Shutdown Continues, Open AI Taps AMD, Fifth Third Buys Comerica

Group 1: Market Overview - The stock market is showing resilience despite the ongoing government shutdown, with pre-market futures indicating positive movement: Dow +102 points, S&P 500 +28 points, Nasdaq +236 points, and Russell 2000 +17 points [2] - Wall Street appears to thrive during periods of congressional gridlock, as evidenced by the current market performance [2][8] Group 2: Economic Indicators - Upcoming Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures are anticipated, particularly the Inflation Rate, which was nearing +3% previously [3] - The Federal Reserve is facing uncertainty due to the lack of recent jobs and inflation data, which complicates their monetary policy decisions [3][4] Group 3: AI Investment - OpenAI has secured a multi-year agreement with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to supply 6 gigawatts of GPUs for AI services, with the rollout set to begin in 2026 [5] - Following the announcement of the deal, AMD's stock has surged by +35%, indicating strong market confidence in AI investments [6] Group 4: Mergers and Acquisitions - Fifth Third Bank has announced its acquisition of Comerica for $10.9 billion in an all-stock transaction, which will create a new Top 10 bank in the U.S. with approximately $290 billion in assets [7] - Following the merger announcement, Fifth Third Bank's shares decreased by -1%, while Comerica's stock increased by +14% [7]