Stock Index Futures Slip as Shutdown Deadline Looms, U.S. JOLTs Report and Fed Speak Awaited

Monetary Policy and Economic Outlook - Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack emphasized the need for a restrictive monetary policy to achieve the 2% inflation target, forecasting that inflation will remain above target for the next one to two years, potentially not reaching the objective until late 2027 or early 2028 [1] - St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem expressed openness to additional interest rate cuts but cautioned that inflation remains above the target, indicating a careful approach [1] - New York Fed President John Williams noted diminished inflation risks but increased employment risks, without indicating support for a rate cut in October [1] Housing Market - U.S. pending home sales increased by 4.0% month-over-month in August, significantly surpassing expectations of 0.2% and marking the largest increase in five months [2] Stock Market Performance - Wall Street's main stock indexes closed higher, with notable gains in chip stocks such as GlobalFoundries and Micron Technology, both rising over 4% [3] - Applovin saw a climb of more than 6% after receiving an Accumulate rating from Phillip Securities with a price target of $725 [3] - Merus N.V. surged nearly 36% following Genmab's agreement to acquire the company for approximately $8 billion in cash [3] - Conversely, Carnival's stock fell about 4% despite better-than-expected FQ3 results and an increase in full-year adjusted EPS guidance [3] Government Shutdown Concerns - Last-minute talks between Democratic leaders and President Trump failed to prevent a government shutdown, with a deadline for passing a federal spending bill approaching [5] - A government shutdown would lead to the pausing of many federal operations and furloughs for nonessential employees, with implications for the upcoming payroll report [5] Futures Market - December S&P 500 E-Mini futures were down 0.23%, and December Nasdaq 100 E-Mini futures were down 0.14% as investors reacted to the impending government shutdown [6] - U.S. rate futures indicated a 90.3% probability of a 25 basis point rate cut at the next central bank meeting in October [6] Tariff Developments - President Trump signed a proclamation imposing 10% tariffs on imported timber and lumber, and 25% tariffs on upholstered wooden furniture products and kitchen cabinets, effective October 14th, with future increases planned [7] Economic Data Releases - Investors are awaiting the U.S. JOLTs Job Openings figures, with economists forecasting 7.190 million for August, up from 7.181 million in July [8] - The U.S. Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index for September is expected to decline to 96.0 from 97.4 in August [8] - The S&P/CS HPI Composite - 20 is anticipated to show a year-over-year increase of 1.7% for July, down from 2.1% in June [9] Corporate Earnings - Nike and Paychex are scheduled to report their quarterly figures today, which will be closely monitored by investors [10]