US Stocks Fall Following Government Shutdown; Conagra Brands Posts Upbeat Earnings

Market Overview - U.S. stocks traded lower with the Dow Jones falling approximately 0.1% as the federal government entered a shutdown due to Congress's failure to agree on a spending plan [1] - The Dow traded down 0.08% to 46,360.72, NASDAQ fell 0.36% to 22,577.49, and S&P 500 dropped 0.29% to 6,669.38 [1] Sector Performance - Health care shares increased by 0.9% on Wednesday, while communication services stocks decreased by 1.2% [2] Company Earnings - Conagra Brands Inc reported better-than-expected earnings for Q1, posting earnings of 39 cents per share, surpassing the analyst consensus estimate of 33 cents per share [3] - The company also reported quarterly sales of $2.633 billion, exceeding the analyst consensus estimate of $2.615 billion [3] - Conagra Brands affirmed FY2026 adjusted earnings guidance of $1.70 to $1.85 per share [3] Stock Movements - Chijet Motor Company, Inc. shares surged 173% to $0.4432 after entering an MOU for a private placement offering of up to $1 billion [8] - Ryvyl Inc. shares increased 60% to $0.4708 following a $75 million merger agreement with RTB Digital [8] - Healthcare Triangle, Inc. shares rose 25% to $3.27 after its QuantumNexis EMR platform surpassed $20 million in processed revenue [8] - Cheer Holding, Inc. shares dropped 72% to $0.1876 after announcing an $8.5 million offering [8] - Reitar Logtech Holdings Limited shares fell 35% to $4.60, and Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. shares decreased 29% to $0.2033 after a reverse stock split announcement [8] Economic Indicators - U.S. private businesses cut 32,000 jobs in September, contrasting with market estimates of a 50,000 gain [10] - The volume of mortgage applications in the U.S. declined by 12.7% in the week ending Sept. 26 [10]