- The major Wall Street indices post small gains after the opening bell.
- Nonfarm payrolls in the US increased less than expected in November.
- The S&P 500 energy index rose nearly 3% on Friday.
The main stock indices They started the last day of the week in positive territory, as investors largely ignored the disappointing November labor market report. At time of writing, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.36% on the day to 30,075, the S&P 500 was up 0.35% to 3,683 (new high), and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.05% to 12,473.
Monthly data released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday showed that non-farm payrolls in November increased by 245,000, compared with an analyst estimate of 469,000. Furthermore, the Labor Force Participation Rate decreased to 61.5% from 61.7% and annual wage inflation was unchanged at + 4.4%.
Among the top 11 sectors in the S&P 500, the Energy Index is up nearly 3% after the opening bell on the back of a moderate rise in crude oil prices. On the other hand, the Communication Services Index is the only sector that is in negative territory.
S&P 500 chart (daily)
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