Friday’s session closed out in positive territory. McDonald’s, DuPont, Walt Disney, and 3M stood out among advancers on the Dow. Stocks stepped up amid the release of better-than-expected monthly jobs data. The Labor Department reported that new non-farm payrolls hit 236,000 in February, following a downwardly revised 119,000 gain in January. The results far exceeded expectations of 160,000. Additionally, the unemployment rate slipped to 7.7%, marking the lowest level since 2008. On another note, the Census Bureau reported a jump in wholesale inventories. Inventories increased 1.2% in January after climbing an upwardly revised 0.1% in December. The figure was well beyond consensus expectations of a 0.3% uptick. Elsewhere, crude oil futures tacked on 2 cents to settle at $91.58 a barrel.
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