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Stocks Reclaim Record Highs As Jobs Data Fuels Growth Optimism; Gold, Bonds Tumble As Yields Rise: What's Driving Markets Friday?

Wall Street returned to reclaim record highs on Friday after a stronger-than-expected jobs report. In May, the increase in non-farm payrolls rose by 272,000 units, a jump from 165,000 and significantly higher than the economists’ consensus of 180,000. Hourly wages also surprised on the upside (4.1% year-on-year versus 3.9%), while unemployment came in slightly higher than expected (4% vs. 3.9%). The hotter-than-expected labor market data sparked a reassessment in rate-cut hopes, with traders closing the door on a July cut, lowering bets on September and currently expecting only one cut by year-end. The move in rate expectations triggered sharp increases in bond yields, with Treasuries witnessing about a 10-basis-point rise in yields across maturities. This lead to sharp drops in fixed-income markets, with the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ:TLT) down 1.8%. Investors opted to look at the ...