U.S. futures traded higher on Monday, with market participants closely following the ongoing American government shutdown, which has led to the postponement of key economic indicators—data that would typically inform the Federal Reserve’s upcoming decision on interest rates, sending gold price to another record high amid market uncertainties.
As negotiations between Republicans and Democrats remain at a standstill, a senior White House official cautioned that widescale federal layoffs could ensue absent a breakthrough. In corporate news, Constellation Brands will disclose its latest earnings figures, while in Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party’s Sanae Takaichi is set to become the country’s first female prime minister following her surprise leadership victory.
U.S. stock futures posted gains in early trade, reflecting investor optimism amid political uncertainty. As of 05:30 P.M. (GMT+7), Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 77.7 points, or 0.17%, to 46,836 points, while S&P 500 futures rose 24.30 points, or 0.36%, to 6,740.10 points. Meanwhile, Nasdaq 100 futures added 145.60 points, or 0.59%, to 24,931.10 points.
This comes after a turbulent end to last week’s session, which saw the Dow and S&P 500 secure record closes, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.3%. The tech-heavy index struggled as shares of Applied Materials slid following the chip equipment manufacturer’s forecast of a $600 million hit to fiscal 2026 revenues.
