Wall Street ticks higher following a mixed report on the job market

U.S. stocks are ticking higher following a mixed report on the job market, one that may delay another cut to interest rates by the Federal Reserve but not necessarily slam the door on it. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% in early trading Friday. The index was nearing the all-time high it set earlier in the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 147 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite was flat. Treasury yields were mixed in the bond market after the Labor Department said employers hired fewer workers overall in December than expected, though the unemployment rate improved.