U.S. market indexes were higher Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 24,262.51 for a gain of 332.36 points or 1.39%. The S&P 500 closed at 2,663.42 for a gain of 33.69 points or 1.28%. The Nasdaq Composite closed at 7,209.62 for a gain of 121.47 points or 1.71%. The VIX Volatility Index was lower at 14.77 for a loss of -1.13 points or -7.11%.
For the week, the Dow Jones reported a loss of -0.2%, the S&P 500 was down -0.3% and the Nasdaq gained 1.2%.
Friday’s Market Movers
Technology stock gains helped U.S. market indexes to close higher. The S&P 500 technology sector reported a gain of 1.90%, leading the S&P 500 Index overall. Dow Jones component Apple (AAPL, Financial) reported a gain of 3.93% on Friday after a report stated that Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio) bought approximately 75 million shares in the first quarter.
Economic reports affecting market trading include the following:
- The April Employment Situation report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed an increase of 194,000 jobs. The unemployment rate decreased to 3.9% from 4.1%.
- The Baker Hughes rig count increased to 1,118 from 1,106.
In the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the following stocks led gains:
McDonald's (MCD, Financial) 3.09%
Small-Cap Stocks
In small-caps, the Russell 2000 Index closed at 1,565.60 for a gain of 19.05 points or 1.23%. The S&P 600 closed at 958.92 for a gain of 11.84 points or 1.25%. The Dow Jones Small-Cap Growth TSM Index closed at 9,672.66 for a gain of 123.24 points or 1.29%. The Dow Jones Small-Cap Value TSM Index closed at 10001.15 for a gain of 110.62 points or 1.12%.
Other Notable Indexes
Other notable index closes included the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index at 1,897.45 for a gain of 24.89 points or 1.33%; the S&P 100 at 1,169.64 for a gain of 15.71 points or 1.36%; the Russell 3000 at 1,580.76 for a gain of 20.14 points or 1.29%; the Russell 1000 at 1,477.39 for a gain of 18.89 points or 1.30%; and the Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index at 690.58 for a gain of 6.57 points or 0.96%.
