Investing.com -- While stocks fell on the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 Composite index on Thursday, both remained on track for their best monthly performance in more than three years with one trading day left in the month of February.
The NASDAQ Composite index, meanwhile, closed higher for the 11th time in 12 days, as it inched closer to the 5,000 barrier.
Losses in the energy and healthcare sectors pushed the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.06% or 10.15 points to 18,214.42.
Falling oil prices put downward pressure on the energy sector, as crude oil dropped below $50 a barrel. Chevron (NYSE:CVX) Corporation (NYSE:CVX) experienced the second-highest drop on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, falling 1.43% or 1.55 points to 107.3. The losses occurred two days after the San Ramon, California-based corporation announced plans to sell as much as $6 billion in bonds to offset losses from the decline in oil. Chevron stock has fallen more than 15% since the start of the oil slump.
Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Corporation (NYSE:XOM) also lost 1.18% or 1.06 to close at 88.54. Drilling company ENSCO plc. (NYSE:ESV), meanwhile, fell 8.16% or 2.17 points to 24.41 after slashing dividends and announcing a new round of job cuts. ENSCO also closed the day as the worst performer on the S&P 500.
A trio of cable companies also closed lower after The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to implement new net neutrality rules. The regulations are meant to ensure that neither the government nor corporations gain an ability to control free open access to the Internet, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said.
Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA.O) Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) lost 0.79% or 0.47 points to 59.15 and Time Warner Cable Inc (NYSE:TWC) dropped 1.44% or 2.22 points to 152.40. Charter Communications Inc (NASDAQ:CHTR) also fell 0.02% or 0.03 points to 182.18.
The NASDAQ Composite index finished up 0.42% or 20.75 to close at 4,987.89. The NASDAQ has not reached the 5,000 level since March, 2000.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) reversed early losses on Thursday in midday trading, after it extended an invitation to the media to attend an event on March 9th. It has been widely speculated that Apple could announce the release date of its new iWatch smartwatch at the event. Apple closed the day up 1.26% or 1.62 points to 130.41.
The biggest performer of the session on the NASDAQ Composite index was Avago Technologies Limited (NASDAQ:AVGO), which gained 14.71% or 16.57 points to close at 129.25, after the release of higher expected earnings and its purchase of Emulex Corporation (NYSE:ELX) for more than $600 million. The worst performer was Catamaran Corporation (NASDAQ:CTRX), which lost 2.65% or 1.40 to 51.38.
The S&P 500 closed down on Thursday, falling 0.15% or 3.12 points to 2,110.74. The biggest performers of the session was Salesforce.com Inc (NYSE:CRM), which rose 11.72% or 7.37 to 70.24.