Global Stocks

U.S. equities finished the week and the first trading day of September with a gain Friday, on expectations that a weaker-than-expected rise in August nonfarm payrolls could dull the Federal Reserve's desire to further raise borrowing costs in 2017. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.18% finished up 39.46 points, or 0.2%, at 21,987.56, powered by moves in General Electric Co. GE, +2.40% Chevron Corp. CVX, +1.06% and Nike Inc. NKE, +1.04% recording a weekly gain of 0.8%.

European stocks closed higher for a third straight session on Friday, boosted by a news report saying the European Central Bank will likely wait until December to unveil a plan to taper its asset purchases. Softer-than-expected U.S. jobs data also helped spur a positive mood on the stock markets, as they were seen as weakening the case for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates again this year.

Asian stocks fell as investors turned to haven assets after the dictatorship tested a nuclear bomb yesterday, sending the yen, gold and Treasury futures higher. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index was on track for the biggest drop since the tension between the US and North Korea flared up following Donald Trump's "fire and fury comments" in early August.