U.S. stocks traded mixed on Friday as investors digested a stronger-than-expected jobs report while bracing themselves for a key constitutional referendum in Italy.
The Dow Jones Industrials dropped 19.52 points to 19,172.41, with Goldman Sachs leading decliners and United Technologies the top advancer.
The S&P 500 climbed 2.67 points to 2,193.75, with real-estate leading nine sectors higher and financials lagging.
The NASDAQ composite index gained 11.54 points to 5,262.64, as tech stocks rebounded
Also on investors' radars was the Italian referendum, scheduled for Sunday. With this referendum, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi wants to change the constitution so that the executive branch needs approval only from parliament's lower house in order to pass laws.
On the economic beat, the U.S. added 178,000 jobs last month, according to figures released by the U.S. Labor Department, with the unemployment rate falling to 4.6%. Economists expected a gain of 175,000 with the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.9%. Wages, however, slumped to 2.5%.
Treasury prices for the 10-year note jumped, lowering yields to 2.38% from Thursday’s 2.44%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices added 26 cents to $51.32 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices tacked on $8.50 to $1,177.90 U.S. an ounce.
