The Grind:
Stocks fell Friday as traders evaluated September’s jobs report, which showed the unemployment rate continuing to decline and sparked an increase in interest rates.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 630.15 points, or 2.1%, to 29,296.79. The S&P 500 lost 2.8% to 3,639.66. The Nasdaq Composite slid 3.8% to 10,652.41, which is less than 1% above its low of the year.
The Details:
Friday’s losses trimmed the gains for what started out as a big comeback week for stocks. The major averages still ended the week higher but gave back most of the gains from the rally that kicked it off. The Dow rose 2% for the week, while the S&P added 1.5%. The Nasdaq eked out a 0.7% gain.
The U.S. economy added 263,000 jobs in September, slightly below a Dow Jones estimate of 275,000, the government said Friday. However, the unemployment rate came in at 3.5%, down from the 3.7% in the previous month in a sign that the jobs picture continues to strengthen even as the Federal Reserve tries to slow the economy with rate hikes to stem inflation. Read more…