Investing.com – United States stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Utilities, Telecommunications and Financials sectors led shares lower.
At the close in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.89%, while the S&P 500 index fell 1.03%, and the NASDAQ Composite index lost 0.87%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Home Depot Inc (NYSE:HD), which rose 0.67% or 0.70 points to trade at 104.97 at the close. Meanwhile, International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) added 0.24% or 0.39 points to end at 160.44 and Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) was down 0.54% or 0.51 points to 94.19 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO), which fell 1.80% or 0.51 points to trade at 27.85 at the close. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) declined 1.71% or 1.76 points to end at 101.09 and Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) was down 1.49% or 0.86 points to 56.79.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were QEP Resources Inc (NYSE:QEP) which rose 2.64% to 20.22, Mallinckrodt (NYSE:MNK) which was up 1.85% to settle at 99.03 and Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ:TSCO) which gained 1.68% to close at 78.80.
The worst performers were Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc (NYSE:DO) which was down 3.60% to 36.71 in late trade, FirstEnergy Corporation (NYSE:FE) which lost 2.96% to settle at 38.99 and Noble Corporation PLC (NYSE:NE) which was down 2.76% to 16.57 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Nephrogenex (NASDAQ:NRX) which rose 187.10% to 13.35, Methes Energies International Ltd (NASDAQ:MEIL) which was up 34.65% to settle at 1.360 and State Investors Bancorp Inc (NASDAQ:SIBC) which gained 34.37% to close at 20.72.
The worst performers were Neuroderm Ltd (NASDAQ:NDRM) which was down 22.60% to 14.04 in late trade, Cache Inc (NASDAQ:CACH) which lost 18.18% to settle at 0.18 and BG Medicine Inc (NASDAQ:BGMD) which was down 15.37% to 0.44 at the close.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2179 to 615 and 1 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1626 fell and 1152 advanced, while 4 ended unchanged.
Shares in Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ:TSCO) rose to 52 week highs; up 1.68% or 1.30 to 78.80.
Shares in Home Depot Inc (NYSE:HD) rose to 52 week highs; gaining 0.67% or 0.70 to 104.97.
Shares in Nephrogenex (NASDAQ:NRX) rose to 52 week highs; up 187.10% or 8.70 to 13.35.
Shares in State Investors Bancorp Inc (NASDAQ:SIBC) rose to 52 week highs; gaining 34.37% or 5.30 to 20.72.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was up 21.29% to 19.31.
Gold for February delivery was down 1.47% or 17.60 to $1182.80 a troy ounce.
Elsewhere in commodities trading, crude oil for delivery in February fell 0.47% or 0.26 to hit $53.87 a barrel, while the February brent oil contract fell 0.10% or 0.06 to trade at $57.56 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.50% to 1.2100, while USD/JPY rose 0.29% to 119.82.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.40% at 90.63.