Wall Street steadied on Friday as investors looked ahead to an end to the government shutdown, recovering from early losses on hopes Democrats and Republicans could reach a healthcare compromise. Technology stocks led the declines, capping the Nasdaq's worst week, while consumer confidence plunged and a survey of economic conditions hit an all-time low. Meanwhile, Expedia’s strong performance highlighted resilience in the travel sector. Back home, futures point to a modest gain for the ASX 200 as investors await a speech from the deputy RBA governor for further rate clues.

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