Local bourse set fo fall October 4, 2013 - 7:55AM No major economic news or equities news is expected today. US stocks suffered hefty losses as the partial government shutdown dragged through a third day and worries climbed that the budget battle could escalate into a debt default. The broad-based S&P 500 fell 15.21 (0.90 per cent) to 1,678.66. The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index tumbled 40.68 (1.07 per cent) to 3,774.34. European stock markets mostly slid while the euro continued to rise against the greenback as the US government shutdown dragged on for a third day. London's benchmark FTSE 100 index edged up 0.18 per cent to 6,449.04 points. Frankfurt's DAX 30 shed 0.37 per cent to 8,597.91 points. In Paris, the CAC fell 0.73 per cent to 4,127.98 points. Hong Kong shares rose 1.00 per cent as upbeat Chinese data offset concerns about the US government shutdown. Japan's Nikkei ended 0.1% lower at 14,157.25 China's Shanghai was closed for a public holiday. Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed 1 per cent to 23,214.40. The European benchmark, Brent North Sea crude, lost 19 US cents at $US109.00 a barrel in London trade. The LME three-month copper was down 1.2 per cent at $US7,184 a metric tonne. Aluminium was 0.6 per cent lower at $US1,827 a tonne. In Australia, the market on Thursday rose, pushed up by strength in resources and banking stocks despite the the continuing US Congressional stand-off over budget negotiations. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index added 19.3 points, or 0.37 per cent, to 5,234.9.The broader All Ordinaries index gained 17.1 points, or 0.33 per cent, to 5,232.