Investing.com – U.S. stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the Technology, Consumer Services and Healthcare sectors led shares lower.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2.06% to hit a new 6-months low, while the S&P 500 index lost 2.11%, and the NASDAQ Composite index lost 2.82%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE:WMT), which fell 0.20% or 0.14 points to trade at 68.43 at the close. Meanwhile, Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) fell 0.28% or 0.21 points to end at 73.91 and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) was down 0.52% or 0.52 points to 98.79 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), which fell 6.04% or 6.43 points to trade at 100.02 at the close. Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) declined 4.54% or 2.71 points to end at 56.95 and Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) was down 3.99% or 5.70 points to 137.02.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) which rose 4.25% to 87.33, Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE:HRL) which was up 3.87% to settle at 63.59 and Newmont Mining Corporation (NYSE:NEM) which gained 3.46% to close at 18.55.
The worst performers were Analog Devices Inc (NASDAQ:ADI) which was down 7.81% to 53.82 in late trade, Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX) which lost 7.79% to settle at 112.55 and Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MU) which was down 7.30% to 14.74 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Apricus Biosciences Inc (NASDAQ:APRI) which rose 17.07% to 1.440, Nortek Inc (NASDAQ:NTK) which was up 17.02% to settle at 86.78 and Tech Data Corporation (NASDAQ:TECD) which gained 13.12% to close at 63.65.
The worst performers were Macrocure Ltd (NASDAQ:MCUR) which was down 75.27% to 2.98 in late trade, Targacept Inc (NASDAQ:TRGT) which gained 54.66% to settle at 0.96 and Sfx Enterta (NASDAQ:SFXE) which was down 24.41% to 0.79 at the close.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2161 to 303 and 2 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 2179 fell and 396 advanced, while 7 ended unchanged.
Shares in Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE:HRL) rose to all time highs; gaining 3.87% or 2.37 to 63.59. Shares in Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MU) fell to 52-week lows; losing 7.30% or 1.16 to 14.74. Shares in Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE:WMT) fell to 52-week lows; losing 0.20% or 0.14 to 68.43. Shares in Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) fell to 52-week lows; down 0.28% or 0.21 to 73.91. Shares in Macrocure Ltd (NASDAQ:MCUR) fell to all time lows; losing 75.27% or 9.07 to 2.98. Shares in Targacept Inc (NASDAQ:TRGT) rose to all time lows; gaining 54.66% or 0.34 to 0.96. Shares in Sfx Enterta (NASDAQ:SFXE) fell to all time lows; losing 24.41% or 0.25 to 0.79.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was up 25.51% to 19.14 a new 1-month high.
Gold for December delivery was down 0.03% or 0.30 to $1152.40 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in October rose 0.10% or 0.04 to hit $40.74 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract rose 0.03% or 0.01 to trade at $46.09 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 1.07% to 1.1238, while USD/JPY fell 0.33% to 123.39.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.01% at 95.76.