{"id":53828,"date":"2025-09-29T23:38:34","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T03:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/u-s-government-shutdown-looms-amid-mass-federal-resignations-chinas-economy-contracts-j-p-morgan-adjusts-key-price-targets\/53828\/"},"modified":"2025-09-29T23:38:34","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T03:38:34","slug":"u-s-government-shutdown-looms-amid-mass-federal-resignations-chinas-economy-contracts-j-p-morgan-adjusts-key-price-targets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/u-s-government-shutdown-looms-amid-mass-federal-resignations-chinas-economy-contracts-j-p-morgan-adjusts-key-price-targets\/53828\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Government Shutdown Looms Amid Mass Federal Resignations; China&#8217;s Economy Contracts; J.P. Morgan Adjusts Key Price Targets"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Over 100,000 federal workers are poised to formally resign tomorrow<\/strong> as the U.S. government faces a looming shutdown, potentially marking the largest single-year decline in civilian federal employment since World War II.<\/li>\n<li>A potential <strong>U.S. government shutdown could furlough 41% of Health and Human Services (HHS) workers<\/strong>, impacting critical public health functions including research and public health messaging.<\/li>\n<li><strong>China&#39;s factory activity contracted for a fifth consecutive month in August<\/strong>, with its Purchasing Managers&#39; Index (PMI) at 49.4, signaling persistent weakness amid trade deal uncertainty with the U.S.<\/li>\n<li>J.P. Morgan has made notable adjustments to price targets, <strong>raising Maersk&#39;s (<a href=\"\/stock\/AMKBY\">AMKBY<\/a>) target to DKK 8,900 from DKK 8,450<\/strong>, while <strong>cutting TotalEnergies SE&#39;s (<a href=\"\/stock\/TTE\">TTE<\/a>) target to \u20ac58.5 from \u20ac61<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Venezuelan President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro is reportedly <strong>mulling an emergency declaration<\/strong> in response to perceived U.S. hostility.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>U.S. Government Braces for Shutdown and Mass Federal Exodus<\/h3>\n<p>The United States is on the brink of a government shutdown, with a critical funding deadline approaching. Adding to the instability, <strong>more than 100,000 federal workers are expected to formally resign tomorrow<\/strong>, a move that could represent the largest single-year decline in civilian federal employment since the Second World War. This mass resignation is linked to the Trump administration&#39;s deferred resignation program and comes as the White House has ordered federal agencies to prepare for large-scale firings if budget negotiations fail.<\/p>\n<p>The impending shutdown is projected to have significant consequences, particularly for the <strong>Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)<\/strong>, where <strong>41% of its 79,717 employees, totaling 32,460 workers, are slated for furlough<\/strong>. This would suspend vital public health activities, including public health messaging, contractor oversight, and medical research. For instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) could furlough 64% of its staff, limiting guidance on critical public health issues, while the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would furlough over 75% of its workforce, halting basic research and new patient admissions.<\/p>\n<p>Public opinion appears to lean towards blaming Republicans for a potential shutdown, with a Morning Consult survey indicating that <strong>45% of voters would hold congressional Republicans responsible<\/strong>, compared to 32% who would blame Democrats. President Donald J. Trump is scheduled to address a meeting of Admirals and Generals at Marine Corps Base Quantico tomorrow morning before an unknown announcement at the White House. Recent high-stakes meetings between President Trump and congressional leaders have reportedly yielded no breakthrough in negotiations.<\/p>\n<h3>China&#39;s Economic Headwinds and Commodity Market Impact<\/h3>\n<p>China&#39;s manufacturing sector continues to face challenges, with <strong>factory activity shrinking for the fifth consecutive month in August<\/strong>. The official Purchasing Managers&#39; Index (PMI) registered 49.4, a slight increase from July&#39;s 49.3 but still below the 50-point threshold that separates growth from contraction. This persistent contraction is attributed to <em>weak domestic demand, a struggling property sector, job uncertainty, and ongoing trade deal uncertainty with the United States<\/em>. Although a tariff truce between the U.S. and China has been extended for another 90 days until November 10, the uncertainty continues to erode confidence.<\/p>\n<p>In response to the weak economic data from China, <strong>iron ore futures have dropped<\/strong>. The benchmark February iron ore on the Singapore Exchange slid 2.6% to <strong>$125.95 per metric ton<\/strong>. The decline reflects contracting manufacturing and infrastructure investment, alongside a sharp drop in end-use steel demand in the third quarter. Despite these recent dips, iron ore futures are <em>still poised for a quarterly gain<\/em>, with some analysts anticipating support from pre-holiday replenishment by steel mills and seasonal demand from infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n<h3>Analyst Adjustments for Maersk and TotalEnergies<\/h3>\n<p>J.P. Morgan has revised its price targets for two major international companies. The investment bank <strong>raised its target price for A.P. Moller \u2013 Maersk (<a href=\"\/stock\/AMKBY\">AMKBY<\/a>) to DKK 8,900 from DKK 8,450<\/strong>. Conversely, J.P. Morgan <strong>cut its price target for TotalEnergies SE (<a href=\"\/stock\/TTE\">TTE<\/a>) to \u20ac58.5 from \u20ac61<\/strong>. These adjustments reflect ongoing market evaluations and company-specific outlooks in the shipping and energy sectors, respectively.<\/p>\n<h3>Venezuela Considers Emergency Declaration<\/h3>\n<p>In international political news, Venezuelan President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro is reportedly <strong>considering an emergency declaration, a &quot;State of Exterior Commotion,&quot; citing U.S. hostility<\/strong>. This move comes amidst escalating tensions, with Maduro pointing to recent hostile actions by the U.S., including naval deployments in the region and lethal strikes in the Caribbean.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Over 100,000 federal workers are poised to formally resign tomorrow as the U.S. government faces a looming shutdown, 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