Major US stock indices close higher with the NASDAQ leading the way with a gain of 0.42%. However it was the Dow industrial average and the S&P index which both closed at record levels. A snapshot of the closing levels shows:
- Dow industrial average rose 43.21 points or 0.09% at 46441.10
- S&P rose 22.74 points or 0.34% at 6711.20
- NASDAQ index rose 95.15 points or 0.42% at 22755.16
Small-cap Russell 2000 rose 5.86 points or 0.24% at 2442.35.
Markets largely shrugged off the government shutdown, operating under the assumption that lawmakers will eventually resolve the impasse. With the U.S. government closed tomorrow for the Jewish holiday, the earliest opportunity for Congress to reconvene will be on Friday. In the meantime, key economic data will be impacted: weekly jobless claims will not be released tomorrow, and the highly anticipated U.S. jobs report scheduled for Friday is also unlikely to be published due to the shutdown.
