US stock futures were little changed on Thursday, following a record-setting trading session amid optimism for further interest-rate cuts from the Federal Reserve.
Contracts tied to the S&P 500 (ES=F), Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) and Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F) hovered just above the flat line.
Stocks bounced back on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 (^GSPC) and Nasdaq (^IXIC) clearing new records as Wall Street’s rally regained momentum following Tuesday’s pause. Investor sentiment got a boost after minutes from the Fed’s September policy meeting confirmed that while officials are divided on when and how to lower rates, most agree more cuts are likely this year. Gold (GC=F) also continued to climb after topping $4,000 for the first time this week.
No significant economic reports are scheduled for Thursday as the government shutdown drags on and delays the release economic data. Traders will be watching for earnings from Delta Air Lines (DAL) and PepsiCo (PEP).
Meanwhile, there’s still no end in sight to the government shutdown, now stretching past eight days. On Wednesday afternoon, the Senate rejected for the sixth time Republican and Democratic spending bills.
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