Following upbeat consumer sentiment numbers, Dow futures trading has advanced, reflecting optimism for retail-led Q3 growth. Technical charts indicate a possible channel breakout above 39, That also means the shutdown is unlikely to stretch into the FOMC window, meaning the committee will be able to receive and review the government data it traditionally relies on to make decisions, even if on a delayed basis. Elsewhere, the employment index nudged higher to a still-contractionary 47.2 while the prices index also was edged up to 69.4. Order backlogs posted a strong 6.9-point gain to 47.3 while new orders and inventories both fell by more than 5 points. Dow futures trading edged higher in pre-market action, with contracts up 0.25% at 39,580, reflecting optimism after strong U.S. retail sales data. Traders are watching tomorrow’s Fed minutes for clues on interest rate pacing, which could sway the equity index.