U.S. stock index futures edged higher Sunday evening, extending Wall Street’s rally from last week as investors shrugged off the economic uncertainty caused by an ongoing government shutdown. Optimism surrounding artificial intelligence and expectations of further Federal Reserve rate cuts fueled the gains, especially in the technology sector.
S&P 500 futures rose 0.3% to 6,782.25 points, Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.4% to 25,083.75 points, and Dow Jones futures advanced 0.2% to 47,144.0 points by 19:43 ET (23:43 GMT). The momentum followed a record-setting week for major indexes, with tech shares driving market strength.
Despite the optimism, the U.S. government shutdown continued with little progress in Congress toward passing a spending bill. The prolonged shutdown has disrupted operations across federal agencies, delaying the release of crucial economic reports, including nonfarm payrolls, trade data, and weekly jobless claims. This data blackout has left investors with limited insight into the current state of the U.S. economy.
White House officials warned that the latest shutdown could weigh more heavily on economic growth than previous ones, though historically such events have had a minimal lasting impact on markets. Meanwhile, private data releases such as the ADP payrolls and Challenger layoffs showed signs of a cooling labor market, reinforcing expectations that the Fed will continue cutting interest rates.
Last week, Wall Street closed on a strong note: the S&P 500 ended flat at 6,715.79 but gained 1.1% for the week; the Nasdaq Composite dipped 0.3% to 22,780.51 but climbed 1.3% weekly; and the Dow Jones rose 0.5% to 46,758.28, adding 1.1% for the week. Investors now look ahead to remarks from several Federal Reserve officials this week, including Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday, for clues on future monetary policy.