US Markets React to Jobs Data

Following the release of weaker-than-expected employment figures, major US stock markets opened with mixed reactions on Friday. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an increase of only 143,000 in nonfarm payrolls for January, missing projections. Despite this, the unemployment rate saw a slight decrease to 4%, with 6.8 million people remaining unemployed.

Market Performance at Opening

At the opening, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 both remained flat. In contrast, the Nasdaq 100 experienced a slight increase of 0.10%, buoyed by significant gains from TakeTwo Interactive Software Inc. and Fortinet Inc., which soared by 9.51% and 4.57%, respectively.

Currency Movements

In currency trading, the euro saw a minor decrease of 0.09% against the dollar, trading at $1.03783 at 3:58 pm ET.