Dow Edges Higher; US Economy Adds 50,000 Jobs In December

Market Overview - U.S. stocks traded higher, with the Dow Jones index gaining around 0.2% on Friday, reaching 49,342.43, while the NASDAQ climbed 0.29% to 23,547.90 and the S&P 500 rose 0.29% to 6,941.76 [1] - Utilities shares gained by 2% on Friday, indicating strength in that sector [1] Sector Performance - Consumer discretionary stocks dipped by 0.6% on Friday, reflecting weakness in that sector [2] Economic Indicators - The U.S. economy ended 2025 with a nonfarm payroll increase of 50,000 in December, slightly below expectations of 60,000 and mostly unchanged from November's revised gain of 56,000 [3][11] - The unemployment rate decreased from a revised 4.5% in November to 4.4%, below expectations of 4.5% [11] - Average hourly earnings rose by 0.3% in December, accelerating from November's 0.2% increase and matching forecasts [11] - Housing starts declined by 4.6% to an annualized rate of 1.246 million units, while building permits fell by 0.2% to an annualized rate of 1.412 million [11] - The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index increased to 54.0 in January, marking its strongest reading since September 2025 [11] Commodity Market - Oil prices increased by 2.3% to $59.11, gold rose by 0.9% to $4,501.40, silver surged by 5.1% to $79.015, and copper rose by 1.7% to $5.893 [6] Stock Movements - Rich Sparkle Holdings Ltd shares surged 112% to $51.41 after signing a $39 million offering of 3 million ordinary shares at $13 per share [10] - Alpha Technology Group Ltd shares increased by 76% to $36.66 [10] - GreenPower Motor Company Inc shares rose by 61% to $1.32 after receiving a $5 million LEDA award and $9.6 million in tax credits [10] - Aquestive Therapeutics Inc shares dropped 39% to $3.79 following an FDA letter identifying deficiencies [10] - Aclarion Inc shares fell 37% to $5.15, and Beta Bionics Inc shares decreased by 34% to $21.12 after reporting preliminary fourth-quarter financial results [10]