NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks closed marginally lower Wednesday, despite positive economic data which saw the U.S. economy add 130,000 jobs last month, and unemployment remaining mired at 4.3 percent, against 4.4 percent expected.

"Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 130,000 in January, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.3 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said in a statement Wednesday. "Job gains occurred in health care, social assistance, and construction, while federal government and financial activities lost jobs," the statistics department statement said.

"This is generally a good sign, as you'd expect, but we are certainly not out of the woods yet with respect to the labor market. ‘Moving in the right direction' would be a better description. The unemployment rate is gradually improving, but there are still plenty of signs that the labor market remains exceedingly weak," Rick Wedell, CIO at RFG Advisory, told CNBC Wednesday.

"In this environment, it is clear that we still have a long way to go before the labor market can be considered ‘solid,'" Wedell added.

Dow Jones, S&P 500 Ease from Records
The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 66.74 points, or 0.13 percent, to settle Wednesday at 50,121.40. The blue-chip index traded within a range of 49,901.61 to 50,512.79 on volume of 560.277 million shares.

The Standard and Poor's 500 dipped 0.36 points, or 0.01 percent, closing at 6,941.45 after touching a session high of 7,002.28. Trading volume on the broad index reached 3.699 billion shares. The benchmark remains within striking distance of its all-time highs.

NASDAQ Edges Lower
The NASDAQ Composite declined 36.01 points, or 0.16 percent, to finish at 23,066.47 on heavy volume of 7.838 billion shares. Technology stocks showed modest weakness, weighing on the index.

Market participants characterized the session as consolidation following recent gains, with many investors awaiting further catalysts on the economic and policy fronts. Trading ranges were narrow across all major benchmarks.

U.S. Dollar Mixed as Yen Surgess, Aussie Shines in Wednesday's FX Trading

The U.S. dollar delivered a fractured performance in global foreign exchange markets on Wednesday, sliding sharply against the Japanese yen and commodity-linked currencies while firming against the euro and the Swiss franc.

Euro Softens, Franc weakens
The euro retreated against the greenback, with EURUSD last trading at 1.1874, down 0.17 percent on the session. The single currency struggled for traction as markets digested softer-than-expected eurozone services data.

The dollar strengthened against the Swiss franc, USDCHF rising 0.50 percent to 0.7710, extending its rebound from recent lows as haven demand for the franc ebbed.

Yen Rebound Extends
The U.S. dollar fell sharply against the Japanese yen, USDJPY declining 0.76 percent to 153.19. T

Loonie Edges Higher, Pound Subdued
The Canadian dollar strengthened modestly, with USDCAD slipping 0.16 percent to 1.3572 as oil prices stabilized near three-month highs. The pound traded marginally lower, GBPUSD easing 0.10 percent to 1.3627, as markets looked past stronger-than-expected UK services data and focused on looming Bank of England policy signals.

Antipodean Currencies Outperform
The Australian dollar led G10 gainers, AUDUSD jumping 0.73 percent to 0.7126, supported by stronger iron ore prices and rising expectations the Reserve Bank of Australia may need to maintain tighter policy for longer.

The New Zealand dollar followed suit, NZDUSD advancing 0.12 percent to 0.6049, though gains were capped ahead of domestic trade data due later in the week.

Trading volumes remained broadly in line with recent averages as participants awaited key US inflation data and Federal Reserve Chair testimony for further directional cues.

Global Markets Mixed as Tech Surge Lifts Nikkei, European Bourses Slip

Global stock markets delivered a divided performance in Wednesday trading, with Asian benchmarks surging to record highs while European indices retreated from recent peaks amid lingering inflation concerns.

Toronto Flat
In Canada, the S&P/TSX Composite index slipped 2.64 points, or 0.01 percent, to close at 33,254.19 on volume of 305.034 million shares.

London Outperforms Europe
The FTSE 100 was a rare bright spot\, closing up 118.27 points, or 1.14 percent, to settle at 10,472.11. The blue-chip index touched a session high of 10,493.83 as mining and energy stocks rallied.

Continental bourses painted a bleaker picture. The DAX P slipped 131.70 points, or 0.53 percent, to 24,856.15, pulling back from its high of 25,507.79. France's CAC 40 edged down 14.64 points, or 0.18 percent, to 8,313.24, while the broader EURO STOXX 50 I declined 11.42 points, or 0.19 percent, to 6,035.64.

The Euronext 100 Index dipped a marginal 1.04 points, or 0.06 percent, to 1,801.39. Belgium's BEL 20 bucked the trend, adding 12.24 points, or 0.22 percent, to close at 5,594.88.

Tokyo Soars on Tech Frenzy
Asia saw explosive gains led by Tokyo. The Nikkei 225 skyrocketed 1,286.64 points, or 2.28 percent, to close at 57,650.54—its highest level on record—fueled by a semiconductor rally and a weaker yen.

Australia also celebrated milestones. The S&P/ASX 200 surged 147.40 points, or 1.66 percent, to finish at 9,014.80, crossing the 9,000 threshold for the first time. The broader All Ordinaries jumped 141.90 points, or 1.55 percent, to 9,281.80.

Elsewhere in the region, Taiwan's TWSE Capitalization Weighted Stock Index advanced 532.74 points, or 1.61 percent, to 33,605.71. South Korea's KOSPI Composite Index rose 52.80 points, or 1.00 percent, to 5,354.49, though data showed no recorded opening or range figures. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index added 83.23 points, or 0.31 percent, to 27,266.38, while Singapore's STI Index gained 20.33 points, or 0.41 percent, to 4,984.58Indonesia was the region's standout performer, with the IDX Composite leaping 159.23 points, or 1.96 percent, to 8,290.97. Malaysia's FTSE Bursa KLCI rose 8.85 points, or 0.51 percent, to 1,756.39.

Mixed Signals in India, China, New Zealand
India's S&P BSE Sensex slipped 40.28 points, or 0.05 percent, to 84,233.64, retreating from its high of 86,159.02. New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 edged down 6.40 points, or 0.05 percent, to 13,507.28.

Mainland China's SSE Composite Index managed a modest gain of 3.61 points, or 0.09 percent, to 4,131.98 on turnover of 2.824 billion shares.

Middle East and Africa Under Pressure
Israel's TA-125 index fell 25.86 points, or 0.62 percent, to 4,136.01. Egypt saw steeper declines, with the EGX 30 Price Return Index dropping 676.00 points, or 1.34 percent, to 49,700.20 on volume of 401.069 million.

South Africa's Top 40 USD Net TRI Index posted a gain of 66.22 points, or 0.87 percent, closing at 7,677.27.

(This report incorporates quotes retrieved with the assistance of artificial intelligence).

Related story:

Tuesday 10 February 2026 | Wall Street in doldrums Tuesday but Dow ekes out new high | Big News Network 

Monday 9 February 2026 | Tech stocks surge again Monday, Dow hits new high | Big News Network