NEW YORK, July 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. equities extended gains in the holiday-shortened week as Wall Street speculated on possible interest rate cut moves from the Federal Reserve, driven by a slew of mixed data.
For the week, the Dow increased 1.21 percent, the S&P 500 advanced 1.65 percent and the Nasdaq climbed 1.94 percent.
The U.S. markets were closed on Thursday for Independent Day during the abbreviated week. Stocks were started out strong as traders were relieved that the world's two largest economies would resume trade talks. However, Wall Street finished the week on a downbeat note despite the release of stronger-than-expected jobs report.
U.S. employers added 224,000 jobs in June, and the unemployment rate edged up to 3.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.
Job gains mainly occurred in professional and business services, health care, transportation and warehousing, the bureau said.
June's total nonfarm payroll employment is markedly higher than May's downwardly revised number of 72,000, and is higher than economists' forecast of 165,000 surveyed by The Wall Street Journal.
The data came as investors are pricing high on more easing monetary policy by the U.S. central bank in order to spur growth.
The better-than-anticipated employment report may cloud the hopes, experts noted.