WALL STREET RALLIES AS JOBS MARKET FLASHES WARNING
US stocks ended higher Friday after a surprisingly weak jobs report raised hopes that the Fed may hold off on rate hikes.
STOCKS CHARGE HIGHER
• S&P 500: +0.6%
• Nasdaq 100: +1.2%
• Dow Jones: +0.3%
• SOX: +3%
The S&P 500 capped its second-strongest week of 2026, gaining about 3.6%.
JOBS MARKET SHOWS CRACKS
• US payrolls fell 23,000 in July
• May and June jobs were revised down by 103,000
• Unemployment rate eased to 4.1%
• Wage growth slowed
The softer data gave markets more room to bet on a Fed pause.
FED RATE HIKE FEARS COOL
Markets are still pricing in a rate hike this year, but expectations have shifted toward December.
The big question now: Will upcoming inflation data keep the Fed on hold?
BONDS GET A BOOST
• 10-year Treasury yield: 4.64%
• 2-year Treasury yield: 4.19%
Bond yields fell as investors reassessed the outlook for rates.
TECH TAKES THE LEAD
Investors rotated back into technology as rate pressure eased.
Semiconductors led the charge, with the SOX jumping 3%.
CORPORATE WATCH
• Airbnb +17% after raising its revenue outlook
• Doximity +31% after lifting its FY2027 revenue forecast
• Hertz +12% after narrower-than-expected losses
• Atlassian surged after a strong revenue forecast
• Twilio jumped after raising its operating income outlook
BIGGEST LOSER
Trade Desk plunged 22% after a weak forecast triggered analyst downgrades.
OIL, GOLD & GEOPOLITICS
Oil eased as hopes grew around a possible US-Iran-Oman deal over the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, gold jumped 2.4% to $4,342.81, helped by weak US jobs data.
â‚¿ CRYPTO WATCH
• Bitcoin: $64,935
• Ether: $1,916
THE BIG MARKET QUESTION
Weak jobs are suddenly good news for stocks.
But with inflation still in focus, next week’s data could decide whether this rally has more room to run.