Major US stock indices fell significantly on Friday, weighed down by weak earnings reports of blue chip companies, and also due to the fact that a reliable US employment report raised bond yields to multi-year highs to 2.85%. So, employment growth in the US accelerated in January, and wages increased, recording the largest annual profit for more than 8.5 years, confirming expectations that inflation will rise this year, as the labor market will reach full employment. The number of people employed in the non-agricultural sector jumped by 200,000 jobs last month after rising by 160,000 in December, the Ministry of Labor said on Friday. The unemployment rate was unchanged at the 17-year low of 4.1%. Average hourly earnings rose by nine cents, or 0.3%, in January to $ 26.74, after rising 0.4% in December. This increased the annual increase in the average hourly earnings to 2.9%, which is the biggest increase since June 2009 compared to 2.7% in December.

All components of the DOW index finished trading in the red (28 of 30). Outsider were shares of Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM, -6.12%).

All sectors of the S & P index recorded a decline. The largest drop was shown by the main materials sector (-3.6%).

At closing:

Dow -2.54% 25,520.96 -665.75

Nasdaq -1.96% 7,240.95 -144.92

S & P -2.12% 2.762.13 -59.85