October 6, 2025

The US stock futures showed a slight rise on Monday, October 6, even as the federal government shutdown entered its second week. Investors are staying upbeat, expecting the recent market rally to continue. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures edged up 0.1%, S&P 500 futures gained 0.3%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 futures led with a 0.5% jump. The recent rally has pushed these major indexes to record highs, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq gaining in four out of the last five weeks, while the Dow marked three positive weeks in four. Even though lawmakers have not agreed on funding, closing many government offices, the stock market seems to shrug off the political mess. This shutdown has halted important economic data releases, including the crucial September jobs report. Steve Sosnick, Chief Strategist at Interactive Brokers, said, "All news is good news, and no news matters. Missing the jobs report removes one potential obstacle to the market's relentless rise." With fresh government data on hold, investors will now look to Federal Reserve officials for clues. Fed Governor Stephen Miran speaks on Wednesday, followed by Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday. Private reports, like the University of Michigan’s October consumer sentiment survey, will also help investors get a read on the economy. Big companies are gearing up to report third-quarter earnings, including PepsiCo, Delta Air Lines, and Levi Strauss. Goldman Sachs strategist David Kostin expects these companies to beat the low earnings predictions, thanks to strong US economic growth and excitement over artificial intelligence (AI). He forecasts the S&P 500 profits will rise by 7.2%, while sales growth may slow a bit to 5.9%. In early trades, Tesla shares jumped more than 2%, fueled by buzz around a new product event on Tuesday. Micron Technology also climbed 3% following a Morgan Stanley upgrade, and UiPath shares soared 10% after announcing AI partnerships with big names like Nvidia, Alphabet, Snowflake, and OpenAI. Meanwhile, gold prices raced toward the $4,000 mark, hitting $3,940 an ounce, as worried investors sought safe havens amid the government shutdown and hopes for Federal Reserve rate cuts. Around the world, Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 4.75% to a record high after Sanae Takaichi became the new prime minister. But France’s CAC 40 fell 1.3% following the surprise resignation of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, which spiked French bond yields. With no fresh US government data coming in, this week’s market mood will mainly be shaped by corporate earnings reports, AI excitement, and Federal Reserve speeches. All eyes are on Jerome Powell to see what lies ahead for interest rates and the economy.

Read More at Economictimes →

Tags: U.s. stock futures, Federal government shutdown, Market rally, Earnings season, Ai stocks, Federal reserve,