Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Basic Materials, Technology and Consumer Goods sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.51%, while the S&P 500 index added 0.73%, and the NASDAQ Composite index gained 1.34%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE), which rose 3.08% or 2.97 points to trade at 99.27 at the close. Meanwhile, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) added 2.44% or 4.15 points to end at 174.38 and Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) was up 2.22% or 1.90 points to 87.34 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ), which fell 2.34% or 1.39 points to trade at 58.05 at the close. Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE:XOM) declined 2.24% or 1.39 points to end at 60.73 and 3M Company (NYSE:MMM) was down 1.30% or 2.07 points to 156.59.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) which rose 8.30% to 21.54, Gilead Sciences Inc (NASDAQ:GILD) which was up 5.00% to settle at 66.36 and NortonLifeLock Inc (NASDAQ:NLOK) which gained 4.45% to close at 17.15.
The worst performers were Sysco Corporation (NYSE:SYY) which was down 6.65% to 76.68 in late trade, Cimarex Energy Co (NYSE:XEC) which lost 5.74% to settle at 41.37 and Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) which was down 4.82% to 80.25 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Gulf Resources Inc (NASDAQ:GURE) which rose 49.12% to 4.2500, China SXT Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:SXTC) which was up 46.79% to settle at 1.4400 and OpGen Inc (NASDAQ:OPGN) which gained 44.59% to close at 2.270.
The worst performers were Cleveland BioLabs Inc (NASDAQ:CBLI) which was down 31.21% to 2.9100 in late trade, Lianluo Smart Ltd (NASDAQ:LLIT) which lost 26.12% to settle at 2.1500 and Allied Healthcare Products Inc (NASDAQ:AHPI) which was down 23.91% to 2.960 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1803 to 1011 and 80 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1671 rose and 981 declined, while 80 ended unchanged.
Shares in NortonLifeLock Inc (NASDAQ:NLOK) rose to 3-years lows; up 4.45% or 0.73 to 17.15. Shares in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) rose to all time highs; up 2.44% or 4.15 to 174.38. Shares in Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE:XOM) fell to 5-year lows; down 2.24% or 1.39 to 60.73. Shares in Gulf Resources Inc (NASDAQ:GURE) rose to 5-year highs; rising 49.12% or 1.4000 to 4.2500.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 4.62% to 17.97.
Gold Futures for April delivery was down 0.43% or 6.85 to $1581.05 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March fell 3.20% or 1.65 to hit $49.91 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract rose 0.02% or 0.01 to trade at $54.17 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.03% to 1.1061, while USD/JPY rose 0.00% to 108.67.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.45% at 97.655.