(Updates with index/price moves, macroeconomic data, and company news from the first paragraph.)
US equity indexes traded mixed as the economy added the fewest jobs since February, triggering a rotation out of high-growth and into defensives and old-economy sectors.
The Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.8% to 25,832.67, while the S&P 500 was unchanged at 7,483.24 on Thursday, the last trading day of the week, on account of the Independence Day public holiday on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average remained 1.1% higher at 52,900.07 after hitting a new all-time peak earlier in the session.
Communication services, technology, and consumer discretionary were the sole decliners. Healthcare, consumer staples, and utilities led the gainers.
The June employment report showed nonfarm payrolls rose by 57,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, below the 113,000 increase expected in a Bloomberg-compiled survey. May payrolls were revised downward to a 129,000 gain, and April payrolls were revised down to a 148,000 expansion, for a net downward revision of 74,000 jobs.
Hourly earnings increased by 0.35%, compared with the 0.3% gain expected, and following a 0.27% gain in May. Hourly earnings were up 3.5% year-over-year.
Meanwhile, Atlanta Federal Reserve's gross domestic product 'Nowcast' estimate came in at 1.2% growth in Q2, versus the previous 2.5% forecast.
US initial jobless claims fell to 215,000 in the week ended June 27 from an upwardly revised 216,000 level in the previous week, compared with expectations for an increase to 218,000 in a survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg.
US Treasury yields were mixed, with shorter maturities declining and mid- to long-term maturities rising. The two-year fell 2.7 basis points to 4.14% while the 10-year yield rose one basis point to 4.49%.
In geopolitical news, the Doha discussions between the US and Iran produced "positive progress" on issues related to the memorandum that halted the war in June and were "building on the outcomes" from the Switzerland summit, a Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, according to Reuters.
Negotiators spent two days discussing maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and unfreezing Iran's funds, two critical issues under the initial deal, sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters. Iran issued a fresh warning for vessels to follow Tehran-designated routes through the Strait of Hormuz, CNN reported Thursday.
The front-month global oil benchmark North Sea Brent was little changed at $71.58 per barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate slipped 0.2% to $68.48 per barrel.
In company news, Tesla's (TSLA) shares slumped 8.2% even as the company's Q2 deliveries beat market expectations, while Truist Securities said the electric vehicle maker failed to provide any updates on key topics.
Apple (AAPL) plans to launch five new iPhone models to gain market share despite a memory shortage that is driving up prices, Nikkei Asia reported Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter. Shares jumped 4.8%, the Dow's top gainer.