Stocks edged higher on Wall Street after a choppy day of trading.

The market got a boost early on after a closely watched report signaled that the job market, while still healthy, has been showing some signs of cooling. The report supported the market's hopes that the Federal Reserve can soon ease up on its campaign to slow the economy by raising interest rates.

The S&P 500 rose 0.2%. The index is coming off its first monthly loss since February.

The Dow rose 0.3% and the Nasdaq composite ended little changed. Treasury yields rose slightly.