Friday’s nonfarm payrolls report drove modest gains in major US indexes as investors weighed labor strength against Middle East tensions.
Wall Street’s major indexes closed higher Friday after the latest nonfarm payrolls data eased recession fears. The Dow added 0.1%, while the S&P 500 posted a fractional gain, extending a week of choppy trading.
The July jobs report showed 187,000 new positions, slightly below consensus estimates of 200,000 but still signaling a resilient labor market. Prior months were revised downward, reinforcing expectations the Federal Reserve may pause rate hikes in September.
Geopolitical risks in the Middle East remained elevated but had limited impact on equities, with investors focusing on economic data and corporate earnings.