* The energy future the West wants is magical thinking
* Natural gas and electricity prices in Europe plunge from summer peaks
* Health insurance inflation, a key CPI input, is expected to drop sharply
* Microsoft reports profit slide amid slowdown in personal computing industry
* Hydropower, world’s biggest source of clean energy, is evaporating fast
* Atlanta Fed Mfg Index continues to report weak conditions in October
* US consumer confidence eases in October after gaining for two months
* US home prices decelerate at rapid rate in August:

Is the sharp selloff in the China stock market a buying opportunity? “Given the currently attractive valuations across Chinese technology stocks and the forward long-term growth outlook, we think the recent sell-off is a buying opportunity,” says Michael Wang, founder and chief executive officer of Prometheus Alternative Investments. “While we are currently buyers, given the volatility of Chinese stocks, we advise investors to position smaller than they typically would with U.S. comparable.” He adds: “As Xi cements his power, I think China’s current trajectory will continue to give investors pause and create an uncertain environment, particularly in the tech and e-commerce sectors.”