US markets end lower on Friday

03 Oct 2020 Evaluate

The US markets ended lower on Friday amid report that President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus. The news comes just a month before Election Day and has led to additional uncertainty about the outcome of the presidential election. White House physician Dr. Sean Conley said the president and first lady were ‘both well at this time, and they planned to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence’. Conley added that he expects Trump to ‘continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering’.

A report from the Labor Department showing US job growth slowed by much more than anticipated September also weighed on Wall Street. The Labor Department said non-farm payroll employment rose by 661,000 jobs in September after spiking by an upwardly revised 1.489 million jobs in August. Street had expected employment to increase by 850,000 jobs compared to the jump of 1.371 million jobs originally reported for the previous month. However, the markets attempted to recover from an initial sell-off as traders speculated Trump's diagnosis and the disappointing data could put further pressure on lawmakers to pass a new stimulus bill.

Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 134.09 points or 0.48 percent to 27,682.81, Nasdaq lost 251.49 points or 2.22 percent 11,075.02 and S&P 500 was down by 32.36 points or 0.96 percent to 3,348.44.

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