S&P 500, Nasdaq Rally To Record High Close On Robust Jobs Data

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite Index climbed to record high close on Friday as a strong jobs report restored confidence in the U.S. economy. The U.S. created 255,000 new jobs in July, significantly better than the 185,000 growth forecast by economists in a MarketWatch survey. The S&P 500 rose 18 points to close at 2,182 for a weekly gain of 0.4% while the Nasdaq added 54 points, or 1.1%, to end at 5,221, up 1.1% this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 191 points, or 1%, to close at 18,543, advancing 0.6% for the week.