Investing.com – U.S. stocks were mixed after the close on Tuesday, as gains in the Healthcare, Technology and Basic Materials sectors led shares higher while losses in the Consumer Goods, Telecoms and Utilities sectors led shares lower.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.23%, while the S&P 500 index lost 0.09%, and the NASDAQ Composite index climbed 0.27%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE), which rose 1.03% or 0.31 points to trade at 30.38 at the close. Meanwhile, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) added 1.01% or 1.28 points to end at 128.02 and Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) was up 0.76% or 0.81 points to 106.72 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS), which fell 1.34% or 2.09 points to trade at 154.20 at the close. Visa Inc (NYSE:V) declined 1.10% or 0.81 points to end at 72.96 and EI du Pont de Nemours and Company (NYSE:DD) was down 0.99% or 0.64 points to 63.93.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Staples Inc (NASDAQ:SPLS) which rose 7.63% to 10.30, Endo International PLC (NASDAQ:ENDP) which was up 6.83% to settle at 30.81 and Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) which gained 4.16% to close at 51.34.
The worst performers were Transocean Ltd (NYSE:RIG) which was down 5.03% to 10.00 in late trade, PEPCO Holdings Inc (NYSE:POM) which lost 3.32% to settle at 21.24 and CF Industries Holdings Inc (NYSE:CF) which was down 3.22% to 33.93 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were MER Telemanagement Solutions Ltd (NASDAQ:MTSL) which rose 61.11% to 1.1600, Akorn Inc (NASDAQ:AKRX) which was up 40.60% to settle at 26.32 and Gevo Inc (NASDAQ:GEVO) which gained 37.21% to close at 0.5100.
The worst performers were Blue Earth Inc (NASDAQ:BBLU) which was down 54.72% to 0.0480 in late trade, G-III Apparel Group Ltd (NASDAQ:GIII) which lost 19.39% to settle at 44.52 and Trio Merger Corp (NASDAQ:SAEX) which was down 15.27% to 0.710 at the close.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1770 to 1562 and 37 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1331 fell and 1245 advanced, while 55 ended unchanged.
Shares in PEPCO Holdings Inc (NYSE:POM) fell to 52-week lows; losing 3.32% or 0.73 to 21.24. Shares in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) rose to all time highs; up 1.01% or 1.28 to 128.02. Shares in Blue Earth Inc (NASDAQ:BBLU) fell to all time lows; losing 54.72% or 0.0580 to 0.0480. Shares in Trio Merger Corp (NASDAQ:SAEX) fell to all time lows; falling 15.27% or 0.128 to 0.710.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was up 3.05% to 14.21.
Gold for April delivery was up 0.27% or 3.40 to $1247.60 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 0.39% or 0.16 to hit $41.36 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract rose 0.51% or 0.21 to trade at $41.75 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.21% to 1.1218, while USD/JPY rose 0.32% to 112.31.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.26% at 95.65.