Nasdaq rises 1%, Dow, S&P close higher as weak jobs data tempers rate hike bets

U.S. stocks finished higher following a weaker-than-expected jobs report which eased rate hike expectations. Nonfarm payrolls rose by only 29,000, significantly below economists' forecasts of 90,000. The S&P 500 real estate index and small-cap Russell 2000 gained approximately 1% due to reassessed Fed rate increase likelihood. Despite this, the Dow and S&P 500 recorded declines for four out of five weeks.