Wall Street recouped early losses on Friday, helped by healthcare stocks, as investors assessed data pointing to a strong recovery in the US economy. Gains were limited by a nearly 4 percent fall in crude prices amid increasing skepticism around a deal to freeze crude production. The Labor Department's report showed solid gains in nonfarm payrolls in March, underscoring the economy's resilience amid risks from a weak global economy.
While the unemployment rate rose to 5 percent from an eight-year low of 4.9 percent, it was because more Americans continued to return to the labor force. At 10:52 am ET (1452 GMT), the Dow Jones industrial average was up 24.35 points, or 0.14 percent, at 17,709.44, the S&P 500 was down 0.09 points, or -0 percent, at 2,059.65 and the Nasdaq Composite was up 9.23 points, or 0.19 percent, at 4,879.08. Five of the 10 major S&P sectors were higher, led by a 0.59 percent rise in the healthcare sector. Regeneron provided the biggest boost to the sector and the S&P 500.