Stocks Ended Higher after Jobs Data

U.S. stocks advanced on Friday, buoyed by a solid payrolls report for November. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 117.68 points, or 0.49%, to 24,329.16. The S&P 500 gained 14.52 points, or 0.55%, to 2,651.50. The Nasdaq Composite added 27.24 points, or 0.40%, to 6,840.08. For the week, the Dow rose 0.4%, the S&P advanced 0.35% and the Nasdaq fell 0.11%.

Oil ended higher on Friday, with tensions in the Middle East, the threat of an oil-worker strike in Nigeria and data showing strong Chinese crude imports helping prices pare their loss for the week. January West Texas Intermediate crude tacked on 67 cents, or 1.2%, to settle at $57.36 a barrel, posting 1.7% loss for the week. February Brent crude rose $1.20, or 1.9%, at $63.40 a barrel and declined 0.6% for the week.

Nonfarm payrolls rose by 228,000 jobs last month amid broad gains in hiring as the distortions from the recent hurricanes faded, Labor Department data showed, topping expectations. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%.