Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Basic Materials, Technology and Consumer Services sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.64%, while the S&P 500 index gained 0.54%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 0.95%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were DowDuPont Inc (NYSE:DWDP), which rose 2.05% or 1.09 points to trade at 54.35 at the close. Meanwhile, American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) added 1.97% or 2.08 points to end at 107.48 and Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) was up 1.73% or 2.13 points to 125.37 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ), which fell 2.72% or 1.60 points to trade at 57.25 at the close. Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE:XOM) declined 0.86% or 0.66 points to end at 76.02 and Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT) was down 0.79% or 0.74 points to 93.11.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were United Rentals Inc (NYSE:URI) which rose 6.32% to 108.30, MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) which was up 4.84% to settle at 26.87 and Interpublic Group of Companies Inc (NYSE:IPG) which gained 4.27% to close at 23.92.
The worst performers were Under Armour Inc A (NYSE:UAA) which was down 10.44% to 19.81 in late trade, Under Armour Inc C (NYSE:UA) which lost 8.91% to settle at 19.010 and Mosaic Co (NYSE:MOS) which was down 6.33% to 30.91 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Teligent Inc (NASDAQ:TLGT) which rose 30.80% to 1.805, Staffing 360 Solutions Inc (NASDAQ:STAF) which was up 28.79% to settle at 1.700 and EyeGate Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:EYEG) which gained 28.30% to close at 0.513.
The worst performers were Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:SGYP) which was down 52.80% to 0.160 in late trade, Yangtze River Port and Logistics Ltd (NASDAQ:YRIV) which lost 23.34% to settle at 4.86 and Neurotrope Inc (NASDAQ:NTRP) which was down 23.03% to 3.8100 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2017 to 1063 and 83 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1744 rose and 883 declined, while 97 ended unchanged.
Shares in Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:SGYP) fell to all time lows; down 52.80% or 0.179 to 0.160. Shares in Neurotrope Inc (NASDAQ:NTRP) fell to 52-week lows; down 23.03% or 1.1400 to 3.8100.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 1.38% to 21.46.
Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.26% or 3.30 to $1250.50 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January fell 0.93% or 0.48 to hit $51.17 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 0.05% or 0.03 to trade at $60.23 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.42% to 1.1364, while USD/JPY fell 0.11% to 113.26.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.30% at 97.070.