The markets were flat through the shortened trading week until Friday, when a helpful boost from economic data propelled the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) and Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) to respective 1.98% and 1.72% gains for the week.
Nonfarm payrolls increased by a seasonally adjusted 287,000 in June, according to the Labor Department, the strongest month since last October. That was a substantial improvement over May, which was the worst month for job creation in more than five years.