Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Technology, Financials and Consumer Services sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.25%, while the S&P 500 index added 0.41%, and the NASDAQ Composite index gained 1.15%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX), which rose 2.14% or 2.46 points to trade at 117.18 at the close. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) added 2.10% or 4.82 points to end at 234.76 and JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:JPM) was up 1.58% or 1.48 points to 95.18 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), which fell 2.25% or 0.56 points to trade at 24.37 at the close. Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) declined 2.04% or 0.93 points to end at 44.64 and Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) was down 1.92% or 1.78 points to 90.87.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MU) which rose 8.51% to 37.09, Applied Materials Inc (NASDAQ:AMAT) which was up 6.36% to settle at 48.84 and Lam Research Corp (NASDAQ:LRCX) which gained 5.87% to close at 179.39.
The worst performers were Scana Corporation (NYSE:SCG) which was down 7.83% to 51.22 in late trade, Delphi Automotive plc (NYSE:DLPH) which lost 4.20% to settle at 98.78 and Kimco Realty Corporation (NYSE:KIM) which was down 3.72% to 19.41 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Avinger Inc (NASDAQ:AVGR) which rose 119.05% to 0.46, Cartesian I (NASDAQ:CRTN) which was up 45.44% to settle at 0.800 and Diana Containerships Inc (NASDAQ:DCIX) which gained 36.61% to close at 0.9699.
The worst performers were Tantech Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:TANH) which was down 32.94% to 2.83 in late trade, Veritone Inc (NASDAQ:VERI) which lost 30.28% to settle at 45.95 and Aethlon Medical Inc (NASDAQ:AEMD) which was down 22.97% to 1.140 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1750 to 1344 and 124 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1937 rose and 621 declined, while 94 ended unchanged.
Shares in Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MU) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 8.51% or 2.91 to 37.09. Shares in Scana Corporation (NYSE:SCG) fell to 52-week lows; losing 7.83% or 4.35 to 51.22. Shares in Applied Materials Inc (NASDAQ:AMAT) rose to 5-year highs; rising 6.36% or 2.92 to 48.84. Shares in Lam Research Corp (NASDAQ:LRCX) rose to all time highs; gaining 5.87% or 9.95 to 179.39. Shares in JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:JPM) rose to all time highs; rising 1.58% or 1.48 to 95.18. Shares in Aethlon Medical Inc (NASDAQ:AEMD) fell to all time lows; falling 22.97% or 0.340 to 1.140.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 3.24% to 9.84.
Gold Futures for December delivery was down 1.19% or 15.47 to $1286.23 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in November rose 0.39% or 0.20 to hit $52.08 a barrel, while the December Brent oil contract fell 0.88% or 0.51 to trade at $57.41 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.35% to 1.1752, while USD/JPY rose 0.45% to 112.75.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.44% at 93.22.