U.S. stocks briefly rose on Friday after Wal-Mart Stores said it approved a stock repurchase program, offsetting earlier misgivings about unemployment data.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> added 46.07 points, or 0.53 percent, to 8,796.31. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 1.71 points, or 0.18 percent, to 944.17. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> put on 2.01 points, or 0.11 percent, to 1,852.03.

(Reporting by Leah Schnurr; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)