US stocks edge lower on NFP’s day, cyberattack news

The Dow Jones Index reversed lower for a loss of 0.4% Friday on reports that a cyberattack hit hospital computer systems across several states. Top gainers in the Dow Jones included Amgen, which jumped on earnings. But Apple was down nearly 5%.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite retreated for a fourth straight session on Friday, notching their worst weeks since March. The Nasdaq dipped 0.36% to settle at 13,909.24, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 150.27 points, or 0.43%, to end at 35,065.62.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) rose to trade above 16, indicating investors adding volatility protection. The final day of the busiest week of second-quarter earnings season saw Amazon jump 8.3% to its highest level in nearly a year, while Apple lost 4.8% after reporting lower revenue than the year-ago quarter.

Booking Holdings gained 7.9% on stronger-than-expected results, while Amgen popped 5.5% on solid earnings and boosted guidance. Earnings reports for the quarter ended in June have continued to surprise some Wall Street analysts, as the expected slowdown in profits proves less than feared. About 84% of S&P 500 companies have given results, with 80% surpassing Wall Street expectations.

The 10-year Treasury yield also pulled back from a multi-month high to 4.04%, pressured risk assets. The July jobs report showed 187,000 jobs added in July, less than the 200,000 expected by economists polled by Dow Jones.

The unemployment rate ticked lower to 3.5% from 3.6%. Average hourly wages pointed toward more inflation and came in ahead of expectations, rising 0.4% for the month and 4.4% on an annualized basis. About 88% of traders expect the central bank to hold rates steady at its next meeting in September.