriations.
Earnings
Reported since yesterday's brief
- Constellation Energy (CEG): Adjusted operating earnings rose to $5.06 a share from $3.04, and the company narrowed full-year guidance to $12.50 to $12.80 a share, raising the midpoint, according to its 8-K.