Market Overview - U.S. stock futures are slightly down, following a mixed performance in the previous session, with major indices in the red pre-market [1] - The 10-year Treasury bond yield is at 3.957%, while the two-year bond yield is at 3.449% [3] - The CME Group's FedWatch tool indicates a 98.9% probability of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates in the upcoming October meeting [3] Company Earnings Focus - Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares increased by 0.07% ahead of its third-quarter results, which are expected after market close on Thursday [5] - SAP SE (NYSE:SAP) is set to release its third-quarter results after market close on Wednesday, with shares down 1.74% in overnight trading [5] - International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) shares rose by 0.22% in anticipation of its third-quarter results, also due after market close on Wednesday [5] - Thermo Fischer Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) shares rallied by 2.17% before its third-quarter results, expected before market open on Wednesday [12] - AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) shares are up 0.23% pre-market ahead of its third-quarter earnings release [12] Investment Trends - Foreign investors have invested $22 billion in U.S.-listed stocks in October, the highest since June, indicating strong interest in the U.S. stock market [8] - Year-to-date foreign investment in U.S. equities has reached a net $316 billion, with foreign holdings of U.S. equities hitting a record $20 trillion last quarter [9] Commodity and Currency Movements - Crude oil futures are up by 1.87%, trading around $58.31 per barrel [10] - Gold Spot is down 0.90%, hovering around $4,087.97 per ounce, with the last record high at $4,379.29 per ounce [10] - The U.S. Dollar Index is up 0.07% at 99.001 [10]

Economic Outlook - The U.S. equities have shown strong performance in September, a month typically challenging for stocks, but a potential government shutdown could disrupt this positive trend [2][4] - A government shutdown is anticipated to occur midweek, coinciding with the end of the month and quarter, which may delay the release of critical economic data, including the September jobs report [2][5] Labor Market Data - The upcoming jobs report is considered crucial, especially following recent scrutiny of labor-market data after the dismissal of the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner due to a disappointing report [3][4] - Concerns are heightened as the government shutdown could hinder access to important labor-market data, which is vital for investor confidence [3][5] Government Shutdown Implications - The potential government shutdown is viewed as a high-probability event that may last long enough to delay the release of the September jobs report and the consumer-price index [5] - The Bureau of Labor Statistics has indicated that in the event of a shutdown, it will suspend data collection and dissemination until funding is restored, which could lead to significant disruptions compared to previous shutdowns [6][7]