U.S. benchmark equity indexes displayed mixed results ahead of Friday's market close, following data that revealed a stronger-than-anticipated job growth in November. The Nasdaq Composite rose by 0.7%, reaching a level of 19,837.1, while the S&P 500 experienced a modest uptick of 0.2%, settling at 6,085.9.
Conversely, the Dow Jones Industrial Average saw a decline of 0.3%, with its value at 44,621.7. In terms of sector performance, consumer discretionary stocks led the gains, reflecting positive investor sentiment, while sectors like energy and utilities faced significant decreases. The Bureau of Labor Statistics highlighted that total nonfarm payrolls in the U.S.
increased by 227,000 jobs last month, surpassing the expected consensus of 220,000, as reported by Bloomberg. Despite this increase, the unemployment rate did rise to 4.2%, up from 4.1% in October, aligning with market projections for November. Yields in the bond market also reacted, with the U.S. two-year yield decreasing by 4.6 basis points to settle at 4.1%.
The 10-year rate similarly fell, dropping 2.9 basis points to arrive at 4.15%. Meanwhile, the price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil experienced a decline of 1.7%, bringing it down to $67.13 per barrel..