On Friday, U.S. stock markets closed on a high note, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reaching their highest closing levels since early 2022.
This surge in optimism among investors came in response to a robust U.S. jobs report, which bolstered hopes of a gentle economic slowdown.
The Labor Department’s report revealed that nonfarm payrolls had increased by 199,000 jobs in November, surpassing the estimated growth of 180,000 jobs.
The unemployment rate also declined to 3.7%, while average earnings showed a 0.4% monthly increase, exceeding the expected 0.3% growth.
As a result, investors scaled back their expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in March.
According to the CME FedWatch tool, interest rate futures indicated a widespread expectation that the Federal Reserve would maintain interest rates at its upcoming meeting.
However, futures prices now suggested that traders were mostly anticipating rate cuts to begin in May, a delay of two months from the previously favored March timeline.
Stuart Cole, the head macro economist at Equiti Capital in London, commented, “The drop in the unemployment rate in particular will assuage any concerns of a recession, and with payrolls and earnings both rising, it keeps the ‘soft landing’ narrative very much in the ascendancy.”
He also noted that this report might prompt those forecasting an early Fed rate cut to reconsider their positions.
In terms of market performance, the S&P 500 closed at 4,604.37 points, its highest level since March 2022, while the Nasdaq reached 14,403.97 points, its highest since April 2022.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to 36,247.87 points, gaining 0.36%.
For the week, the S&P 500 saw a 0.21% increase, marking its sixth consecutive weekly gain, the longest streak since November 2019.
The Dow also recorded its sixth consecutive weekly gain with a marginal increase of 0.01%, the longest positive run since February 2019. The Nasdaq experienced a 0.69% gain for the week.
Despite these gains, the S&P 500 remained 4% below its record high from late 2021, while the Nasdaq still lagged by 10%.
Notable stock movements included chipmaker Nvidia and Meta Platforms, both gaining nearly 2%. Meanwhile, Google-parent Alphabet saw a 1.4% dip, reversing gains from the previous session.
Other factors contributing to market sentiment included a surprising uptick in U.S. consumer sentiment for December and strong quarterly reports, coupled with optimism that the Fed had completed its rate hikes.
Additionally, Honeywell announced its acquisition of air conditioner maker Carrier Global’s security business for $4.95 billion, causing Honeywell’s shares to dip by 1.6% while Carrier’s shares rose by almost 4%. Paramount Global surged by 12% amid reports of takeover interest, and Warner Bros Discovery jumped by 6.6%. DocuSign rallied by 4.8% after raising its annual revenue forecast.
In summary, the U.S. stock market closed on a high note fueled by positive jobs data and strong economic indicators, setting the stage for continued investor optimism.