LIVE MARKETS-Wall Street set for an event-packed week as government shutdown looms

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WALL STREET SET FOR AN EVENT-PACKED WEEK AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN LOOMS

Wall Street's main indexes were set to open higher on Monday, as markets braced for a week packed with events, including comments from a bunch of Federal Reserve policymakers, imminent threat of a government shutdown, and the Labor Department's crucial September employment report.

Investors are focusded on the risks of a partial U.S. government shutdown beginning on Wednesday, as Democrats and Republicans hit an impasse over how to continue to fund the federal government.

Amid this standoff, President Donald Trump's administration has threatened to layoff workers from some federal agencies if funding runs out.

The shutdown could see a potential disruption to key economic data that might be a blow to Fed's data-dependent policy approach and cloud the interest rate outlook.

While Friday's in-line inflation print kept hopes of further rate cuts steady, investors will be gauging remarks from several Fed policymakers on Monday - including New York Fed President John Williams, St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem and Fed Governor Christopher Waller.

Dow E-minis YMcv1 were up 0.42%, S&P 500 E-minis EScv1 were up 0.53%, and Nasdaq 100 E-minis NQcv1 were up 0.66% at 09:03 a.m. ET.

Videogame giant Electronic Arts EA.O rose more than 5% after agreeing to be taken private in a $55 billion deal.

Shares of pot companies advanced in early premarket trading following a social media post by Trump over the weekend that suggested potential health benefits from the use of cannabidiol.

U.S.-listed shares of Canopy Growth WEED.TO, CGC.O and Cronos Group CRON.TO, jumped 13.43% and about 9%, respectively, while Tilray Brands TLRY.O surged nearly 17%.

U.S.-listed shares of Merus NV MRUS.O surged 37.15%, after Danish pharmaceutical company Genmab GMAB.CO agreed to acquire the Dutch biotech firm for $8 billion in cash.

(Siddarth S)

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