Stock markets did just fine during the government shutdown as investors shrugged off dysfunction in Congress

Core Insights - The U.S. government shutdown lasted for 43 days and has now ended, with minimal impact on the stock market, which has shown resilience and even improvement during this period [2][3]. Market Performance - The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased over 4% from 46,441.10 at the start of the shutdown to over 48,000 on November 12, marking a significant milestone [3]. - The S&P 500 also experienced growth, rising from 6,664.92 on October 1 to 6,850.92 by November 12 [3]. - The Nasdaq Composite saw a similar increase of about 4% during the shutdown, despite concerns regarding an AI bubble affecting major tech companies [4]. Historical Context - Historically, government shutdowns have had a low impact on stock markets, with the S&P 500 showing almost no average change during the previous 20 shutdowns, remaining in positive territory 50% of the time [5][7]. - Recent analyses suggest that the current market conditions may be influenced by a prolonged bull run lasting 16 years, leading to inflated valuations in several sectors, particularly technology [7].