October begins for investors with a lot of uncertainties: The US budget dispute has escalated, the government is at a standstill, and market nervousness is growing. While the DAX slightly increased at the start of the week, the political blockade in Washington is likely to weigh on the German market today.

Shutdown unsettles the markets

Since midnight (local time), the first US government shutdown in six years is a reality. Millions of federal employees are on forced leave, agencies remain closed, and political blame dominates the picture. In the short term, the economic impact is still manageable - but the longer the shutdown lasts, the greater the consequences for consumption, confidence, and capital markets.

The US stock markets have reacted surprisingly calmly so far: The Dow Jones closed almost unchanged at 46,398 points, the S&P 500 rose by 0.4%, the Nasdaq gained 0.3%. In contrast, there was a noticeable flight to safe havens: Gold continued its rally and climbed to a new record high of $3,871.45 per ounce.

Focus on Inflation and Economic Data

In Europe, the focus today is primarily on consumer prices from the eurozone. Analysts expect a slight increase in inflation to 2.2%. The data is considered an important indicator for the ECB's next interest rate policy—a stronger price pressure could dampen speculation on imminent interest rate cuts.

Also in Focus: the Purchasing Managers' Indices for the Manufacturing Sector. While Germany and France recently remained below the growth mark of 50 points, Italy and the Eurozone as a whole could fall below this threshold today - a possible warning signal for a cooling economy. Sentiment data will also be released in the USA, where economists expect a slight increase to 52 points.

Crude Oil, Nikkei and Outlook

Losses prevailed in the Asian markets today: The Nikkei fell by 1.2%, the Topix lost 1.7%. In the US, new figures on crude oil inventories are also pending – a decline could further drive prices and exacerbate inflation concerns.

Conclusion: The political risks from Washington dominate at the start of October. At the same time, inflation data and purchasing manager indices provide crucial clues about the economic course of the coming months. Investors should prepare for a nervous trading day with increased volatility.

Arsipa schnappt sich Bloom – ein Berliner Start-up wird zum fehlenden Puzzleteil

Die Gründerin Viktoria Lindner verkauft ihr Software-Unternehmen Bloom an den Roll-up-Spezialisten Arsipa. Für den Investor ist es mehr als nur ein Zukauf – es ist der Einstieg in eine neue Wachstumsdimension.