Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Basic Materials, Technology and Industrials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 2.01%, while the S&P 500 index gained 2.17%, and the NASDAQ Composite index climbed 2.69%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Dow Inc (NYSE:DOW), which rose 5.86% or 2.72 points to trade at 49.17 at the close. Meanwhile, Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) added 5.53% or 8.59 points to end at 163.81 and JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:JPM) was up 4.25% or 4.26 points to 104.51 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH), which fell 0.64% or 2.28 points to trade at 352.28 at the close. McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) added 0.11% or 0.23 points to end at 215.10 and Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) was up 0.37% or 0.30 points to 80.92.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Albemarle Corp (NYSE:ALB) which rose 13.55% to 106.09, Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) which was up 12.76% to settle at 145.43 and Coty Inc (NYSE:COTY) which gained 11.09% to close at 3.35.
The worst performers were Hanesbrands Inc (NYSE:HBI) which was down 17.53% to 13.50 in late trade, Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) which lost 7.30% to settle at 329.66 and Incyte Corporation (NASDAQ:INCY) which was down 6.71% to 85.09 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Kayne Anderson Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ:ALTM) which rose 177.97% to 27.880, Oncternal Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:ONCT) which was up 127.81% to settle at 3.44 and Hall of Fame Resort Entertainment Co (NASDAQ:HOFV) which gained 86.32% to close at 3.54.
The worst performers were Clovis Oncology Inc (NASDAQ:CLVS) which was down 21.08% to 4.47 in late trade, Amyris Inc (NASDAQ:AMRS) which lost 17.87% to settle at 2.160 and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Co (NASDAQ:HMHC) which was down 17.64% to 2.27 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2423 to 466 and 64 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 2146 rose and 593 declined, while 51 ended unchanged.
Shares in Albemarle Corp (NYSE:ALB) rose to 52-week highs; rising 13.55% or 12.66 to 106.09. Shares in Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) rose to all time highs; rising 12.76% or 16.46 to 145.43.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 6.05% to 27.78.
Gold Futures for December delivery was up 2.90% or 55.00 to $1951.20 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December fell 1.53% or 0.60 to hit $38.55 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract fell 1.21% or 0.50 to trade at $40.73 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.90% to 1.1827, while USD/JPY fell 0.93% to 103.50.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.89% at 92.578.