US markets gain on jobs report

07 Dec 2013 Evaluate

The US markets climbed higher on Friday, after a stronger-than-anticipated monthly jobs report, with the S&P 500 and Dow industrials snapping a five-session losing streak. Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Charles Plosser, who favors winding down the Fed’s stimulus policies, stated that economic growth will probably quicken next year on a strengthening job market. The US economy generated 203,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate fell to 7.0% from 7.3%. The drop in unemployment largely reflects the return of federal workers after the end of the government shutdown in October, but the jobless rate is now at the lowest level since November 2008. Hiring in November was strong in most industries, including transportation and warehousing, professional and business services, manufacturing, health care, construction and retail, the Labor Department stated. Employment gains for October and September, meanwhile, were little changed overall. The number of new jobs created in October was trimmed to 200,000 from 204,000, while September’s figure was raised to 175,000 from 163,000.

Meanwhile, a preliminary December gauge of consumer sentiment rose to 82.5, the highest level since July, compared with a final November reading of 75.1, according to the University of Michigan and Thomson Reuters index. The jump in sentiment will be welcome by retailers during the important holiday shopping season, which has already been somewhat disappointing. Separately, consumer spending in the US rose by 0.3% in October indicating that Americans continued to spend at a modest rate despite the government shutdown. Personal income fell a seasonally adjusted 0.1%, however. The decline in income - the first since January - stemmed from a plunge in earnings for farmers. Also, inflation as gauged by the PCE price index was unchanged in October. The core rate excluding food and energy edged up 0.1%. Over the past year, the PCE has risen a scant 0.7% overall and just 1.1% on a core basis.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 198.69 points or 1.26 percent to 16,020.20, the S&P 500 was up 20.06 points or 1.12 percent to 1,805.09, while Nasdaq added 29.36 points or 0.73 percent to 4,062.52.

Indian ADRs closed in green on Friday; ICICI Bank was up 1.64%, Infosys was up 1.61%, Dr. Reddy’s Lab was up 1.18%, HDFC Bank was up 1.13% and Tata Motors was up by 0.56%.

   

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