03:44 PM EDT, 05/03/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes were on track to close higher Friday, partly driven by a post-earnings surge in Apple's ( AAPL ) stock, as markets evaluated a weaker-than-expected jobs report.

The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite was up 2.1% at 16,164.9, while the S&P 500 rose 1.3% to 5,129.4. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 1.2% to 38,670.1. Tech jumped 3.2%, the best performer among sectors. Energy was the only decliner.

Apple ( AAPL ) shares were up 6.9%, among the top gainers on all three indexes. The technology giant late Thursday logged a surprise increase in fiscal second-quarter earnings despite a slowdown in iPhone sales. Apple ( AAPL ) announced additional stock repurchase authorization of up to $110 billion.

The US 10-year yield fell 7.4 basis points to 4.50%, while the two-year dropped 7.3 basis points to 4.80%.

Total nonfarm payrolls in the US rose by 175,000 in April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The consensus was for a 240,000 gain, according to a survey compiled by Bloomberg.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 1.8% to $78.10 per barrel.