The US markets ended mostly higher on Thursday after Iran’s deputy foreign minister announced that Iran was drafting a protocol with Oman to manage traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Traders found some support after the Labor Department released a report showing the US economy added 1,78,000 jobs in the month of March 2026, the most since December 2024, following a revised decline of 1,33,000 in February, when a strike in the healthcare sector weighed on employment. The figure came in well above market expectations of 60,000. Job gains were concentrated in healthcare with addition of 76,000 jobs, mostly ambulatory health care services, reflecting an increase of 35,000 in offices of physicians as workers returned from a strike. Construction added 26,000 jobs following weather-related declines during the winter. Transportation and warehousing created 21,000 jobs, manufacturing added 15,000 and employment in social assistance continued its upward trend with the addition of 14,000.

On the sectorial front, networking stocks demonstrated significant strength, driving the NYSE Arca Networking Index up by 3.9% to a record closing high. Computer hardware stocks also saw considerable strength, with the NYSE Arca Computer Hardware Index soaring by 2.5%.  

Nasdaq surged 38.23 points or 0.18 percent 21,879.18 and S&P 500 increased 7.37 points or 0.11 percent to 6,582.69, while Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 61.07 points or 0.13 percent to 46,504.67.