US stock markets exhibited a mixed performance on Friday. While the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed, registering a gain of approximately 150 points (0.38%), the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite declined by 0.37%. The broader S&P 500 index also saw a positive performance, inching up 0.04%.
Energy sector shares enjoyed a boost, rising by 0.6% on Thursday. Conversely, information technology shares experienced a decline of 0.7% during the same trading session.
The US economy added 142,000 jobs in August, according to the latest report. This figure represents a slight slowdown from the revised 89,000 jobs added in July but fell short of market expectations of 160,000. The unemployment rate decreased to 4.2% in August from 4.3% in the previous month.
Several individual stocks witnessed significant price fluctuations on Friday. BloomZ Inc. (BLMZ) shares surged by a remarkable 131% to $1.8701 following the announcement of a business agreement with CrossVision for joint entertainment offerings. Shares of Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. (WHLR) also experienced a substantial jump, rising 89% to $7.84 after the company and its subsidiary, Cedar Realty Trust, received a favorable court ruling. Beneficient (BENF) shares also saw a positive day, climbing 73% to $2.5906.
On the other side of the spectrum, several stocks encountered declines. Autozi Internet Technology (Global) Ltd. (AZI) shares plummeted by 24% to $1.3796. Shares of Planet Labs PBC (PL) dropped 21% to $1.9593 after the company reported second-quarter sales results that fell below analysts’ expectations. Genesco Inc. (GCO) shares also declined, falling 17% to $24.31 following the release of its second-quarter results.
In commodity markets, oil prices rose by 1% to $69.82 per barrel, while gold prices dipped by 0.4% to $2,533.40 per ounce. Silver prices also saw a decline of 0.5% to $28.960 per ounce, and copper prices fell by 0.6% to $4.1140 per pound.
European stock markets generally exhibited positive performance on Friday. The eurozone’s STOXX 600 index gained 0.3%, while Germany’s DAX index rose 0.1% and France’s CAC 40 index increased by 0.2%. Spain’s IBEX 35 index climbed 0.4%, and London’s FTSE 100 index gained 0.1%. The Eurozone’s GDP grew by 0.2% on a quarterly basis during the second quarter, and the number of employed persons in the Eurozone increased by 0.2% from the previous quarter during the three months to June.
Asian markets concluded Friday’s trading session with losses. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index fell 0.72%, China’s Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.81%, and India’s BSE Sensex declined 1.24%. Foreign exchange reserves held by the Reserve Bank of India jumped to $684 billion as of August 30, 2024.
