Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Basic Materials, Oil & Gas and Consumer Goods sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.35% to hit a new 6-months high, while the S&P 500 index climbed 0.24%, and the NASDAQ Composite index climbed 0.06%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE), which rose 3.05% or 2.43 points to trade at 82.18 at the close. Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) added 1.79% or 2.41 points to end at 136.88 and Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) was up 1.61% or 1.11 points to 70.17 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT), which fell 1.89% or 1.85 points to trade at 96.00 at the close. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) declined 1.27% or 0.60 points to end at 46.50 and Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) was down 0.97% or 2.12 points to 215.46.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Macy’s Inc (NYSE:M) which rose 6.05% to 38.21, American Airlines Group (NASDAQ:AAL) which was up 5.82% to settle at 39.99 and Nordstrom Inc (NYSE:JWN) which gained 4.02% to close at 61.56.
The worst performers were Qorvo Inc (NASDAQ:QRVO) which was down 4.07% to 78.18 in late trade, News Corp B (NASDAQ:NWS) which lost 2.77% to settle at 14.05 and News Corp A (NASDAQ:NWSA) which was down 2.37% to 13.57 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Seven Stars Cloud Group Inc (NASDAQ:SSC) which rose 52.53% to 3.020, China Commercial Credit Inc (NASDAQ:GLG) which was up 30.53% to settle at 0.7700 and Grindrod Shipping Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:GRIN) which gained 30.34% to close at 11.60.
The worst performers were NF Energy Saving Corporation (NASDAQ:NFEC) which was down 21.26% to 4.3700 in late trade, Aralez Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:ARLZ) which lost 19.58% to settle at 0.03 and Zion Oil & Gas Inc (NASDAQ:ZN) which was down 16.85% to 1.530 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2056 to 982 and 127 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1483 rose and 1095 declined, while 130 ended unchanged.
Shares in Nordstrom Inc (NYSE:JWN) rose to 52-week highs; up 4.02% or 2.38 to 61.56. Shares in Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) rose to all time highs; gaining 3.05% or 2.43 to 82.18. Shares in Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) rose to 5-year highs; rising 1.61% or 1.11 to 70.17. Shares in Aralez Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:ARLZ) fell to all time lows; falling 19.58% or 0.01 to 0.03. Shares in Zion Oil & Gas Inc (NASDAQ:ZN) fell to 52-week lows; down 16.85% or 0.310 to 1.530.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 1.34% to 12.47.
Gold Futures for December delivery was up 1.08% or 12.80 to $1197.00 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in October rose 0.28% or 0.18 to hit $65.39 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract rose 0.54% or 0.39 to trade at $72.22 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.38% to 1.1482, while USD/JPY fell 0.41% to 110.06.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.33% at 95.68.