Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Utilities, Consumer Goods and Technology sectors led shares higher.
At the close in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.31%, while the S&P 500 index added 0.95%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 0.98%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Boeing Company (NYSE:BA), which rose 5.83% or 8.14 points to trade at 147.78 at the close. Meanwhile, McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) added 5.06% or 4.49 points to end at 93.27 and Home Depot Inc (NYSE:HD) was up 2.75% or 2.88 points to 107.62 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), which fell 0.68% or 0.71 points to trade at 103.00 at the close. Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) declined 0.43% or 0.38 points to end at 87.57 and United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX) was down 0.40% or 0.47 points to 116.45.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Harman International Industries (NYSE:HAR) which rose 23.76% to 125.01, Varian Medical Systems Inc (NYSE:VAR) which was up 8.70% to settle at 94.05 and Coach Inc (NYSE:COH) which gained 6.80% to close at 38.94.
The worst performers were QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) which was down 10.28% to 63.69 in late trade, Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc (NYSE:DO) which lost 6.48% to settle at 30.73 and Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ:YHOO) which was down 5.88% to 43.73 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Genetic Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ:GENE) which rose 183.14% to 3.610, BSD Medical Corporation (NASDAQ:BSDM) which was up 64.92% to settle at 0.330 and Semler Scientifc (NASDAQ:SMLR) which gained 62.60% to close at 6.00.
The worst performers were Venaxis Inc (NASDAQ:APPY) which was down 73.14% to 0.548 in late trade, Gevo Inc (NASDAQ:GEVO) which lost 47.19% to settle at 0.14 and Performant Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:PFMT) which was down 28.16% to 4.210 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1961 to 833; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1851 rose and 898 declined, while 4 ended unchanged.
Shares in Harman International Industries (NYSE:HAR) rose to 5-year highs; rising 23.76% or 24.00 to 125.01. Shares in QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) fell to 52-week lows; losing 10.28% or 7.30 to 63.69. Shares in Varian Medical Systems Inc (NYSE:VAR) rose to all time highs; gaining 8.70% or 7.53 to 94.05. Shares in Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) rose to 52-week highs; up 5.83% or 8.14 to 147.78. Shares in Genetic Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ:GENE) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 183.14% or 2.335 to 3.610. Shares in Venaxis Inc (NASDAQ:APPY) fell to all time lows; losing 73.14% or 1.492 to 0.548. Shares in Gevo Inc (NASDAQ:GEVO) fell to all time lows; down 47.19% or 0.12 to 0.14. Shares in Performant Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:PFMT) fell to all time lows; losing 28.16% or 1.650 to 4.210.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 7.97% to 18.81.
Gold for April delivery was down 2.36% or 30.40 to $1256.80 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude Oil for delivery in March rose 0.11% or 0.05 to hit $44.50 a barrel, while the March Brent Oil contract rose 1.23% or 0.59 to trade at $49.06 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.26% to 1.1319, while USD/JPY rose 0.68% to 118.34.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.08% at 94.96.