US stocks end session with gains

​​​​​​​By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - The New York Stock Exchange ended Thursday with gains after employment data exceeded expectations.

The Dow rose 0.77%, or 344.11 points, to close at 44,828.53.

The Nasdaq Composite inched up 1.02%, or 207.97 points, to 20,601.10 -- a new high, and the S&P 500 rose 0.83%, or 51.93 points, to 6,279.35, also a record.

The New York Stock Exchange will be closed Friday due to the July 4 Independence Day in the US.

The VIX Index, also known as the “fear index," fell 1.56% to 16.38.

Nonfarm payrolls in the US exceeded expectations, which was positively reflected in the markets; up 147,000 in June, while the unemployment rate fell from 4.2% to 4.1%.

The number of people filing unemployment benefits for the first time in the US also fell to 233,000 for the week ending June 28, below expectations.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said if the Fed does not cut its policy rate in July, he believes a larger rate cut could be made in September.