**Wall Street Sees Small Gains Despite Government Shutdown and Weak Jobs Report**

U.S. stock markets managed to stay positive on Wednesday, even as a federal government shutdown officially began and new job data showed unexpected weakness. Investors stayed optimistic, hoping for strong corporate earnings and possible interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve.

By midday in New York, all three major indexes—the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Dow Jones—were slightly up, each gaining just a few tenths of a percent.

**Jobs Report Misses Expectations**

The ADP private payroll report for September was disappointing. It showed a drop of 32,000 private-sector jobs, the largest monthly decrease since March 2023. This came in well below Wall Street forecasts and raised hopes that the Federal Reserve might respond with more rate cuts in the near future.

Because of the shutdown, several official economic reports have been delayed, giving this ADP data more influence than usual. Traders are using it to get a clearer picture of how the job market is doing.

**Health Care Stocks Lead the Market**

Health care stocks had a strong day, boosted by policy news from the Trump administration. A new proposal called the “Most Favored Nation” rule aims to lower U.S. prescription drug prices by tying them to what other countries pay.

Pfizer made headlines by agreeing to lower Medicaid drug prices in exchange for tariff exemptions. This agreement helped spark a rally in health care stocks.

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) jumped 2% on Wednesday after climbing 2.4% on Tuesday, marking its best two-day streak since November 2020.

Top-performing health care stocks included:
– Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO): +7.5%
– Eli Lilly (LLY): +6.9%
– Merck (MRK): +6.1%
– Amgen (AMGN): +6.1%
– Pfizer (PFE): +5.8%
– Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY): +5.7%

**Nike Beats Expectations**

Nike also delivered good news. The company posted strong first-quarter earnings that beat analyst forecasts, pushing its stock up more than 5%. This was Nike’s best single-day gain since June.

**Commodities and Crypto Rebound**

Gold prices briefly hit $3,900 per ounce before slipping back to $3,850 as selling pressure emerged. Silver moved up 1.5% to $47.48 per ounce, getting close to its all-time high from April 2011.

Cryptocurrencies made a comeback as well:
– Bitcoin (BTC) rose 3.3% to $117,800
– Ethereum (ETH) gained 4.5%
– Solana (SOL) surged 5%

**ETF and Index Performance**

Here’s how major U.S. ETFs performed:
– Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): +0.1% at $613.13
– SPDR Dow Jones ETF (DIA): Flat at $463.76
– Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ): +0.2% at $601.66
– iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM): Unchanged at $241.80

Sector highlights:
– Health Care SPDR Fund (XLV): +2%
– Communication Services SPDR Fund (XLC): -1.3%

**Biggest Stock Gainers**
Among S&P 500 companies, the strongest performers were mostly in the health care sector, while other sectors like materials and communication services lagged behind.

Investors are now closely watching how long the shutdown will last and whether weaker job numbers will push the Federal Reserve to make a move on interest rates later this month.

**Key Takeaways for Investors:**
– Stock market remains stable despite economic concerns
– Health care stocks are driving gains due to new drug pricing rules
– Job market weakness boosts hopes for rate cuts
– Commodities and crypto show signs of strength
– Eyes remain on Fed policy and government shutdown developments

Stay tuned for more updates as market conditions evolve.