US stocks close mixed amid earnings, data

US stocks closed mixed as investors digested the latest corporate earnings reports as well as key economic data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Friday rose 64.22 points, or 0.26 per cent, to 25,063.89. The S&P 500 rose 2.43 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 2,706.53, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 17.87 points, or 0.25 per cent, to 7,263.87.

Amazon reported fourth-quarter earnings that far exceeded analysts estimates on Thursday after market close.

The company registered earnings per share of $6.04 on revenue of $72.4 billion. The net sales of Amazon Web Services reached $7.43 billion.

For full year 2018, Amazon's net sales increased 31 per cent to $232.9 billion.

However, Amazon shares declined more than 5 per cent on Friday after the company warned of increased spending this year.

On the data front, job growth in January beat expectations with total nonfarm payrolls increasing by 304,000 despite a partial government shutdown that was the longest in US history, the Department of Labor said on Friday.

Job gains occurred in several industries, including leisure and hospitality, construction, health care, and transportation and warehousing, the department said.

--IANS

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