Stocks Open Higher as Investors Cheer April Jobs Report

Stocks opened the session higher on the Labor Department's employment report for April, which showed a rebound in U.S. job growth. Nonfarm payrolls rose by 223,000, falling short of economists expectations for gains of 224,000, according to Thomson Reuters. The unemployment rate fell to 5.4%, in line with expectations. The report comes on the heels of a weak March number, which was revised lower to 85,000 jobs added from the previously-reported 126,000. Elsewhere, European and Asian markets were all higher on Friday as well. In corporate news, Swiss agricultural company Syngenta rejected Monsanto's (MON) $45 billion takeover bid, saying the offer undervalued the company and regulatory hurdles would be difficult to clear. Shares of both stocks were rising on the news.