Stock Market News for Oct 5, 2026

U.S. stock markets closed higher on Friday as investors reacted to weaker-than-expected September employment data. Nonfarm payrolls increased by only 29,000 versus the expected 79,000, pushing the unemployment rate to 4.2%. The Nasdaq Composite rose 1.2%, the S&P 500 gained 0.7%, and the Dow advanced 0.5%. The weak jobs report increased expectations that the Federal Reserve may maintain interest rates in the 3.75%-4.00% range.