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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial | |
ARTICLE VIEW: | |
• | |
4 min read | |
Dow approaches new record and S&P hits all-time high after | |
stronger-than-expected jobs data | |
By John Towfighi, CNN | |
Updated: | |
1:25 PM EDT, Thu July 3, 2025 | |
Source: CNN | |
Stocks, bond yields and the dollar gained on Thursday after a strong | |
jobs report soothed nerves about how the economy is faring during the | |
early stages of President Donald Trump’s tariff campaign. | |
After a shortened trading day in advance of Friday’s July Fourth | |
holiday, the Dow closed higher by 344 points, or 0.77%. The broader | |
S&P 500 rose 0.83% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 1.02%. | |
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at fresh record highs. The Dow closed | |
just 186 points away from hitting an all-time high. | |
Stocks had jumped higher in the morning after new data showed the | |
economy in June, exceeding expectations. The unemployment rate ticked | |
lower to 4.1% from 4.2%. | |
The strong headline numbers provided relief for investors who were | |
nervous about a potential slowdown in the economy as the president’s | |
tariffs portend to impact business activity. | |
“The June jobs report is like a summer blockbuster — plenty of | |
action and a surprise twist. Despite tariffs, DC drama and global | |
headwinds, the US labor market just pulled off a better-than-expected | |
performance,” Gina Bolvin, president of Bolvin Wealth Management | |
Group, said in an email. | |
While markets jumped higher, investors also noted caution. The | |
breakdown of job growth showed with the private sector showing signs of | |
weakness, according to Jim Baird, chief investment officer at Plante | |
Moran Financial Advisors. | |
“There was one cautionary note,” Baird said. “Private sector | |
hiring was fairly weak. So, that’s the asterisk that I would put on | |
the report, and something to watch.” | |
Job growth in June across sectors. Meanwhile, the average duration of | |
unemployment rose and the share of unemployed workers who have been out | |
of a job for 27 weeks or longer edged closer to a three-year high. | |
“Businesses are a little bit more hesitant to hire,” Baird said. | |
“Lots of questions still related to the impact of trade, tariffs and | |
the tax code making its way through Congress. I think there has been a | |
cautious tone on the hiring front that we’ve been seeing and hearing | |
about for some period of time. And I think that did show up in the | |
numbers this month.” | |
Treasury yields jumped higher as investors dialed back expectations for | |
future rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. The 10-year yield rose to | |
4.34% and the 30-year yield rose to 4.86%. | |
The US dollar index, which measures the dollar’s strength against six | |
major foreign currencies, gained 0.45%. The dollar index was set for | |
its biggest daily gain in nearly two weeks. | |
David Russell, global head of market strategy at TradeStation, said in | |
an email that the June jobs report was “good news for the economy and | |
corporate earnings because there’s no sign of a recession.” | |
“Uncertainty around tariffs and trade have apparently not spooked | |
businesses into shedding workers,” Jeffrey Roach, chief economist at | |
LPL Financial, said in an email. “One note of caution: the | |
administration is still actively negotiating details with several major | |
trading partners and the eventual business impacts are unknown.” | |
The Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq all closed the week in the green. | |
Strong jobs growth dashes hopes for Fed rate cut in July | |
The labor market continues to prove resilient, which gives the Fed more | |
time to hold rates steady and focus on how inflation is developing. | |
Traders now expect just a 4.7% chance the Fed cuts rates in July, down | |
from a 23.8% chance yesterday, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. | |
The Fed’s rate-cutting path has come under increased scrutiny in | |
recent weeks as Trump has against Fed Chair Jerome Powell, lashing out | |
at him for holding rates steady. Some Fed officials in recent weeks had | |
signaled an openness to cutting rates in July. | |
Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management, said | |
in an email that the June jobs report signals rate cuts in July are | |
likely off the table. | |
“A few Fed speakers have shown their inclination to cutting interest | |
rates as early as this month. Today’s data of higher than expected | |
payrolls, a drop in the unemployment rate and a fall in jobless claims | |
completely dispels their case for imminent rate cuts and implies that | |
there is absolutely no urgency for Fed support,” Shah said. | |
All eyes on Washington | |
Wall Street was also as lawmakers in the House try to pass Trump’s | |
“One Big, Beautiful Bill.” And investors were also keeping an eye | |
out for developments on the trade front. Trump on Wednesday with | |
Vietnam. | |
“The stock market is starting off the second half of 2025 on a strong | |
foot, with stocks continuing to make record highs as investors start to | |
price in fading tariff uncertainty and optimism over tax cuts and | |
continued economic resiliency,” David Laut, chief investment officer | |
at Abound Financial, said in an email. | |
Chris Zaccarelli, CIO at Northlight Asset Management, said in an email | |
that while he has been encouraged by the recovery in the stock market | |
in recent months, he is concerned about expensive valuations and the | |
fact that a lot of good news has already been priced in, leaving the | |
market “more vulnerable to negative surprises.” | |
“Extreme greed” was the sentiment driving markets, according to | |
CNN’s . It was the strongest reading in over a year. | |
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