NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks closed higher as traders got some encouragement from a solid report on the job market.
Consumer companies gained Friday after the government said job growth continued at a strong clip in March.
Energy and mining companies struggled as the prices of oil and precious metals fell.
The price of U.S. benchmark crude slumped 4 percent to just under $37 a barrel in New York.
The Dow Jones industrial average shook off an early loss closed up 107 points, or 0.6 percent, to 17,792.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 13 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,072. The Nasdaq composite gained 44 points, or 0.9 percent, to 4,914.
Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.78 percent.