Tech stocks led the US stock market to close higher, with the sector continuing to be the focus of investors and supporting the rise of the main indices.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit all-time closing highs, while the Dow Jones remained almost unchanged.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq also posted its biggest gain, driven by artificial intelligence (AI)-related megacap companies that continued to lead the market's gains this year.
The semiconductor index also posted strong performances, while the energy, consumer goods and homebuilder sectors lagged after data showed housing loan applications fell 4.7% last week despite lower interest rates.
The S&P 500 index rose 0.58% to 6,753.72 points, the tech-focused Nasdaq rose 1.12% to 23,043.38 points, and the Dow Jones was flat at 46,601.78 points.
In other developments, the US government shutdown, which has entered its eighth day, and the impasse in Congress have left investors short of fresh economic data ahead of the third-quarter earnings season that begins next week.
The lack of fresh economic data due to the federal government shutdown has investors looking to the minutes of the September FOMC meeting on October 9 at 2am Malaysia time for clues on the direction of interest rates.
The minutes also showed a split in the committee, with policymakers concerned about the labor market but remaining cautious about inflation, while the timing and extent of further easing have yet to be determined.
In addition, financial markets now expect a probability of around 92.5% that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will cut the federal funds rate by 25 basis points at its policy meeting scheduled for October 29.
Meanwhile, Datadog shares jumped 6.2% after Bernstein raised its price target for the cloud security firm, while Intercontinental Exchange fell 2.2% after Barclays lowered its price target.
Trading volume on the US exchange was worth $20.70 billion, compared to an average of $19.63 billion over the 20-day period.
