On Friday morning, U.S. stock indices opened the trading session with modest gains, underpinned by the release of favorable employment data for December. The Dow Jones Industrial Average registered an increase of 0.15%, reaching a value of 49,342.43 points. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 0.29% to hover around 23,547.90, and the S&P 500 similarly ticked up by 0.29% to 6,941.76.
Within sector performances, the utilities segment stood out, recording a substantial 2% gain, indicating investor interest in the traditionally defensive sector. Conversely, the consumer discretionary sector experienced a slight decline, edging down by approximately 0.6%, signaling cautious positioning in more cyclical industries during the session.
The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provided insights into the labor market's final quarter performance, suggesting a steadier employment environment than the apprehensions prevalent earlier in the year. December saw the addition of 50,000 nonfarm jobs, a figure largely consistent with November's revised increase of 56,000 and marginally below market expectations of 60,000.
The unemployment rate demonstrated a slight improvement, decreasing from a downwardly revised 4.5% in November to 4.4% in December, thus falling under the anticipated 4.5%. Additionally, workers' average hourly earnings rose by 0.3% month-over-month, an acceleration from the 0.2% gain observed in November and aligned with predictions.
Housing construction statistics reflected some softness, with housing starts declining 4.6% to an annual pace of 1.246 million units, and building permits easing 0.2% to 1.412 million units on an annualized basis. However, consumer sentiment displayed resilience, as measured by the University of Michigan's index, climbing to 54.0 in January, marking the strongest reading since September of the previous year.
Among individual stocks, several notable movements occurred within the Nasdaq exchange. Rich Sparkle Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:ANPA) experienced a remarkable surge of 112%, with shares closing at $51.41. This upswing followed the company's announcement of a $39 million offering consisting of 3 million ordinary shares priced at $13 each, indicating significant capital raising activity.
Alpha Technology Group Ltd (NASDAQ:ATGL) also witnessed a pronounced increase, with shares appreciating 76% to $36.66. GreenPower Motor Company Inc (NASDAQ:GP) gained 61%, reaching $1.32 per share, supported by the receipt of a $5 million Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) award from New Mexico for a new facility, alongside $9.6 million in jobs tax credits and additional incentive funds.
Conversely, declines were notable among several other companies. Aquestive Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:AQST) shares fell sharply by 39% to $3.79 after receiving a letter from the Food and Drug Administration highlighting deficiencies that barred discussions regarding labeling for their anaphylaxis treatment anaphylm (dibutepinephrine) sublingual film.
Aclarion Inc (NASDAQ:ACON) shares dropped by 37% to $5.15, reflecting market concerns. Beta Bionics Inc (NASDAQ:BBNX) declined 34%, closing at $21.12 following the release of preliminary financial results for the fourth quarter, which seemingly prompted investor caution.
In commodity markets, crude oil prices gained momentum, rising 2.3% to $59.11 per barrel. Concurrently, gold prices appreciated by 0.9% to settle at $4,501.40 per ounce. Silver experienced a notable increase of 5.1%, reaching $79.015, while copper prices advanced 1.7% to $5.893, reflecting strengthened demand and market sentiment.
Turning to global equities, European stock markets generally advanced. The STOXX Europe 600 index rose by 0.9%, with prominent indexes such as London's FTSE 100 and France's CAC 40 increasing by 0.9% and 1.3%, respectively. Germany's DAX recorded a moderate 0.4% increase. However, Spain's IBEX 35 bucked the trend with a marginal decline of 0.2% during the session.
In the Asia-Pacific region, markets closed mostly higher. Japan's Nikkei 225 index advanced 1.61%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained 0.32%, and China's Shanghai Composite index increased by 0.92%. In contrast, India's BSE Sensex registered a 0.72% decline, displaying divergent market reactions within the region.