The three leading U.S. indexes closed at record highs on Thursday as investors shrugged off concerns tied to a U.S. government shutdown that had entered its second day.
The S&P 500 inched up 0.06% to close at 6,715.35. It was up 0.3% at the day's peak, reaching a fresh all-time intraday high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 78.62 points, or 0.17%, to finish the day at 46,519.72, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.39% to finish at 22,844.05. The tech heavy index also hit a new intraday record as well, supported by a gain in Nvidia shares, which also reached an all-time high, as investors continued to pile into the artificial intelligence giant.
Weighing on sentiment, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC Thursday that gross domestic product may "see a hit" as a result of the current government shutdown. His comments heightened investors' fears that U.S. economic performance will suffer more of a blow the longer the shutdown persists.
Hopes that the federal funding lapse would be brief and therefore limit any serious effects on the economy sent the three major U.S. stock indexes into the green in the previous session, with the S&P 500 finishing above the 6,700 threshold for the first time. The Dow likewise saw a record close in the prior trading day.
The shutdown began after top Democrats and Republicans failed Tuesday to meet the deadline to agree on a deal that would keep the government funded. Lawmakers blamed each other for the stoppage as Democrats stayed firm on their demands to use the measure to extend health care tax credits for millions of Americans.
President Donald Trump said Thursday that Democrats have given him an "unprecedented opportunity" to cut federal agencies.
"The shutdown seems to be playing out as expected with both sides preferring to talk at each other through microphones rather than negotiate a real budget that funds the government long term," said Brian Mulberry, senior client portfolio manager at Zacks Investment Management. "Markets will tolerate this for a few days, but if the administration is successful in trimming down various departments it may be seen as a long-term positive but short-term disruption."
While the market has historically not been affected much by government shutdowns, investors are paying closer attention to this one given the more volatile policy and macroeconomic backdrop, elevated market valuations and concentration levels amid the AI-led rally and ongoing inflation concerns. Moreover, Trump has threatened permanent mass firings of federal workers under a shutdown, exacerbating existing worries about a slowing labor market.
The biggest question for investors is how long the current stalemate will last. It is likely to drag on for at least three days with the Senate set to be out of session Thursday in observance of Yom Kippur, making Friday the next day Senators would be expected to vote again. On prediction markets, traders are betting that the shutdown could drag on for nearly two weeks.
An economic data blackout during the shutdown this week is also top of mind, as the September nonfarm payrolls report will not be released on Friday given the Labor Department's pause on virtually all activity. The Federal Reserve is expected announce an interest rate cut at its upcoming October meeting after Wednesday morning's ADP data reflected a drop in private payrolls last month and as further ramifications of the ongoing shutdown remain to be seen.
