When it comes to the government shutdown, there's a light at the end of the tunnel – let's hope it's not a train.

The Senate worked through the weekend to come up with a compromise deal that would guarantee federal workers back pay from the shutdown, and bring some who were laid off back to work, under a plan that would keep most agencies funded through January. Although it seems there will be enough votes to get this done, it's not a done deal yet. Senator Rand Paul is objecting to a provision in the Agriculture spending bill and the House will need to ratify whatever the Senate does.

In a sign things are looking rosier with US-China trade relations, China yesterday lifted a year-long ban on exports of gallium, germanium and antimony to the US. China's commerce ministry said it will pause its export ban on these minerals and related end-use items for about one year.

And top miner Barrick is reporting a record quarter. Barrick reported third-quarter revenue of $4.14 billion, and operating cash flow reaching $2.4 billion in the third quarter—that's an 82% increase compared to the same period last year. Free cash flow jumped to $1.5 billion, up 274% year-over-year, reflecting the company's improved operational performance.