07:27 AM EDT, 10/06/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The benchmark US stock measures were tracking in the green before the opening bell Monday as traders await minutes of the Federal Reserve's last policy meeting later in the week, while the federal government shutdown entered its sixth day.

The S&P 500 rose 0.3%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.2% and the Nasdaq added 0.5% in premarket activity. The S&P 500 and the Dow notched fresh record highs on Friday, while the Nasdaq closed lower.

With no major economic reports scheduled for Monday, investors will be looking ahead to Wednesday's release of the Fed's latest policy meeting minutes for clues on any new insights into monetary policy.

Last month, the central bank reduced its benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points, noting increased downside risks to employment and signaling further policy easing later in 2025. Chair Jerome Powell said in September that the Fed was facing a "challenging situation" with respect to its dual mandate of price stability and maximum employment, noting that near-term risks to inflation were tilted to the upside and those to employment leaning downside.

Powell is scheduled to speak on Thursday.

Treasury yields were trending upwards in premarket action, with the two-year rate increasing 1.2 basis points to 3.58% and the 10-year rate gaining 4.1 basis points to 4.16%.

The government shutdown, which began last week after lawmakers failed to agree on a key spending bill, entered its sixth day on Monday. The shutdown delayed the highly anticipated September jobs report that was scheduled to be released on Friday.

"The risk of major policy and investment blunders keeps going up the longer this government data blackout goes on," Scott Anderson, chief US economist at BMO, said in a report on Friday. "The timing couldn't be much worse for a Federal Reserve that remains highly data-dependent and will be going into another important (Federal Open Market Committee) meeting on October 28 and 29."

Shares of Comerica ( CMA ) rose 13% pre-bell as the financial services company agreed to be acquired by Fifth Third Bancorp ( FITB ) in a deal worth $10.9 billion. Firefly Aerospace (FLY) climbed 18% as the space and defense technology company agreed to purchase advanced national security technologies firm SciTec in a deal worth about $855 million.

Plug Power ( PLUG ) jumped 17% while Palantir Technologies ( PLTR ) inclined 2.8%.

Beer and wine company Constellation Brands ( STZ ) is expected to report its latest financial results after the markets close. Beverages giant PepsiCo ( PEP ) and carrier Delta Air Lines ( DAL ) are scheduled to post earnings later in the week, along with McCormick ( MKC ) and Levi Strauss (LEVI).

West Texas Intermediate crude oil gained 1.9% to $62.02 a barrel before the open, after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies agreed to raise November output by 137,000 barrels per day.

Gold advanced 1.4% to $3,964 per troy ounce, while bitcoin traded up 1.1% at $124,096.