Market Overview - Major U.S. index futures indicate a slightly higher open on Monday, with stocks expected to build on modest gains from Friday [1] - Optimism regarding interest rates is contributing to initial strength on Wall Street ahead of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting [1] Federal Reserve Expectations - The Fed is widely anticipated to lower interest rates by another quarter point, with traders focusing on the accompanying statement for future rate cut indications [2] - CME Group's FedWatch Tool shows an 89.2% chance of a quarter-point rate cut on Wednesday, but a 70.3% chance of rates remaining unchanged in January [2] Stock Performance - After a mixed trading session on Thursday, stocks showed modest strength on Friday, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 reaching their best closing levels in a month [3] - For the week, the Nasdaq rose by 0.9%, the Dow by 0.5%, and the S&P 500 by 0.3% [4] Inflation Data - The PCE price index increased by 0.3% in September, matching August's growth and economist estimates [4] - The annual growth rate of the PCE price index rose to 2.8% in September from 2.7% in August, aligning with expectations [5] - The core PCE price index, excluding food and energy, rose by 0.2% in September, consistent with previous months and estimates [5] Sector Performance - Computer hardware stocks saw a 1.7% increase, while airline stocks gained 1.5% [7] - Networking, semiconductor, and software stocks also exhibited notable strength, while steel stocks declined significantly [7] Commodity and Currency Markets - Crude oil futures decreased by $0.53 to $59.55 per barrel, while gold futures fell by $11.30 to $4,231.70 per ounce [8] - The U.S. dollar traded at 155.60 yen and $1.1647 against the euro [8] Asian Market Performance - Asian stocks showed mixed results, with China's Shanghai Composite Index climbing 0.5% after positive trade data [10] - Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 1.2% amid escalating tensions between China and Japan [11] European Market Performance - European stocks are mixed ahead of interest rate decisions from multiple central banks [16] - German industrial production unexpectedly accelerated by 1.8% in October, contrasting with expectations of a slowdown [16][17]

Several German subsidiaries of First Brands Group have filed for insolvency, in a sign that the fallout from the US car parts supplier’s September bankruptcy is rippling through to its foreign operations. https://t.co/C5VdzTl30Z ...

Last month, American car parts supplier First Brands went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Is it a one-off? Or a canary in the coal mine? https://t.co/JercE7onYd ...

Restructuring & Workforce Reduction - ZF Friedrichshafen AG is cutting 7,600 positions at its electrified drivetrain division [1] Business Challenges - The restructuring efforts are a response to poor demand [1]

The inside story of how the car parts retailer made its founder a billionaire—and thousands of its employees into millionaires. https://t.co/f0BIPmAGUE ...