Wall Street traders brace for extended shutdown amid lofty valuations

Corporate America is set to start disclosing results next week and expectations are sky-high. The S&P 500 Index is trading at 23 times expected earnings, on par with the dot-com levels, so stocks are vulnerable to any disappointment in quarterly results. Meanwhile, investors are flying "nearly blind" with respect to key economic data as the impasse on federal funding in Washington has delayed reports, JonesTrading said.The shutdown is a "sentiment downer for investors," said Marshall Front, senior managing ...