U.S. equity futures edged higher early Thursday after President Donald Trump signed a funding measure that formally ends the longest federal government shutdown in the nation’s history. With Washington finally reopening, traders are preparing for a wave of delayed economic releases—though the White House has already cautioned that some key October indicators may never appear. Meanwhile, Cisco Systems raised its annual outlook on the back of AI-driven demand, and fresh data showed modest economic growth in the U.K. during the third quarter.
Futures push upward
U.S. index futures were in the green on Thursday as markets welcomed the decisive end to the record-breaking shutdown.
As of 02:59 ET, Dow futures were up 89 points, or 0.2%, S&P 500 futures added 6 points, or 0.1%, and Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 37 points, or 0.2%.
The major indexes had finished Wednesday’s session mixed: the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit yet another all-time closing high and the S&P 500 inched up, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped as investors rotated out of expensive tech names.
Sentiment was also dented by a report suggesting that operating costs at OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, may be significantly higher than previously believed—stoking further doubts about lofty artificial-intelligence stock valuations.
Even so, Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) jumped 9% after setting an ambitious $100 billion revenue goal for its data-center business.
Trump signs bill to end historic shutdown
Late Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed legislation unlocking federal funds and ending the 43-day shutdown, the longest on record. The bill had cleared the House of Representatives in a 222–209 vote, with support falling largely along party lines, after passing the Senate earlier in the week.
The signing took place at the Oval Office and formally reversed the White House’s furloughs of federal employees, ensuring their pay resumes. Yet the dispute over enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies—central to the shutdown—remains unresolved.
For markets, the government’s reopening means key U.S. macroeconomic releases should soon resume. Analysts at ING noted: “With a bit of luck, we may see job numbers starting early next week,” though officials have warned that October’s jobs and inflation reports may never be published because of the disruption. The absence of those figures would leave Federal Reserve policymakers short of critical data ahead of their December rate decision.
Cisco lifts full-year outlook
Shares of Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) rose more than 7% in after-hours trading after the company upgraded its full-year financial guidance.
Banking on surging AI-related demand that is driving massive data-center expansion, the company now expects fiscal 2026 revenue of $60.2 billion to $61 billion, up from its prior $59 billion to $60 billion estimate. Adjusted earnings guidance was also raised to $4.08–$4.14 per share, compared to the earlier $4–$4.06 range.
Cisco said it anticipates generating $3 billion in revenue from AI infrastructure this year. The stock has climbed roughly 25% year-to-date amid widespread investment in cloud-computing capacity tied to artificial intelligence.
U.K. growth barely registers in Q3
The U.K. economy expanded only slightly during the third quarter and even contracted in September, ahead of what is expected to be a tax-heavy budget from Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed GDP rising 0.1% between July and September, following a 0.3% increase in the previous quarter. Monthly GDP slipped 0.1% in September, pointing to a tough end to the year. Annual growth eased to 1.3%, down from 1.4% the month before.
Gold breaks above $4,200
Gold climbed beyond $4,200 per ounce, extending its rally as investors remained cautious about the U.S. economic backdrop even after Congress resolved the shutdown.
The metal has gained steadily over the past week, boosted by weak private-sector labor data that fueled expectations of a Fed rate cut in December. Gains have cooled, however, amid reports suggesting Federal Reserve officials remain split on whether to ease policy next month.
Persistent central-bank demand—particularly from China—has also bolstered prices. Data showed the People’s Bank of China increased its gold reserves for the 12th consecutive month in September.