Shares of retailers and other consumer companies were more or less flat after a mixed jobs report.

Employers added 245,000 jobs last month, down from 610,000 jobs in October, the Labor Department reported Friday.

One strategist said the second wave of Covid 19 infections appeared to weigh on hiring in services business.

"You had logically those that worked in retail [affected], because, this season, people have been online buying," said Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist at Prudential Financial.

"Also those who work in food and drinks the restaurant workers the bar workers -- they were hit in these numbers but, on the other side of the ledger, temp workers climbing higher are very often a precursor to [permanent] hiring."

Chinese laundry detergent maker Blue Moon Group plans to raise as much as $1.27 billion through an initial public offering in Hong Kong.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said it had settled charges against Cheesecake Factory for misleading investors about how the Covid-19 pandemic affected the restaurant chain.

Write to Rob Curran at rob.curran@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

12-04-20 1729ET