Stocks turned higher in late trading on Friday, with investors taking in stride the earlier downgrades of Italy and Spain, and focusing instead on upbeat jobs data.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 88.93 points, or 0.80 percent, at 11,212.26. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 3.49 points, or 0.30 percent, at 1,168.46. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 2.06 points, or 0.08 percent, at 2,508.88.

(Reporting by Caroline Valetkevitch; Editing by Jan Paschal)