The main US stock markets after sharp fluctuations closed below the zero mark. The US missile strike on Syria forced investors to look for safe areas, while weak workplace data affected financial stocks.

Employers from the US added the lowest number of employees in 10 months in March, but the decline in the unemployment rate to a nearly 10-year low of 4.5% showed that the labor market continues to tighten. The number of non-farm workers increased by 98,000 jobs last month, as the retail sector lost its jobs for the second consecutive month, the Ministry of Labor said on Friday. This was the smallest growth since May last year. Economists predicted that last month employment growth was 180,000, while unemployment remained unchanged at 4.7%.

At the same time, the report published by the Ministry of Trade showed that wholesale stocks in the US increased in February in accordance with the estimates of economists. According to the data, wholesale stocks increased by 0.4 percent in February after a decrease of 0.2 percent in January. Inventories of non-durable goods in February rose by 0.7% after falling by 0.2% in January, while oil and agricultural products increased significantly.

Components of the DOW index finished the trades in different directions (20 in negative territory, 10 in positive territory). The shares of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company fell more than others (DD, -0.84%). Leader of growth were shares of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT, + 2.11%).

Most sectors of the S & P index showed negative dynamics. The utilities sector fell most of all (-0.5%). The leader of growth was the sector of industrial goods (+ 0.3%).

At closing:

Dow -0.03% 20.656.03 -6.92

Nasdaq -0.02% 5,877.81 -1.14

S & P -0.08% 2,355.58 -1.91