09:08 AM EDT, 09/29/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity futures were higher pre-bell Monday as traders appeared to brush off concerns over a potential federal government shutdown.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up 0.4%, S&P 500 futures were 0.5% higher, and Nasdaq futures were up 0.7%.

Investors are assessing the likelihood of a government shutdown on Wednesday as Republicans and Democrats continue to struggle over a short-term spending bill. Congressional leaders are set to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.

Oil prices were lower, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude down 1.9% at $68.07 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 1.9% lower at $64.49 per barrel.

The August Pending Home Sales Index, scheduled for release at 10 am ET, is expected to show a 0.2% gain following a 0.4% downtick in the prior month, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 0.7% lower, Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 1.9% higher, and China's Shanghai Composite finished 0.9% higher. Meanwhile, the UK's FTSE 100 was up 0.4%, and Germany's DAX index was down 0.1% in Europe's early afternoon session.

In equities, Merus (MRUS) stock was up 37% amid a pending $8 billion takeover by Genmab ( GMAB ) . Dogwood Therapeutics ( DWTX ) shares were 51% higher after the company said it has secured an exclusive worldwide, royalty license to develop and commercialize Serpin Pharma's SP16 as a treatment for cancer-related pain.

On the losing side, Genmab ( GMAB ) stock was down 3.8%. MoonLake Immunotherapeutics ( MLTX ) shares were 87% lower after Bloomberg reported that late-stage trial data for the company's experimental skin disease drug, sonelokimab, failed to demonstrate superiority over a rival treatment from UCB.