Stocks edged higher on Friday, on track to avoid losses, as nervous investors digested the important monthly jobs report and kept an eye on rising oil prices.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose about 0.1% (20 points) and the S&P 500 (^GSPC) rose 0.3% following its biggest single-day decline since February. The Nasdaq Composite Index (^IXIC), which has a high proportion of high-tech stocks, rose 0.4%.
As Yahoo Finance’s Josh Schafer reported, the U.S. labor market remained strong in March. Employers added 303,000 jobs, far more than economists expected, and the unemployment rate fell to 3.8%. Wage growth also met expectations.
on Thursday as oil prices hit six-month highs, raising concerns about accelerating inflation and a slew of Federal Reserve speakers shaking confidence that interest rates will be cut soon. Major indicators fell.
Market tensions are rising following this week’s turbulent stock market movements. Investors are juggling economic announcements with corporate news amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
Oil prices remained near multi-month highs on Friday, rising sharply amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran. International benchmark Brent crude oil futures (BZ=F) remained just below $91 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate futures (CL=F) traded at $86.60.
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