US consumer confidence figures due at 10 am ET today from the Conference Board are in focus and will get more attention than usual given the absence of most official indicators. The Econoday consensus sees the confidence index down to 93.4 for October from 94.2 in September and 97.8 in August. None of the concerns that have dampened sentiment lately have gotten any better. These include perceptions of declining job availability, rising prices, and deteriorating personal finances.

Investors will pay more attention to consumer confidence with the ongoing government shutdown, which has featured layoffs of furloughed workers, and the disruptive effects on an array of government services, soon to include food stamps. That plus latest announcements of layoffs from Amazon, are helping to build a new wall of worry.

Market Focus details key factors in the coming day that will impact the economic outlook and the financial markets. These include central bank events, economic indicators, policymaker speeches as well as expected political and corporate developments.

Keeping up-to-date with event schedules and the economic calendar is key to understanding the global financial system. Econoday's Market Focus allows investors and policymakers to carefully track what will be making news and moving the financial markets in the coming day.