Market Volatility Decreases Slightly As Dow Records Gain On First Trading Day Of September

U.S. stocks started the first trading session of September month on a cautious note.

Continuous worries about increasing interest rates and recession kept investors on edge, with U.S. stocks closing last month on a downbeat note.

Data released Thursday showed US manufacturing activity rose steadily in August. All eyes are now on the jobs report due today, with analysts projecting an addition of 285,000 jobs in August.

The Nasdaq 100 rose 0.02% to close at 12,274.62 on Thursday, while the S&P 500 rose 0.30%. The Dow Jones climbed around 146 points to settle at 31,656.42 in the previous session.

Majority of the sectors on the S&P 500 closed on a higher note, with health care and utilities stocks recording the biggest surge on Thursday. Energy, however, was among the worst performing sectors in the prior session.

The Chicago Board Options Exchange's CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) fell 1.2% to close at 25.56 points on Thursday.

What is CBOE Volatility Index?

The CBOE Volatility Index, popularly known as VIX, is a measure of the equity market's expectation of volatility based on S&P 500 index call and put options.