US S&P 500, Nasdaq climbs to new highs

The US stocks continued upward journey on Friday, 05 February 2021, sending the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to new record closing highs, on the back of release of the Labor Department closely watched jobs report that showed a modest rebound in employment in the month of January. Meanwhile, market was also benefitted from release of better than expected quarterly earnings reports and news that Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) has applied for an emergency use authorization from the FDA for its single-dose coronavirus vaccine

At the close of trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average index advanced 36.12 points, or 0.12%, to 30,723.60. The S&P 500 index increased 3.86 points, or 0.1%, to 3,830.17. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index fell 2.23 points, or 0.02%, to 13,610.54.

The markets continued to benefit from upbeat news on the earnings front, with Ford (F), Est Lauder (EL), Activision Blizzard (ATVI) and Gilead Sciences (GILD) all moving higher after reporting their quarterly results.

Adding to the general mood of optimism, Democrats in Congress are powering ahead with plans to pass a $1.9 trillion stimulus package without Republican approval.

Buying interest was also generated in reaction to news that Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) has applied for an emergency use authorization from the FDA for its single-dose coronavirus vaccine, which could result in Americans getting shots as early as March.

COVID-19 hospitalizations continued to fall, to 88,668 on Thursday, the lowest total since Nov. 24, according to the COVID Tracking Project. However, the number of deaths in the U.S. resulting from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 spiked above 5,000 for the first time on Thursday, snapping a declining trend.

Economic News Reports: The Labor Department said non-farm payroll employment edged up by 49,000 jobs in January after plunging by a revised 227,000 jobs in December. The Labor Department also said the unemployment rate slid to 6.3 percent in January from 6.7 percent in December.

The U.S. international trade deficit fell in December, but the nation's trade gap still climbed in 2020 to the highest level in 12 years due to the coronavirus pandemic. The trade gap slid 3.5% to $66.6 billion in December from $69 billion in November.

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