Morning Report: US sharemarkets climbed on Friday

Weaker-than-expected US jobs data eased investor concerns about higher inflation and a cutback in stimulus. Growth stocks Microsoft (+1.1%) and Apple (+0.5%) both rose. Upbeat earnings results from payments firm Square (+4.2%), streaming device maker Roku (+11.6%) and online travel company Expedia (+5.2%) boosted sentiment. The Dow Jones index rose by 229 points or 0.7% and the S&P 500 index also added 0.7% – both closing at record highs. And the Nasdaq index lifted 119 points or 0.9%. Over the week the Dow rose 2.7% and the S&P 500 lifted 1.2%, but the Nasdaq shed 1.5%.