Sales of corporate bonds to Japan’s mom and pop investors are booming, on track to surpass last year’s record as bigger returns draw buyers looking to protect their savings from inflation.

Well-known names such as railway operator Keio Corp. and supermarket giant Aeon Co. are among those tapping the retail bond market, with the latter selling its debut retail bond on Friday.

Employers in the US showed little enthusiasm to take on workers during August, and the unemployment rate probably ticked up to an almost four-year high, adding to evidence of a more subdued labor market.

Economists project about 75,000 jobs were added, based on the median of a Bloomberg survey, while the jobless rate is seen at 4.3%. Four straight months of sub-100,000 payrolls growth would mark the weakest such stretch since the onset of the pandemic in 2020.

An Elliott Investment Management affiliate emerged as the recommended bidder in the court-ordered auction of Citgo Petroleum Corp.’s parent, offering $5.89 billion and a deal to pay off bondholders that have a pledge on the asset.

On the other side of the legal fight was Gold Reserve Ltd., a Venezuelan creditor suing the country for the expropriation of its mining assets. The firm was also offering to buy US-based PDV Holding, Citgo’s parent, for more than $7 billion in a proposal that would exclude bondholders.