Wall Street investors continue to shrug off uncertainty tied to the U.S. government shutdown, the Associated Press reports, with indexes pushing past Thursday’s record highs in early trading Friday.
Futures for the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq all climbed 0.2% in the premarket after closing at record levels Thursday, fueled by the gains of chipmakers and artificial intelligence companies.
In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude added 17 cents to $60.65 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 21 cents to $64.32 per barrel.
So far, the U.S. stock market has looked past the delays of key data this week, including a report on jobless claims and the monthly tally of jobs gains and losses.
In the meantime, excitement around AI, along with hopes for easier interest rates, have pushed the stock market to several recent records.
Still, AI stocks have become so dominant, and so much money has poured into the industry, that worries are rising about a potential bubble that could eventually lead to disappointment for investors.
