Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Utilities, Technology and Oil & Gas sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.18% to hit a new all time high, while the S&P 500 index gained 0.18%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 0.25%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), which rose 2.05% or 2.75 points to trade at 136.65 at the close. Meanwhile, Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE:WMT) added 1.90% or 1.60 points to end at 85.73 and McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) was up 1.60% or 2.57 points to 163.15 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), which fell 1.24% or 0.29 points to trade at 23.07 at the close. Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) declined 1.05% or 0.68 points to end at 63.78 and Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) was down 1.03% or 1.03 points to 98.55.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) which rose 3.56% to 57.34, Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) which was up 2.69% to settle at 59.15 and PayPal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:PYPL) which gained 2.63% to close at 67.78.
The worst performers were Navient Corp (NASDAQ:NAVI) which was down 5.45% to 11.79 in late trade, Robert Half International Inc (NYSE:RHI) which lost 5.12% to settle at 48.74 and Signet Jewelers Ltd (NYSE:SIG) which was down 3.55% to 64.09 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Kitov Pharmaceuticals Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:KTOV) which rose 55.94% to 3.150, Leading Brands Inc (NASDAQ:LBIX) which was up 57.76% to settle at 1.830 and Bioblast Pharma Ltd (NASDAQ:ORPN) which gained 53.71% to close at 3.243.
The worst performers were VOXX International Corporation (NASDAQ:VOXX) which was down 22.09% to 6.700 in late trade, MannKind Corp (NASDAQ:MNKD) which lost 18.48% to settle at 5.470 and Cinedigm Corp (NASDAQ:CIDM) which was down 16.56% to 1.3600 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1770 to 1258 and 175 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1285 fell and 1181 advanced, while 168 ended unchanged.
Shares in Navient Corp (NASDAQ:NAVI) fell to 52-week lows; down 5.45% or 0.68 to 11.79. Shares in PayPal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:PYPL) rose to all time highs; rising 2.63% or 1.74 to 67.78. Shares in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) rose to all time highs; rising 2.05% or 2.75 to 136.65. Shares in General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) fell to 3-years lows; losing 1.24% or 0.29 to 23.07. Shares in Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE:WMT) rose to 52-week highs; up 1.90% or 1.60 to 85.73. Shares in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) rose to all time highs; gaining 1.60% or 2.57 to 163.15. Shares in Leading Brands Inc (NASDAQ:LBIX) rose to 52-week highs; up 57.76% or 0.670 to 1.830.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 2.98% to 9.78.
Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.12% or 1.60 to $1295.40 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in November rose 0.81% or 0.41 to hit $51.33 a barrel, while the December Brent oil contract rose 0.48% or 0.27 to trade at $56.88 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.49% to 1.1866, while USD/JPY fell 0.05% to 112.38.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.39% at 92.73.