WALL STREET: Stocks ended up for the week after data on...

WALL STREET: Stocks ended up for the week after data on unexpectedly strong hiring, construction spending and manufacturing suggested the U.S. economy is doing fairly well. Mining companies made the biggest gains as metals prices climbed. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.4 per cent and the Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 0.3 per cent. The Nasdaq composite index edged up 0.2 per cent.
U.S. JOBS: The Labor Department reported employers added 242,000 jobs in February, more than previously estimated. Its data showed construction, retail and health care companies are still hiring more workers. Energy companies also rose with the recovering price of oil. More people also looked for work.
ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude gained 67 cents to $36.59 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract jumped $1.35 on Friday to close at $35.92. Brent crude, used to price international oils, added 72 cents to $39.44 per barrel. On Friday, it gained $1.65 to $38.72.