Markets decided to end the week on an upbeat note, with U.S. stocks trading higher midway through Friday's session and commodities putting on a show that would make any bull smile.

The Nasdaq Composite led the charge, climbing 0.66% to 23,635.11, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.38% to reach 49,453.05. The S&P 500 split the difference, rising 0.48% to 6,954.85.

Sector Scoreboard

Utilities emerged as Friday's clear winner, jumping 1.5% as investors rotated into defensive plays. On the flip side, healthcare stocks took a breather, slipping 0.5% despite some eye-popping individual stock moves within the sector.

Consumers Feeling Better

The University of Michigan delivered some encouraging news on the consumer front. Its closely watched sentiment index climbed to 54.0 in January, notching its strongest reading since September 2025. That's a welcome sign after months of economic uncertainty weighing on consumer psychology.

Big Movers on the Upside

Rich Sparkle Holdings Ltd (ANPA) absolutely exploded higher, rocketing 115% to $52.00 after announcing a $39 million offering of 3 million ordinary shares priced at $13 per share. Sometimes the market really likes a capital raise.

Quanterix Corp (QTRX) surged 31% to $8.54 following the announcement that Everett Cunningham would take over as President and CEO effective January 19.

CG Oncology Inc (CGON) jumped 24% to $52.18 after revealing an expedited timeline for topline data from its Phase 3 PIVOT-006 clinical trial. The company now expects results in the first half of 2026 for the study comparing adjuvant intravesical cretostimogene grenadenorepvec versus surveillance in patients with intermediate-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Notable Decliners

Aquestive Therapeutics Inc (AQST) cratered 40% to $3.72 after receiving an FDA letter identifying deficiencies that prevent labeling discussions for anaphylm (dibutepinephrine) sublingual film. Regulatory setbacks tend to hurt.

Pacira Biosciences Inc (PCRX) fell 13% to $22.70 on the heels of preliminary fiscal 2025 revenue results that apparently didn't thrill investors.

Beta Bionics Inc (BBNX) dropped 31% to $21.98 after releasing preliminary fourth-quarter financial results.

Commodity Corner

Oil was the star of the commodity show, surging 2.7% to $59.34. Gold joined the party with a 1.2% climb to $4,514.50, but silver stole the spotlight with a whopping 6.3% jump to $79.895. Copper also participated, rising 2% to $5.9150.

Global Markets

European markets closed in positive territory across the board. The eurozone's STOXX 600 gained 0.91%, while London's FTSE 100 rose 0.85%. Germany's DAX added 0.43%, and France's CAC 40 led the region with a 1.23% advance. Spain's IBEX 35 Index managed a modest 0.01% gain.

Asian markets wrapped up their Friday session mostly higher. Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed 1.61%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained 0.32%, and China's Shanghai Composite rose 0.92%. India's BSE Sensex bucked the trend, falling 0.72%.

Economic Data Dump

The Bureau of Labor Statistics delivered December's employment report, showing nonfarm payrolls increased by 50,000 jobs. That was essentially flat compared to November's downwardly revised 56,000 gain and slightly below expectations for 60,000.

The unemployment rate, however, provided a pleasant surprise. It slipped from a downwardly revised 4.5% in November to 4.4%, landing below the 4.5% consensus forecast.

Wage growth showed some momentum, with average hourly earnings rising 0.3% on the month. That accelerated from November's 0.2% increase and matched economist forecasts.

On the housing front, starts declined 4.6% from the previous month to an annualized rate of 1.246 million units. Building permits fell a more modest 0.2% to an annualized rate of 1.412 million in October.

And circling back to that consumer sentiment number: the University of Michigan's index climbing to 54.0 in January represents its strongest reading since September 2025, suggesting American consumers might be regaining some optimism about the economic outlook.