Transportation Stocks Rise as Equities Markets Rally

Transportation stocks rose Friday as equities markets rallied following the government’s report that the unemployment rate fell to a four-year low 7.5%.

The Dow Jones Transportation Average rose about 125 points, or about 2%, on Friday. The transportation index is made up of 20 companies, including select trucking and logistics firms, certain passenger airlines and major freight railroads.

The stock price of YRC Worldwide, which is not part of the transport index, jumped more than $3, about 40%, to almost $11 a share Friday following its earnings release earlier in the day in which YRC reported positive first-quarter operating income.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to top 15,000 for the first time ever during the trading day Friday before sliding to finish the week just under that level.

The S&P 500 rose 1.2% to more than 1,600, its first time over that level, Bloomberg News reported.