Stocks rose Wednesday after the S&P 500 posted a third losing session, as investors weighed newly released U.S. economic data.
The S&P 500 traded 0.1% higher along with the Nasdaq Composite. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 146 points, or 0.3%.
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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released early Tuesday its November job report, which also included data from October. The findings pulled back the curtain on the U.S.′ economic health following a federal data backup caused by the U.S. government shutdown this fall.
The report showed the U.S. economy shed 105,000 jobs in October, while the unemployment rate rose to 4.6% — its highest level since September 2021. However, 64,000 jobs were added in November, topping the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 45,000.
The S&P 500 dropped 0.2% and the 30-stock Dow fell 302 points, or 0.6%, on Tuesday as investors digested the data. It was the third consecutive negative day for both indexes. Stocks in the energy sector also saw losses, as U.S. crude oil closed at its lowest level since 2021 on pressures from a looming surplus. Oil majors Exxon Mobil and Chevron slid roughly 2%.
“The economy has been slowing for a while, and there [had been] a lot of hope in the market…but all those hopes are now basically dashed as we get this data,” Bob Elliott, CEO of Unlimited Funds, said Tuesday on CNBC’s “Closing Bell Overtime.” “This is probably not the time to be bulked up on stocks, and it may be the time to add some fixed income to your portfolio as you wrap up the year.”
On the economic front, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller and New York Fed President John Williams are slated to speak on Wednesday morning.
Traders are also looking ahead to Thursday’s release of the consumer price index reading for November.