This was a short week in the stock markets, Thursday was a national holiday due to the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, but it left important news in the markets, the economy and the corporate environment in the United States.
In the labor market, December data showed surprising strength. 256,000 jobs were created, exceeding expectations of 165,000, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.1%. In addition, upward revisions to the previous two months added an additional 56,000 jobs. These data, along with an increase in job openings and a decline in claims for unemployment benefits, raised concerns about persistent inflation. Separately, the ISM services index rose from 52.1 in November to 54.1 in December, posting its highest prices paid component since February 2023.
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