04:52 PM EST, 12/06/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes ended the week mixed as investors weighed the possibility of the Federal Reserve pausing its easing cycle after the December cut.

* The S&P 500 stood at 6,090.27 end-of-play, versus 6,032.4 a week earlier and the Nasdaq Composite closed at 19,859.77, compared with 19,218.2 the week prior. But, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended at 44,642.52 on Friday, compared with 44,910.7 a week ago.

* Health care and industrials, among the biggest in the Dow, underperformed this week. Strong gains in technology and communication services helped lift the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq to fresh record highs. Tesla (TSLA) ended the week 10% higher as a rally post-elections continued. Salesforce ( CRM ) shares also jumped almost double digits after fiscal Q3 revenue surpassed the Street's estimates.

* Friday's nonfarm payrolls were mixed. It showed the unemployment rate rose in November, compared with expectations for no change. However, payrolls rose more than expected, with upward revisions in September and October. Hourly earnings also beat expectations.

* "The rise in the unemployment rate despite the lower labor force participation rate hinted at softening, but it reflected somewhat slower hiring rather than new layoffs," a Morgan Stanley note said. "A solid rebound in payrolls and upward revision are consistent with strong output & consumption growth in Q4."

* The probability of a 25-basis-point cut in interest rates in December soared to 85% by Friday afternoon, compared with 71% a day ago, according to the FedWatch Tool. Through October next year, the market has priced only three more rate reductions.

* Fed Chair Jerome Powell said this week policymakers can be cautious while easing monetary policy, referring to the resilience of the US economy.

* Earlier in the week, the Institute for Supply Management's US services index still pointed to expansion, albeit slower, while US job openings beat expectations.