Aug. 4, 2010 (United Press International) -- U.S. stock markets headed higher Wednesday with a job report that said 42,000 private-sector jobs were added in the month of July.
The Automatic Data Processing Inc. (NASDAQ:ADP) report was slightly better than predicted with additional jobs higher than the 13,000 added in June and less than the 55,000 added in May.
Private sector jobs have made gains for six consecutive months.
By close, the Dow Jones industrial average added 44.05 points, 0.41 percent, to 10,680.43. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 0.61 percent, 6.78, to 1,127.24. The Nasdaq composite index rose 0.88 percent, 20.05 points, to 2,303.57.
On the New York Stock Exchange, 2,248 stocks advanced and 777 declined on a volume of 4.2 billion shares traded.
The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell 13/32 to yield 2.955 percent.
The euro fell to $1.3154 from Tuesday's $1.3231. Against the yen, the dollar rose to 86.24 yen from Tuesday's 85.83 yen.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index shed 2.11 percent, 204.67, to 9,489.34.
In Britain, the FTSE 100 index lost 0.19 percent, 10.32, to 5,386.16..
