Stock market today: Stocks open higher after jobs report shows more cooling
Published On Sep 6, 2024, 9:36 AM
U.S. stocks ended a volatile trading week lower, primarily driven by disappointing jobs data that hinted at a cooling labor market. The Nasdaq Composite dropped over 2.5%, marking its worst week since June 2022. The economy added only 142,000 jobs in August, falling short of the expected 165,000, though the unemployment rate slightly improved to 4.2%. This shift in employment data has increased speculation that the Federal Reserve may implement a significant interest rate cut at its upcoming meeting on September 18. Tech stocks, particularly semiconductor companies, faced the brunt of the selloff, with Nvidia and Broadcom reporting disappointing forecasts that contributed to their stock price declines.