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Indexes up: Dow 0.16%, S&P 500 0.45%, Nasdaq 0.71%
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August nonfarm payrolls below expectations
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Broadcom ( AVGO ) up following strong AI revenue growth forecast
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Lululemon plunges after profit forecast cut
(Updates after markets open)
By Purvi Agarwal and Ragini Mathur
Sept 5 (Reuters) -
Wall Street's main indexes hit intraday record highs on
Friday after a weaker-than-expected August jobs report boosted
bets on imminent rate cuts from the U.S. central bank, while
chip major Broadcom ( AVGO ) surged on strong quarterly earnings.
Broadcom ( AVGO ) soared 13% to a record high after the chip
designer forecast fourth-quarter revenue above estimates and
expected AI revenue growth to "improve significantly" in
fiscal-year 2026.
U.S. job growth weakened sharply in August and the
unemployment rate rose to 4.3%, confirming that labor market
conditions were softening and strengthening the case for an
interest-rate cut from the Federal Reserve this month.
Traders of futures tied to the Fed's policy rate added to
bets that it will cut interest rates in quick succession
starting this month.
CME's FedWatch Tool showed markets are now pricing in a 16%
chance of a jumbo 50-basis-point cut in September.
"It shows that the labor market is stalling to the point
where we could experience negative job growth in the months
ahead, and this is due to uncertainties over tariffs," said
Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital
Securities.
"This perhaps raises speculation that the Fed could cut
(borrowing costs) by 50 basis points in September."
At 09:43 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average
rose 73.08 points, or 0.16%, to 45,694.37, the S&P 500
gained 29.47 points, or 0.45%, to 6,531.55, and the
Nasdaq Composite added 151.85 points, or 0.71%, to
21,861.39.
Rising rate-cut bets helped drive the real estate sector
up 1.2% to lead sectoral gains, while the Philadelphia
Housing Index climbed 2.2% to an eight-month high.
Broadcom's ( AVGO ) results boosted tech stocks, with the
Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index adding 2.1%.
Investors, who were unimpressed by Nvidia's ( NVDA )
quarterly results last week and concerned after the lofty
valuations of AI-related firms briefly paused Wall Street's
rally in August, were relieved after Broadcom's ( AVGO ) results.
On the other hand, Lululemon Athletica ( LULU ) plunged
17.5% to a more than five-year low after the yogawear-maker
slashed its annual profit forecast the second time in a row,
dragging larger rival Nike ( NKE ) down 1% and limiting gains in
the consumer discretionary sector.
The S&P 500 closed at a record high on Thursday, with the
Nasdaq and the Dow also finishing higher after a slew of
economic indicators kept rate-cut hopes intact.
All three indexes were on track for gains in the first week
of September. The S&P 500 has lost 1.5% on average in September
since 2000, according to LSEG data, making it the worst month
historically for U.S. equities.
In other moves, Tesla added to gains and was last
up 4.5% after the EV-maker proposed an about $1-trillion
compensation package for top boss Elon Musk, subject to meeting
lofty performance targets.
Samsara advanced 15% after the software firm beat
second-quarter revenue expectations.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 5.06-to-1
ratio on the NYSE and by a 3.14-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.
The S&P 500 posted 24 new 52-week highs and two new
lows, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 93 new highs and 40
new lows.