Strong hiring report sends stocks higher

Stocks are closing higher on Wall Street after the government reported another solid month of hiring by U.S. employers.

Bond prices fell and yields rose Friday, which sent shares of banks and financial companies surging. Bank of America gained 2.5 percent.

Technology companies also climbed. Microchip Technology rose 3.5 percent.

Weight Watchers soared 25 percent after reporting a strong quarter while Viacom, the media company that owns Comedy Central and MTV, sank 13.8 percent.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 4 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,476.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 66 points, or 0.3 percent, to 22,092. The Nasdaq composite climbed 11 points, or 0.2 percent, to 6,35.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.26 percent.