Stock jumped sharply Friday after a softer-than-expected April jobs report boosted hopes that the Federal Reserve could start cutting interest rates soon.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 578 points, or 1.5%. The S&P 500 surged 1.2%, while the Nasdaq Composite rallied 1.8%. Apple shares advanced 7% following first-quarter results.
Friday’s nonfarm payrolls report showed 175,000 jobs gained in April, below the 240,000 jobs expected by economists surveyed by Dow Jones. The unemployment rate edged up to 3.9%, versus 3.8% in the prior month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wage figures were also less than expected in encouraging sign for inflation.
“It’s soft across the board, which is overall positive for markets,” said Jamie Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group. “Wage growth being soft is going to help take the concerns about a massive resurgence of inflation off the table.”
Following weaker than expected job growth and moderating wage gains in April, traders priced in a second rate cut by the end of the year. The probability rose to about 72% Friday morning after being less than 50% the day before, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch tracker of futures market pricing.
Rates dropped following the weak jobs report with the 10-year yield falling below 4.5%. Following Wednesday’s Federal Reserve’s meeting on Wednesday, Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank was prepared to act if unemployment rate ticked higher.
“We’re also prepared to respond to an unexpected weakening in the labor market,” Powell said.
Heading into Friday, the S&P 500 was off by 0.7% week to date, while the Nasdaq was down nearly 0.6%. The Dow is down 0.04% for the period. Friday’s gains could turn the major averages positive for the week.
Elsewhere, Apple advanced more than 6% after it announced a $110 billion share repurchase and a top -and bottom-line beat. Biotech Amgen surged 14% after posting better-than-expected earnings and offering a positive update on an experimental obesity drug.