Wall Street’s main indexes hit intraday record highs on Friday as optimism about an imminent interest-rate cut by the Federal Reserve boosted sentiment in the final trading session of a week that saw volatility due to the U.S. government shutdown.

The federal shutdown, which began on Wednesday, has disrupted the flow of critical economic data, including the highly anticipated nonfarm payrolls report that was originally scheduled for release on Friday.

It has now been postponed, leaving investors to rely on other indicators that suggest a softening in the labor market, keeping bets on an impending rate cut alive.

Coupled with the strength in the technology sector, the optimism has so far helped investors look past the federal impasse. The three main indexes are on track to notch weekly g

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