December 6, 2013: Markets opened higher Friday morning after a buoyant report on U.S. jobs and employment. All three major indexes held onto the early gains, as the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.73% at the closing bell, while the DJIA and the S&P 500 both closed up more than 1.1%.

Among heavily traded DJIA stocks, Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) traded more than 40 million shares on Friday, above its daily average volume of around 40 million shares. The stock was upgraded to Buy at Citigroup with a price target of $28 and analysts at Jefferies included Intel in its list of stocks to own when interest rates begin rising. Intel’s shares closed at $24.81, up 2.25%, in a 52-week range of $19.98 to $25.98.

Another DJIA stock leading the way today is General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE), although trading was lighter in the conglomerate’s stock by about half the stock’s average daily volume of 37 million shares. The company also said today it would build a new Global Research Center for oil & gas technology, raising its bet on the company’s future in the sector. GE’s stock closed up 1.81% at $26.93 in a 52-week range of $20.26 to $27.50.

The Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) opened strong today and peaked just before noon. A report from Reuters indicates that carrier Air Canada is close to a decision on purchasing 60 new single-aisle planes, with the Airbus A320neo and the Boeing 737 MAX the leading contenders. Shares for this Dow 30 stock closed up 1.88% at $135.22 in a 52-week range of $72.68 to $142.00.

A fourth DJIA component, The Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) is also posting a nice gain today on lighter than average volume. A story a few days ago that said the company has a leading value share in the Chinese disposable diaper market came on the heels of a loosening of the country’s one-child-per-family rule, and probably added to today’s overall enthusiasm for equities. P&G’s stock closed at $84.51 on Friday, up 2.2% in a 52-week range of $66.83 to $85.82.

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (NYSE: DD) traded only about half its average daily volume of 4 million shares today but shares got a nice boost following a complimentary article in the Financial Times regarding the company’s strategic shift from older businesses to newer, higher margin, higher growth sectors. Dupont’s stock closed at $61.32 on Friday, up 2.01% in a 52-week range of $42.61 to $62.69.

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