Stocks Edged Higher after US Jobs Data

U.S. stocks edged higher in the early trading on Friday, after a modestly weaker-than-expected December jobs report. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately rose 10.91 points, or 0.04%, to 28,967.81. The S&P 500 gained 3.85 points, or 0.12%, to 3,278.55. The Nasdaq Composite was up 16.82 points, or 0.18%, to 9,220.25.

Oil futures were flat to slightly lower Friday, as fears of a wider U.S.-Iran confrontation faded and data earlier this week showed a rise in U.S. crude inventories. West Texas Intermediate crude for February delivery was off 2 cents, or 0.1%, at $59.54 a barrel, while March Brent crude was flat at $65.35 a barrel.

The economy created 145,000 jobs in the final month of 2019 to cap off the ninth straight year. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, stayed at a 50-year low of 3.5%.