Stocks rise after jobs report shows more strength
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Stocks pushed higher on Friday, headed for a reprieve from losses as investors shook off some jitters after digesting the crucial monthly jobs report,
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) put on 1%, or 400 points, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) added 1.3% on the heels of its worst single-day fall since February. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) gained 1.5%.
As Yahoo Finance’s Josh Schafer reported, the US labor market continued to impress in March. Employers added 303,000 jobs, much more than economists expected, while the unemployment rate ticked back down to 3.8%. Wage growth also met expectations.
The major gauges slumped on Thursday as oil prices hit their highest levels in six months, spurring worries about a boost to inflation, and a panoply of Federal Reserve speakers rattled faith in an interest-rate cut coming any time soon.
Nerves in the market are running high, going by this week’s bumpy action in stocks. Investors are juggling economic releases and corporate news alongside growing tensions in the Middle East.
Oil prices held near multimonth highs on Friday, building on the big gains notched amid escalating Israel-Iran tensions. Brent crude futures (BZ=F), the international benchmark, hovered just below $91 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate futures (CL=F) changed hands at more than $87.
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Tesla ends low-cost car plans
Plans for a more affordable Tesla (TSLA) model that investors were banking on to broaden the appeal of the all-electric carmaker have been scrapped, Reuters reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter and company messages.
Tesla shares fell more than 3% following the news.
The company will continue to develop self-driving robotaxis using the same vehicle platform, according to the report. But the scuttled initiate represents a major setback for the carmaker that long promised affordable electric cars for mainstream customers.
Tesla’s Model 3 sedan, its cheapest vehicle, retails for just under $40,000. The previously planned entry-level vehicle was expected to cost around $25,000.
Fierce competition from China would make delivering such a vehicle even more challenging as carmakers abroad have raced to deliver low-cost EVs.
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