U.S. stocks Friday closed out the week higher for the first time in three weeks, following the European Central Bank's (ECB) announcement Thursday that it will conduct unlimited bond buying. In U.S. economic news, the Labor Department reported that 96,000 jobs were added in August, which was well below the 120,000 jobs economists expected. The department also lowered the job creation estimates for June and July. However, the overall unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent from 8.3 percent, while economists had expected it to hold steady. In international economic news, Asian markets surged on hopes that the Chinese government will take steps to stimulate the country's stagnating economy. In company news, Intel shares slid more than 3 percent, as the company announced that it was lowering its guidance for third-quarter revenue. Shares of Amazon moved higher after the company unveiled four new tablets Thursday. Google shares surpassed $700 for the first time since December 2007. The dollar gained ground against the euro and the pound, but fell versus the yen. Light sweet crude oil for October delivery dropped 10 cents to $96.32 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures lost $1.90 to $1,738.60. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 14.64, or 0.11 percent, to 13,306.64. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 5.8, or 0.40 percent, to 1,437.92. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index increased 0.61, or 0.02 percent, to 3,136.42.
