Dow Jones and S&P500: US Indices Climb as Markets Digest Mixed Employment Data

Economic Indicators - The December labor market report indicated nonfarm payrolls rose by 50,000, below the forecast of 73,000 by economists [2] - The unemployment rate decreased to 4.4%, compared to the forecast of 4.5% and down from 4.6% in November, suggesting an improving economy [3] Market Performance - The S&P 500 Index is up about 1% this week, while the Dow and Nasdaq have outperformed with increases of 2.1% and 1.1%, respectively [1] - Nine out of 11 sectors are moving higher, with Utilities leading at a 1.88% increase, followed by Materials at 0.86% and Industrials at 0.84% [5] - Energy sector is up 0.55%, while Technology sector is struggling with a slight drop of 0.05% in early trading [5] Legal and Trade Developments - The U.S. Supreme Court has delayed a ruling on the legality of President Trump's tariffs, which could have significant implications for trade policy and the U.S. fiscal situation [4]