* Employment jumps, jobless rate falls to two-year low
* S&P breaks above 1,330, could trigger technical momentum
* NYSE Euronext gains on rival bid from Nasdaq, ICE
* Indexes up: Dow 0.4 pct, S&P 0.6 pct, Nasdaq 0.5 pct
* For up-to-the-minute market news see [STXNEWS/US] (Updates to open)
By Ryan Vlastelica
NEW YORK, April 1 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Friday after employment notched a second straight month of solid gains while the jobless rate fell to a two-year low.
Non-farm payrolls rose by 216,000 jobs last month, more than expected and the largest increase since May, the Labor Department said. January and February employment figures were revised to show 7,000 more jobs than previously reported. The unemployment rate fell to 8.8 percent from 8.9 percent in February. For details, see [ID:nOAT004775]
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 48.14 points, or 0.39 percent, at 12,367.87. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 7.41 points, or 0.56 percent, at 1,333.24. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 13.09 points, or 0.47 percent, at 2,794.16.
The S&P broke above 1,330 following several unsuccessful attempts in the past month. If the index stays convincingly above that threshold, it may trigger more buying.
NYSE Euronext
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To see a graphic on jobs, see
http://r.reuters.com/kab88r
To see a graphic comparing global exchanges, see
http://r.reuters.com/gab88r
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NYSE surged 10.4 percent to $38.83 while ICE shares were down 1.5 percent to $121.65 and Nasdaq OMX rose 0.4 percent to $25.95.
Other data scheduled for Friday includes the Institute for Supply Management report for March manufacturing due at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT). The release will follow upbeat Chinese factory data that eased concerns about monetary tightening. [ID:nL3E7F104Q]
The S&P 500 ended the first quarter on Thursday with a gain of 5.4 percent.
(Editing by Kenneth Barry)