US stocks begin October mixed as government shutdown avoided

By Ovunc Kutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - US stocks on Monday kicked off the month of October mixed after a government shutdown was avoided during the weekend.

The Dow Jones was down 39 points, or 0.12%, to 33,467 at 9.37 a.m. EDT. The blue-chip index registered a loss of 3.5% last month and 2.6% in the third quarter.

The S&P 500, on the other hand, was almost unchanged with less than a 2-point gain at 4,290. The index dove 4.9% last month to record its worst monthly performance since December, and lost 3.7% in July-September period.

The Nasdaq jumped 71 points, or 0.54%, 13,290 at the time. The tech-heavy index recorded a 5.8% decline in September and 4.1% in the third quarter.

US Senate late Saturday signed off on a short-term spending bill that will fund the federal government for an additional 45 days.

The VIX volatility index, also known as the fear index, was 2% to 17.88 at the time. The 10-year US Treasury yield added 1.3% to 4.636%.

The dollar index rose 0.4% to 106.64, while the euro shed 0.42% to reach $1.0526 against the greenback.

Precious metals were still in the red, with gold trimming 0.6% to $1,837 per ounce and silver decreasing 3% to $21.52.

Oil prices were almost flat, with global benchmark Brent crude at $92.22 per barrel and US benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude at $90.53.