U.S. stock futures posted gains early Tuesday as investors digested a landmark artificial intelligence chip deal between AMD and OpenAI, offsetting concerns about an ongoing federal government shutdown that entered its sixth day. S&P 500 futures rose 0.4 percent, Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 0.8 percent, and Dow Jones futures gained roughly 100 points, driven by surging AI-related stocks.[1][2]
AMD Secures Major AI Partnership with OpenAI
Advanced Micro Devices announced on October 6, 2025, a multi-year agreement to supply OpenAI with 6 gigawatts of computing power through its Instinct GPU series. Under the definitive agreement, OpenAI will deploy AMD Instinct MI450 GPUs starting in the second half of 2026, with the initial 1 gigawatt deployment marking the beginning of a multi-generation partnership.[3][4][5]
AMD granted OpenAI a warrant to purchase up to 160 million shares at $0.01 per share, potentially giving the ChatGPT maker a 10 percent stake in the semiconductor company. AMD CEO Lisa Su stated the partnership is expected to generate tens of billions of dollars in additional revenue over the next five years. AMD shares surged more than 22 percent in premarket trading on October 6 and closed up 23.7 percent, marking one of the largest single-day gains in company history.[6][7]
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Tesla Rolls Out FSD Version 14.1 and Budget Models
Tesla released Full Self-Driving version 14.1 on October 7, 2025, its first major software update in nearly a year. The update includes emergency vehicle detection, arrival options for parking destinations, additional speed profiles, and improved handling for lane changes, vehicle cut-ins, and school buses. The neural network powering FSD v14.1 is reportedly ten times larger than its predecessor.[8][9]
On October 7, Tesla unveiled lower-cost versions of its Model Y SUV and Model 3 sedan priced at $39,990 and $36,990 respectively. The standard Model Y is approximately $5,000 cheaper than the previous entry-level variant but lacks features such as a panoramic glass roof and leather seating. Tesla shares fell 3 percent on October 7 as some analysts noted the pricing remained above the critical $30,000 threshold that CEO Elon Musk had previously indicated.[10][11][12]
Fifth Third to Acquire Comerica in $10.9 Billion Deal
Fifth Third Bancorp and Comerica Incorporated announced on October 6, 2025, a definitive merger agreement under which Fifth Third will acquire Comerica in an all-stock transaction valued at $10.9 billion. Comerica stockholders will receive 1.8663 Fifth Third shares for each Comerica share, representing $82.88 per share based on Fifth Third’s closing price on October 3, 2025.[13][14]
The transaction will create the ninth-largest U.S. bank with approximately $288 billion in assets, $224 billion in deposits, and $174 billion in loans. Fifth Third shareholders will own approximately 73 percent and Comerica shareholders will own approximately 27 percent of the combined entity. The merger is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026 pending regulatory approval. Fifth Third CEO Tim Spence told Reuters on October 7 that discussions began a few weeks prior when Comerica CEO Curtis Farmer initiated contact.[15][16]
Palantir Responds to Army Security Concerns
Palantir Technologies shares fell 5 percent on October 6, 2025, following reports of an Army memo raising security concerns about the NGC2 battlefield communications system developed in partnership with Anduril and other contractors. The September memo from the Army’s chief technology officer flagged the prototype as posing a very high risk of potential undetectable enemy access.[17][18]
Palantir responded that its software has achieved Impact Level 5 and 6 certifications and that no vulnerabilities have been identified within its platform. A company spokesperson stated that security concerns discovered during testing were resolved prior to deployment. The Army awarded Anduril a $100 million contract earlier in 2025 to develop the NGC2 prototype in partnership with Palantir, Microsoft, and additional companies. Despite the October 6 decline, Palantir shares remained up 128 percent year-to-date as of October 8, 2025.[19][20]
Government Shutdown Disrupts Economic Data Releases
The federal government shutdown that began on October 1, 2025, continued into its tenth day as of October 10, with the Senate failing for the seventh time to advance competing stop-gap funding measures. The closure has halted the flow of key economic data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and Census Bureau, leaving investors without official employment, inflation, and manufacturing reports.[21][22]
Federal agencies announced they will pause data collection and dissemination until funding is restored. Investors are relying on private-sector data and Federal Reserve commentary to assess monetary policy direction. The shutdown has created uncertainty at a time when policymakers and market participants are seeking clarity on the health of the U.S. job market and consumer spending trends.[23][24]
Bitcoin and Gold Hit Record Highs
Bitcoin surged past $125,000 on October 10, 2025, reaching a new all-time high as investors embraced the so-called debasement trade. Gold rose to $4,015.59 per ounce on October 10, up 1.02 percent from the previous day and up 10.56 percent over the past month. The rally in both assets reflects growing concerns about currency debasement amid record government debt levels and a weakening dollar.[25][26][27]
Analysts note that both gold and Bitcoin are benefiting from investor demand for scarce assets as protection against long-term declines in purchasing power. The debasement trade has become a defining theme of 2025, with hard assets outperforming traditional currencies as central banks maintain accommodative monetary policies.[28][29]
