Markets Right Now: Strong hiring report sends stocks higher

The latest on developments in financial markets (All times local):

4:00 p.m.

Stocks are closing higher on Wall Street after the government reported another solid month of hiring by U.S. employers.

Bond prices fell and yields rose Friday, which sent shares of banks and financial companies surging. Bank of America gained 2.5 percent.

Technology companies also climbed. Microchip Technology rose 3.5 percent.

Weight Watchers soared 25 percent after reporting a strong quarter while Viacom, the media company that owns Comedy Central and MTV, sank 13.8 percent.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 4 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,476.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 66 points, or 0.3 percent, to 22,092. The Nasdaq composite climbed 11 points, or 0.2 percent, to 6,35.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.26 percent.

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11:45 a.m.

U.S. stocks are rising in midday trading following a jobs report that was better than most experts expected.

Bond prices fell and yields rose Friday, which sent shares of banks and financial companies surging. Technology companies also climbed.

Investors remained focused on corporate earnings. Weight Watchers soared 25 percent after reporting a strong quarter while Viacom, the media company that owns Comedy Central and MTV, sank 11 percent.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 4 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,476.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 35 points, or 0.2 percent, to 22,060. The Nasdaq composite climbed 12 points, or 0.2 percent, to 6,352.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.27 percent.

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9:35 a.m.

Stocks are opening modestly higher on Wall Street after the government reported another month of solid job gains.

Banks and technology companies rose the most in early trading Friday. JPMorgan Chase rose 1.2 percent and Cognizant Technology rose 1.5 percent.

The Labor Department reported that U.S. employers added 209,000 jobs in July, the second straight month of strong gains.

In earnings news, engineering company Fluor sank 7 percent after reporting a surprise loss in its most recent quarter.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 43 points, or 0.2 percent, to 22,069.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 5 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,477. The Nasdaq composite climbed 12 points, or 0.2 percent, to 6,352.