US stocks mixed despite strong private payrolls

ANKARA

Major indices in the US stock market opened mixed Wednesday despite strong private payrolls data.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up by only 2 points to 36,801 at 9.56 a.m. EDT.

The S&P 500, however, fell 4 points, or 0.1%, to 4,788 and the Nasdaq lost 70 points, or 0.45%, 15,552.

US private payrolls rose 807,000 in December, from the previous month, according to the ADP Research Institute earlier Wednesday. The market expectation was a 400,000 increase.

The VIX volatility index was up 0.35% to 16.97.

The dollar index, on the other hand, fell 0.34% to 95.93, while the yield on 10-year US Treasury notes lost 0.8% to 1.653%.

Precious metals were on the rise, with gold adding 0.6% to $1,825 per ounce and silver increasing 0.5% to $23.17.

Crude prices gained more than 1.5% with Brent crude trading at $81.23 per barrel and US benchmark West Texas Intermediate at $78.17.