For Feb. 4, 2016, here's the top stock market news and stocks to watch based on today's market moves...
Dow Jones: 16,416.58; +79.92; +0.49%
S&P 500: 1,915.45; +2.92; +0.15%
Nasdaq: 4,509.56; +5.32; +0.12%
The Dow Jones Industrial Average today (Thursday) gained 79 points ahead of tomorrow's critical January jobs report. Markets received a strong boost from materials stocks, which jumped 3.8% thanks to rising gold and silver prices and ChemChina's $43 billion deal to purchase Syngenta AG (NYSE ADR: SYT).
The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) - Wall Street's fear gauge - was up 0.8%.
On the economic front, the Challenger report indicated layoffs hit their highest levels in six months in January. According to the report, retail and energy companies issued the most pink-slips last month. Meanwhile, the U.S. Labor Department reported that jobless claims jumped to 285,000 last week, far more than economists had anticipated.
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