Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Tuesday, as gains in the Healthcare, Technology and Consumer Services sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.55% to hit a new 6-months high, while the S&P 500 index gained 0.88%, and the NASDAQ Composite index climbed 1.32%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX), which rose 2.27% or 3.11 points to trade at 140.02 at the close. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) added 1.71% or 0.81 points to end at 48.21 and Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) was up 1.55% or 1.14 points to 74.60 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), which fell 2.69% or 2.85 points to trade at 103.16 at the close. Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ) declined 2.09% or 1.22 points to end at 57.15 and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA) was down 1.63% or 0.88 points to 53.22.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Hasbro Inc (NASDAQ:HAS) which rose 14.23% to 100.65, Kohls Corp (NYSE:KSS) which was up 11.91% to settle at 75.48 and Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) which gained 9.27% to close at 93.08.
The worst performers were Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) which was down 12.31% to 211.36 in late trade, State Street Corp (NYSE:STT) which lost 4.35% to settle at 66.86 and Albemarle Corp (NYSE:ALB) which was down 3.80% to 79.05 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Silver Run Acquisition Corporation II (NASDAQ:AMR) which rose 30.15% to 0.23, Synthesis Energy Systems Inc (NASDAQ:SES) which was up 28.60% to settle at 0.5400 and Atossa Genetics Inc (NASDAQ:ATOS) which gained 22.97% to close at 3.4800.
The worst performers were Moleculin Biotech Inc (NASDAQ:MBRX) which was down 46.64% to 1.59 in late trade, Presbia PLC (NASDAQ:LENS) which lost 39.78% to settle at 0.330 and Astec Industries Inc (NASDAQ:ASTE) which was down 26.00% to 31.59 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2189 to 788 and 106 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1958 rose and 706 declined, while 67 ended unchanged.
Shares in Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA) fell to 5-year lows; losing 1.63% or 0.88 to 53.22.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 1.13% to 12.28.
Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.26% or 3.35 to $1274.25 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in June rose 0.96% or 0.63 to hit $66.18 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract fell 0.12% or 0.09 to trade at $74.37 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.00% to 1.1224, while USD/JPY rose 0.01% to 111.87.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.30% at 97.245.