Investing.com -- Stocks on the U.S. equities markets moved broadly higher on Thursday extending gains from one session earlier, as a wave of robust economic outweighed increasing concerns of a Greek default on its sovereign debt.
One day after jumping more than 230 points, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose modestly on Thursday, while the NASDAQ Composite index and the S&P Composite index each inched up remaining in near-record territory. The Dow gained 38.97 or 0.22% to close at 18,039.37 on Thursday, while the NASDAQ rose 5.82 or 0.11% to remain comfortably above the symbolic 5,000 level at 5,082.51.
The S&P 500, meanwhile, gained 3.66 or 0.17% to , as seven of 10 sectors closed in the green. Stocks in the Utilities, Health Care and Telecommunications sectors led, while stocks in the Energy, Technology and Consumer Goods industries lagged.
The top performer on the Dow was The Travelers Companies Inc (NYSE:TRV), which gained 0.96 or 0.97% to 100.14. Travelers finished just ahead of Boeing Company (NYSE:BA), which rose 1.35 or 0.95% to 142.97, after the Seattle-based airplane manufacturer boosted its 20-year forecast for its aircraft demand by 3.5%. In predicting "strong and resilient growth," during the period, Boeing expects firms to take delivery of $5.6 trillion in its new jets by 2034.
The worst performer was MRK, which lost 0.71 or 1.19% to 58.90. One session earlier, Merck (NYSE:MRK) neared $60 a share amid progress with its experimental anti-inflammatory and Diabetes drugs earlier this week.
The biggest gainer was American multinational software company Citrix Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CTXS), which rose 4.42 or 6.70% to 70.39. On Thursday, New York-based hedge fund Elliott Management pushed for sweeping changes at Citrix, while declaring a 7.1% activist stake in the company. Elliot Management, a technology-sector focused private equity firm, said in a letter that Citrix shares could rise to $90 if its plans are accepted.
The worst performer was Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ:YHOO), which fell 1.13 or 2.67% to 40.94. Yahoo shares have dipped slightly after the company was forced to dispel rumors on Wednesday that its planned spinoff of Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd (NYSE:BABA) in the fourth quarter would not be tax-free, as the company previously indicated.
Citrix Systems was also the top performer on the S&P 500, just ahead of Hess, which gained 3.19 or 4.86% to 68.83. Earlier on Thursday, the Fortune 100 integrated oil company agreed to sell a 50% stake in its Bakken midstream assets to private equity firm Global Infrastructure Partners for $2.675 billion in cash. Hess ended 2014 as one of the most active drillers in the North Dakotan range on the year.
The worst performer was Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC), which closed at 52.03 after distributing a stock split on Thursday that was previously announced in late-April. Overall, it was a bearish day for energy stocks, as crude futures fell slightly on Thursday after surging more than 5% over the previous two sessions. Noble, CONSOL Energy Inc (NYSE:CNX), Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) and Transocean were among the worst performers on the session, each declining by more than 3%.
On the New York Stock Exchange, advancers outnumbered decliners by a margin of 1,926 to 1,224.