Wall Street drifted to a mixed close after data suggested the U.S. job market is still warm enough to keep the economy growing but maybe not so hot that it stokes inflation much higher.
The S&P 500 gave up a midday gain and ended 0.3 percent lower Friday. The Dow fell 187 points, or 0.6 percent, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.1 percent. Small-company stocks rose.
A lot is riding on whether the economy can navigate the narrow pathway to avoid a long-predicted recession. Friday’s report showed that employers added fewer jobs in June than in May, not far off economists’ expectations. Treasury yields were mixed….