US stocks closed at record highs on Friday as investors reacted to the December jobs report and awaited potential Fed guidance. The S&P 500 gained 0.6% and the Dow rose 0.5%, both hitting new highs, while the Nasdaq added 0.8%. The December report showed nonfarm payrolls increasing by 50,000, below expectations, while the unemployment rate fell to 4.4%, signaling a labor market that remains steady but slow-growing. Chipmakers led sector gains, with Broadcom (+3.8%), Intel (+10.8%), and Lam Research (+8.7%) climbing sharply on investor optimism over AI and semiconductor growth. Homebuilders and home improvement stocks also advanced after President Trump directed mortgage bond purchases to lower rates, with D.R. Horton (+7.8%), PulteGroup (+7.3%), Lennar (+8.8%), and Home Depot (+2.2%) all rising. For the week, all three major indexes posted solid gains, with the S&P 500 up 1%, the Nasdaq rising 1.3%, and the Dow advancing 1.2%.
