US markets close higher amid optimism about more fiscal stimulus

09 Jan 2021 Evaluate

The US markets ended higher with notable gains on Friday amid optimism that a Democrat-controlled government will lead to more fiscal stimulus and a better handling of the coronavirus vaccine rollout. In a statement on Thursday, President Donald Trump finally acknowledged 'a new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th,' although he declined to mention President-elect Joe Biden by name. Trump has repeatedly refused to accept the outcome of the election, spouting fraudulent claims of widespread voter fraud that inspired his supporters to assault the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday. Traders seem hopeful for a return to normalcy, as Democrats will control both houses of congress and the White House but do not have the margin in the Senate to force through radical legislation.

Traders were also reacting to a closely watched Labor Department report showing an unexpected decrease in US employment in the month of December. The Labor Department said non-farm payroll employment fell by 140,000 jobs in December after climbing by an upwardly revised 336,000 jobs in November. The decline surprised market participants, who had expected employment to increase by about 71,000 jobs compared to the addition of 245,000 jobs originally reported for the previous month. Employment decreased for the first time since April as the recent surge in coronavirus cases led to a nosedive in employment in the leisure and hospitality sector, which lost 498,000 jobs.

Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 56.84 points or 0.18 percent to 31,097.97, Nasdaq rose 134.49 points or 1.03 percent to 13,201.97 and S&P 500 was up by 20.89 points or 0.55 percent to 3,824.68.

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