This Number Helped These 3 Stocks Push the Dow Jones to Record Levels Friday

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) is back to record highs now, up 140 points to 35,204 on Aug. 6 at 2:39 p.m. EDT, following the latest jobs report from the Labor Department that exceeded all expectations. The report showed U.S. non-farm employers added 943,000 new jobs in July, and the unemployment rate fell 0.5% to the lowest levels in well over a year. 

As a result, bank stocks are on the rise today, with Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) leading the Dow Jones, up nearly 3% or more as of this writing. American Express (NYSE: AXP) shares are also up today, as investors view the jobs report as potentially leading to a change in policy at the Fed that would be good for banks, coming sooner rather than later. 

Image source: Getty Images.

Continue reading

Source Fool.com