If the U.S. government shuts down, jobs and inflation data, which the Federal Reserve relies to make rate decisions, could be delayed.

If the U.S. government shuts down, jobs and inflation data, which the Federal Reserve relies to make rate decisions, could be delayed.

Wall Street braces for a U.S. government shutdown as payroll data stalls, leaving the Fed and investors flying blind on key economic signals.

While the U.S. government will be put to sleep when September ends, investors, hopefully, had their eyes peeled during the month.

The stock market has tended to bounce back quickly after the government shuts down.

Shrugging off the government shutdown and a dismal ADP jobs report, the S&P 500 closed above the 6,700 level for the first time.

The partial government shutdown may leave the Fed without its usual snapshot of the labor market at a critical moment.

This week’s shutdown would be unlikely to stall China trade talks, observers said, but could speed up Federal Reserve’s interest rate cuts.

Investors continue to pile into stocks, undeterred by a government shutdown or shaky jobs data, with all three benchmarks hitting record highs Thursday.