Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Utilities, Technology and Financials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.28%, while the S&P 500 index added 0.05%, and the NASDAQ Composite index gained 0.12%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Boeing Co (NYSE:BA), which rose 4.93% or 16.66 points to trade at 354.37 at the close. Meanwhile, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) added 2.45% or 2.27 points to end at 95.01 and General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) was up 1.38% or 0.22 points to 16.17 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), which fell 2.98% or 4.24 points to trade at 138.19 at the close. Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) declined 2.31% or 1.40 points to end at 59.25 and Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) was down 2.01% or 0.76 points to 37.04.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ:EA) which rose 6.96% to 126.96, Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ:AMD) which was up 6.72% to settle at 13.735 and Digital Realty Trust Inc (NYSE:DLR) which gained 5.06% to close at 111.95.
The worst performers were Juniper Networks Inc (NYSE:JNPR) which was down 7.66% to 26.15 in late trade, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) which lost 5.39% to settle at 81.45 and Harley-Davidson Inc (NYSE:HOG) which was down 4.68% to 48.46 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Cascadian Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:CASC) which rose 70.34% to 10.05, Skyline Medical Inc (NASDAQ:SKLN) which was up 58.14% to settle at 1.3600 and Atossa Genetics Inc (NASDAQ:ATOS) which gained 47.10% to close at 0.7911.
The worst performers were Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:BLCM) which was down 25.85% to 6.08 in late trade, Veritone Inc (NASDAQ:VERI) which lost 23.33% to settle at 17.75 and OpGen Inc (NASDAQ:OPGN) which was down 23.00% to 3.850 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1589 to 1501 and 126 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1612 fell and 915 advanced, while 138 ended unchanged.
Shares in Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ:EA) rose to all time highs; gaining 6.96% or 8.26 to 126.96. Shares in Boeing Co (NYSE:BA) rose to all time highs; up 4.93% or 16.66 to 354.37. Shares in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) rose to all time highs; up 2.45% or 2.27 to 95.01. Shares in Cascadian Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:CASC) rose to 52-week highs; rising 70.34% or 4.15 to 10.05. Shares in Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:BLCM) fell to all time lows; falling 25.85% or 2.12 to 6.08.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 7.30% to 13.71.
Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.73% or 9.80 to $1345.20 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March rose 0.53% or 0.34 to hit $64.84 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract rose 0.66% or 0.45 to trade at $68.97 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.08% to 1.2413, while USD/JPY rose 0.38% to 109.19.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.08% at 88.95.