Stocks Rise 0.8% as Jobs Report Lifts Stock Market
The stock market rose to records on Friday, led by a stronger-than-expected jobs report that showed employers added 115,000 more jobs than they cut last month. The S&P 500 climbed 0.8% to an all-time high, while the Nasdaq composite gained 1.7% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 12 points.
That mix gave the S&P 500 a sixth straight winning week, its longest such streak since 2024. For traders, the move meant equities could keep climbing even as oil and geopolitical risk stayed in the frame.
S&P 500 Adds 0.8%
0.8% was enough to push the S&P 500 to a record close on Friday, extending a run that had already become the index's sixth straight winning week. The jobs data gave buyers a fresh reason to bid up shares, with the broad index setting its all-time high even as the rest of the market posted more modest gains.
12 points was all the Dow Jones Industrial Average needed to finish slightly higher, a move of less than 0.1% that left it far behind the Nasdaq composite's 1.7% rally. That gap showed the day's buying was strongest in growth-heavy stocks, not across every corner of the market.
115,000 More Jobs
115,000 more jobs than cuts last month was the number that changed the tone for Friday's session. The report pointed to a labor market that remained firm enough to support earnings and spending, helping explain why stocks could set records after a week that began with caution around energy prices and war risk.
Six straight weekly gains also gave the S&P 500 its longest winning streak since 2024. If that pace holds, it signals investors are still willing to chase equities despite a backdrop that includes higher oil and the kind of geopolitical stress that can hit costs quickly.
Brent at $101.29
$101.29 a barrel was the other number hanging over the market on Friday, after Brent crude rose 1.2%. U.S. forces also fired on and disabled two Iranian oil tankers after overnight exchange of fire with Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz, a reminder that energy flows remain exposed to the conflict.
13.6% was the jump in Monster Beverage, after the company reported profit and revenue that topped analysts' expectations for the latest quarter. Its total net sales from outside the United States reached about 45% of the total, the highest share in its history, showing how one company can still post sharp gains even while the broader market is pricing in oil and war risk at the same time.
