US stocks open mixed after private payrolls

By Ovunc Kutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - Major stock exchanges in the US opened Thursday mixed after release of private payrolls figures.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 88 points, or 0.22%, to 40,886 at 9.34 a.m. EDT (1334GMT).

The S&P 500, on the other hand, fell 1.3 points, or 0.01%, to remain almost flat at 5,518.

The Nasdaq, meanwhile, increased 60 points, or 0.36%, to 17,145

US private payrolls rose by 99,000 in August, much less than market estimates of 144,000, and marking the smallest gain since January 2021, according to a report released earlier by ADP Research Institute.

The VIX volatility index, also known as the fear index, fell 2.3% to 20.83 at the time. The 10-year US Treasury yield fell 1% to 3.730%.

The dollar index fell 0.26% to 101.09, while the euro increased 0.18% to $1.1103 against the greenback.

Precious metals were on the rise, with gold adding 0.85% to $2,516 per ounce and silver increasing 2.5% to $28.97.

Oil prices were up around 0.7%, with global benchmark Brent crude at $73.25 a barrel and US benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude at $69.70.