Stocks and Gold Rise as Longest U.S. Shutdown Ends
Global markets edged higher on Thursday after the end of the longest U.S. government shutdown on record, as investors welcomed the return of economic stability and looked ahead to a backlog of delayed U.S. data releases.
In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.3%, while the broader Topix index climbed further to reach a new all-time high, as investors rotated out of highly valued artificial intelligence stocks into broader sectors.
Gold held on to recent gains, trading above $4,200 an ounce, while U.S. Treasury yields were steady, with the 10-year note at 4.09%, reflecting a cautious but stable tone across global markets.
In Washington, President Donald Trump signed legislation in the Oval Office to officially end the record-breaking shutdown, shortly before hosting Wall Street executives for dinner at the White House.
Economists expect a flurry of delayed U.S. economic data to be released next week, with particular focus on whether the figures confirm weakness in the jobs market suggested by recent private surveys.
Elsewhere, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng pulled back slightly from a one-month high, while China’s Shanghai Composite rose 1% ahead of key credit and retail sales data due later this week.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a fresh record high overnight, though the Nasdaq Composite slipped as investors took profits in big tech stocks.
