Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Financials, Telecoms and Basic Materials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.34%, while the S&P 500 index climbed 0.41%, and the NASDAQ Composite index gained 0.36%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS), which rose 1.89% or 4.53 points to trade at 244.46 at the close. Meanwhile, JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:JPM) added 1.71% or 1.45 points to end at 86.18 and American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) was up 1.46% or 1.08 points to 75.16 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE), which fell 1.14% or 0.59 points to trade at 51.20 at the close. General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) declined 0.92% or 0.29 points to end at 31.21 and United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX) was down 0.89% or 0.97 points to 108.30.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Universal Health Services Inc (NYSE:UHS) which rose 6.80% to 108.46, Xilinx Inc (NASDAQ:XLNX) which was up 5.96% to settle at 60.11 and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) which gained 5.63% to close at 71.48.
The worst performers were PVH Corp (NYSE:PVH) which was down 5.95% to 94.07 in late trade, Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ:YHOO) which lost 5.83% to settle at 38.52 and Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) which was down 4.84% to 96.83 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Catalyst Biosciences Inc (NASDAQ:CBIO) which rose 105.27% to 1.090, Euroseas Ltd (NASDAQ:ESEA) which was up 89.21% to settle at 2.630 and Diana Containerships Inc (NASDAQ:DCIX) which gained 71.36% to close at 3.5300.
The worst performers were Pacific Biosciences of California (NASDAQ:PACB) which was down 43.41% to 3.905 in late trade, Ocean Rig UDW Inc (NASDAQ:ORIG) which lost 29.42% to settle at 1.59 and Amicus Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:FOLD) which was down 17.27% to 4.84 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1723 to 1446 and 76 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1549 rose and 940 declined, while 108 ended unchanged.
Shares in Xilinx Inc (NASDAQ:XLNX) rose to 5-year highs; up 5.96% or 3.38 to 60.11. Shares in Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 1.89% or 4.53 to 244.46. Shares in JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:JPM) rose to all time highs; up 1.71% or 1.45 to 86.18. Shares in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) rose to 52-week highs; rising 1.46% or 1.08 to 75.16. Shares in Pacific Biosciences of California (NASDAQ:PACB) fell to 52-week lows; down 43.41% or 2.995 to 3.905. Shares in Amicus Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:FOLD) fell to 52-week lows; falling 17.27% or 1.01 to 4.84.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 2.12% to 12.91.
Gold for February delivery was down 2.79% or 32.50 to $1131.20 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January fell 0.12% or 0.06 to hit $50.98 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 0.37% or 0.20 to trade at $54.10 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 1.18% to 1.0410, while USD/JPY rose 0.93% to 118.12.
The US Dollar Index was up 1.14% at 103.19.