Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Utilities, Basic Materials and Telecoms sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.44%, while the S&P 500 index gained 0.37%, and the NASDAQ Composite index gained 0.08%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT), which rose 2.38% or 2.37 points to trade at 101.91 at the close. Meanwhile, Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) added 1.70% or 1.77 points to end at 106.01 and Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) was up 1.67% or 0.79 points to 48.19 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL), which fell 1.39% or 2.77 points to trade at 197.18 at the close. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) declined 0.90% or 0.42 points to end at 46.20 and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA) was down 0.26% or 0.14 points to 53.42.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Booking Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:BKNG) which rose 5.40% to 1829.85, News Corp A (NASDAQ:NWSA) which was up 4.11% to settle at 11.90 and Keurig Dr Pepper Inc (NYSE:KDP) which gained 4.00% to close at 29.41.
The worst performers were Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ:SYMC) which was down 12.54% to 19.39 in late trade, Wynn Resorts Limited (NASDAQ:WYNN) which lost 4.72% to settle at 129.89 and Pacific Gas & Electric Co (NYSE:PCG) which was down 3.88% to 18.60 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Genetic Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ:GENE) which rose 95.31% to 1.375, Charles & Colvard Ltd (NASDAQ:CTHR) which was up 37.29% to settle at 1.6200 and Westport Fuel Systems Inc (NASDAQ:WPRT) which gained 33.53% to close at 2.230.
The worst performers were Puma Biotechnology Inc (NASDAQ:PBYI) which was down 38.64% to 18.42 in late trade, Qurate Retail Inc Series B (NASDAQ:QRTEB) which lost 28.95% to settle at 11.777 and Verastem Inc (NASDAQ:VSTM) which was down 28.04% to 1.360 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1907 to 1060 and 116 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1391 rose and 1247 declined, while 88 ended unchanged.
Shares in Puma Biotechnology Inc (NASDAQ:PBYI) fell to 5-year lows; losing 38.64% or 11.60 to 18.42. Shares in Charles & Colvard Ltd (NASDAQ:CTHR) rose to 3-years highs; rising 37.29% or 0.4400 to 1.6200. Shares in Qurate Retail Inc Series B (NASDAQ:QRTEB) fell to 5-year lows; down 28.95% or 4.798 to 11.777. Shares in Verastem Inc (NASDAQ:VSTM) fell to 52-week lows; losing 28.04% or 0.530 to 1.360.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 16.02% to 16.04.
Gold Futures for June delivery was up 0.12% or 1.50 to $1286.70 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in June rose 0.05% or 0.03 to hit $61.73 a barrel, while the July Brent oil contract rose 0.58% or 0.41 to trade at $70.80 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.13% to 1.1235, while USD/JPY rose 0.20% to 109.97.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.05% at 97.115.