Stock futures for today suggest muted moves at the open, despite overnight strength in Asian equities. S&P futures up 0.1%, Nasdaq futures up 0.15% indicate investors remain cautious into European close. The indices dropped as the U.S. federal government officially entered a shutdown at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1, after Congress failed to reach an agreement on a spending plan. On Friday, new AI deals boosted optimism. Hitachi LTD ( 6501.T ) teamed up with OpenAI ( OPAI.PVT ) on energy projects, while Fujitsu ( 6501.T ) expanded work with Nvidia ( NVDA ). Other sectors also continued standout performances — most notably pharma stocks, which by one measure were headed toward their best week in over a decade . Stock futures for today are marginally higher, with investors awaiting fresh consumer spending figures. The market is pricing in softer economic growth, potentially lowering Fed tightening risks, which is lending a bid to equity index futures across the board.
