United States stock futures continued to climb on Thursday night (Friday AEDT) although markets had closed lower after reaching record highs earlier in the week.
Dow futures were up 0.09% to 46,635.00 as of 9:50 am AEDT, while S&P 500 futures rose 0.08% to 6,784.75 and Nasdaq futures increased 0.10% to 25,314.25.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average had closed 0.52% lower the previous day. The S&P closed 0.28% lower, and the Nasdaq closed 0.06% lower.
U.S. economic data, including September’s jobs report, has largely been delayed amid the ongoing government shutdown.
The consumer price index is expected on 15 October, but will also be affected by the shutdown if it continues.
Nvidia stock was up 1.43% in pre-market trading, following reports that it had backed a US$20 billion funding round by Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI.
Semiconductor company SEALSQ’s shares continued to rise by 6.19% pre-market.
Its shares surged by 39.7% yesterday after it announced a partnership with Trusted Semiconductor Solutions to develop post-quantum cryptography technology for U.S. government agencies.
Earnings reports yesterday from Delta Air Lines and PepsiCo surpassed estimates, with reporting season to fully begin next week.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government shutdown has extended into a ninth day, with a seventh set of votes on Republican and Democratic funding proposals failing in the Senate.
U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed the administration will permanently “cut Democrat programs” if Democrats do not agree to pass a funding bill, and it has already frozen federal funding for projects in majority-Democratic areas since the shutdown began.
