Unsteady Markets See Month-End Rebound Despite early volatility driven by the longest government shutdown on record, hawkish Fed signals, AI scrutiny, and elevated valuations, the S&P 500 Index finished slightly higher (+0.2%) as economic data came in mixed but softened, the Fed’s tone turned more dovish, sentiment improved, and odds of a December interest rate cut increased. US small-caps and US mid-caps led gains (+2.6% and +2.1%, respectively), while emerging market equiti