US stock indices closed higher on Friday, supported by strong gains for NVIDIA and Meta Platforms shares, after a US jobs report boosted investor optimism about a smooth decline in the economy.
Investors reduced their bets on the Federal Reserve (US central bank) cutting interest rates in March after a Labor Department report showed non-farm payrolls increased by 199,000 jobs in November, versus expectations of 180,000 jobs.
The unemployment rate fell to 3.7 percent, while average income rose 0.4 percent on a monthly basis, against expectations for growth of 0.3 percent.
According to preliminary data, the Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 18.44 points, or 0.40 percent, to close at 4,604.03 points, the Nasdaq Composite index increased 60.94 points, or 0.42 percent, to 14,400.93 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 119.42 points, or 0.33 percent, to close at 36,236.80 points.
