Stocks rose on Friday afternoon as investors welcomed a key monthly jobs report that showed hiring in the U.S. economy remained strong. The Middle East crisis and the return to work at US ports also received much attention.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) was off 0.5%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) added less than 0.5%, making big gains right after the open. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ( ^IXIC ) rose 0.9%.
The September jobs report largely beat expectations as the US economy added 254,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate fell to 4.1%. All together, the report shows that the labor market remains robust, even amid signs of cooling. Yahoo Finance’s Josh Schafer provides more details on the report here.
The jobs report shifted forecasts toward a smaller interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve next month. More than 90% of bets are on a 25 basis point cut, versus a larger 50 basis point cut. CME FedWatch tool.
Read More: What Fed Cuts Mean for Bank Accounts, CDs, Loans and Credit Cards
As markets have shown some resilience in the face of a tough week of worrying headlines, stocks are looking to recover from weekly losses. The S&P 500 and Dow were up 1% or less at Thursday’s close.
In recent days, a major ports strike, the devastation of Hurricane Helen and the prospect of a wider Middle East conflict have brought the potential to raise prices and fan inflation.
In a welcome move, the US dock workers’ strike ended late Thursday after a tentative wage deal was agreed, although some issues remain to be resolved later this year.
On the downside, Israel’s barrage of strikes on Beirut revived Middle East concerns that pushed up oil prices. Western leaders warned of an “uncontrollable escalation” as investors waited to see if Israel would attack Iran’s oil facilities – something President Biden said was under debate.
Oil is on track for its biggest weekly gain in a year as tensions rise. Brent crude ( BZ=F ) and West Texas Intermediate ( CL=F ) futures rose about 1% on Friday, coming off a 5% gain earlier in the day.
live8 Updates