The U.S. stock market continued its remarkable ascent on Friday, October 3, 2025, with major indexes notching new all-time highs despite the ongoing government shutdown and mixed economic signals. Afternoon trading saw a powerful rally, largely fueled by persistent optimism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and expectations of further interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Investors largely shrugged off political gridlock in Washington, focusing instead on robust corporate fundamentals and techno ...