Wall Street Journal

WSJ.com: Markets

Markets

U.S. Payrolls Drop; Jobless Rate at 9.6%
U.S. employers cut 54,000 jobs in August as census workers continued to exit payrolls, but the private sector added 67,000 jobs. The unemployment rate rose to 9.6%.
Treasurys Sink on Payrolls Report
Treasurys sank as a key U.S. government report showed smaller-than-forecast job losses in August, sapping demand for safe assets.
Futures Jump on Jobs Data
U.S. stock futures jumped after job losses slowed more than expected last month, though the unemployment rate edged up.
Euro Higher, Yen Lower After Payrolls Data
The U.S. dollar lost ground versus the euro and extended a gain against the Japanese yen following a report that U.S. job losses slowed more than expected last month.
Officials Move to Tame Asian Currencies
Singapore intervened in the foreign-exchange market and Korea resumed its intervention after a two-week break, while Japan has signaled it is weighing entering the market for the first time in six years.
Gold Edges Higher
The spot price of gold inched ahead of the key monthly U.S. jobs report.
Oil Softens as Earl Weakens
Oil futures softened ahead of the key U.S. jobs report and a weakening Hurricane Earl. Some analysts expect the storm will result in higher gasoline stockpiles as consumers shun driving over the Labor Day weekend.
Exporters Advance in Tokyo
Asian stock markets were mostly higher Friday as exporters gained while the yen took a breather after strong gains recently. The Nikkei rose 0.6%.
China to Adjust Price-Index Weighting
China's statistics bureau next year will increase the weight of housing-related items and reduce the weighting of food in its official consumer price index.
Tech Stocks Lead Gains in Europe
European markets traded higher, led by technology stocks, but investors remained cautious ahead of the U.S. nonfarm payrolls release.
Petrobras Share Sale Nearer
A deal between Brazil's government and oil company Petrobras has removed some doubts that the company can pull off a share sale that could hit $60 billion.
FHFA Issues Rules on MBS Purchases
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's regulator issued rules that will bar the mortgage-finance giants from receiving credit to meet mandates to support housing goals by purchasing mortgage-backed securities.
J.P. Morgan Entices Buyers Despite Risk
J.P. Morgan sold a $484.6 million commercial-mortgage bond backed by debt of an Australian shopping-mall developer just two days after the property group warned that its debt load was "unsustainable."