Tonight’s Highlights | U.S. Stock Futures Rise, Gold Hits Record High Again
Pre-market on Monday, U.S. stock index futures climbed collectively, aiming to regain footing after three days of declines last week. Most European indices also rose.
President Trump will hold last-minute talks with congressional leaders on Monday. If Congress fails to pass a temporary funding bill, the federal government faces a partial shutdown by Wednesday.
Shutdown risks weighed on the dollar early Monday while pushing up U.S. Treasuries. More urgently, the White House Budget Office has directed agencies to prepare furlough lists for funding disruptions.
A weaker dollar and safe-haven demand drove gold to another record high. Spot gold jumped 1.88% to $3,831 per ounce, continuing to set new peaks.
AI-related stocks Oracle and Nvidia rose pre-market after skepticism about the AI sector pressured broader markets. Some traders question whether Nvidia’s infrastructure partnership with OpenAI can keep fueling the rally.
Vital Knowledge founder Adam Crisafulli said in a report, “Last week, market sentiment shifted slightly as investors questioned two key assumptions driving the rebound: the sustainability of the AI infrastructure boom and the inevitability of a major Fed rate-cutting cycle.”
Company News
AstraZeneca to List on NYSE, Keep UK Headquarters
On September 29, AstraZeneca announced plans to streamline its stock listing on the London, Stockholm, and New York Stock Exchanges, upgrading its U.S. listing from Nasdaq ADRs to ordinary shares. The company confirmed its headquarters will remain in the UK.
LG Chem Develops High-Resolution PID Material for Next-Gen Semiconductor Packaging
On September 29, LG Chem unveiled a cutting-edge liquid Photo Imageable Dielectric (PID) material for advanced semiconductor packaging, targeting AI and high-performance chip markets. PID, a photosensitive insulator, forms microcircuits between chips and substrates, enhancing circuit precision, performance, and reliability in advanced packaging.
Jaguar Land Rover: Some Manufacturing to Resume in Days
On September 29, Jaguar Land Rover announced that some manufacturing operations will gradually resume in the coming days following a cybersecurity incident. On September 23, the company extended its production halt to October 1, 2025, notifying employees, suppliers, and partners. The cyberattack was detected in early September.
Eisai and Biogen: Leqembi® Maintenance Dosing Approved in China for Early Alzheimer’s
Per Eisai China’s WeChat post, Eisai and Biogen announced on September 29 that their humanized anti-soluble aggregated amyloid-beta monoclonal antibody, lecanemab (Leqembi®), received approval from China’s NMPA for a once-every-four-weeks intravenous maintenance dosing regimen.
Approved in China in January 2024 for mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer’s dementia, patients can switch to this 10 mg/kg every-four-weeks regimen after an 18-month biweekly 10 mg/kg initial phase or continue the biweekly dosing.
Nissan Motor: August Global Sales Up 2.8% to 251,081 Units
On September 29, Nissan reported August 2025 global production of 237,941 vehicles, up 0.8% year-over-year, and global sales of 251,081 vehicles, up 2.8%. In China, production rose 36.4% to 57,962 units, and sales increased 19.4% to 58,756 units.
TotalEnergies to Sell 50% of North American Solar Portfolio for $950M
On September 29, TotalEnergies announced an agreement with private equity giant KKR to sell a 50% stake in its 1.4 GW North American solar portfolio. The deal, combined with ongoing bank refinancing, will yield $950 million upon closing.
The portfolio includes six utility-scale solar assets (1.3 GW) and 41 distributed generation assets (140 MW) in the U.S., with power sold to third parties or marketed by TotalEnergies. Post-transaction, TotalEnergies will retain a 50% stake and continue operations.