US Stocks Higher After Jobs Report

The S&P 500 rose 0.9%, the Nasdaq went up 1.4% and the Dow Jones rose more than 300 points on Friday, after a weaker-than-expected jobs report prompted investors to pare bets on further Fed tightening. Nonfarm payrolls increased by just 29K last month, well below expectations for a 90K gain, while employment figures for the previous two months were also revised lower. Fed rate expectations eased following the data, with markets now pricing in less than one additional rate hike for the remainder of 2026. Meanwhile, a decline in oil prices helped to support the bond market, providing an additional boost to equities. Consumer discretionary ad tech outperformed while energy traded lower. Nvidia (2.1%), Apple (0.7%), Microsoft (1.1%), Amazon (1.8%), Broadcom (2%), Meta (0.6%) and Tesla (3.9%) were higher. On the week however, the S&P 500 is down 1.2%, putting it on course for its worst weekly performance since August, while the Dow has fallen 1.8% and the Nasdaq is down 0.8%.