NEW YORK (AP) — The Dow rose higher and briefly topped 14,000 Friday, hitting a milestone not seen since before the financial crisis rocked the world economy.
The Dow Jones industrial average was up 135 points to 13,996 shortly before noon EST. Earlier it crossed above 14,000 for the first time since Oct. 17, 2007. The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 13 to 1,511. The Nasdaq composite index was up 26 to 3,166.
The government jobs report that lifted markets was mixed, but traders focused on the positive. The U.S. said it added 157,000 jobs in January, in line with expectations. Unemployment inched up to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent in December. But, encouragingly, the government also reported that hiring over the past two years has been higher than it originally thought.
