However, stocks failed to hold their premarket gains, after the U.S. government said the economy added 98,000 jobs in March, well below expectations for 185,000 jobs.
Earlier, the Syrian news sent oil prices to $52.80 a barrel, up some 2% in the Globex electronic session, while June Brent crude on London's ICE Futures exchange rose 1.9% to $55.94. Prices often gain when tensions rise in the Middle East, where almost 40% of the world's crude oil is produced.