Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Oil & Gas, Consumer Services and Healthcare sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.64% to hit a new all time high, while the S&P 500 index added 0.47%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 0.46%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE), which rose 2.90% or 1.60 points to trade at 56.73 at the close. Meanwhile, Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) added 1.56% or 0.98 points to end at 63.62 and Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) was up 1.28% or 1.28 points to 101.42 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE:WMT), which fell 0.20% or 0.15 points to trade at 73.80 at the close. Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) declined 0.09% or 0.09 points to end at 97.77 and Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) was down 0.06% or 0.07 points to 107.93.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Macy’s Inc (NYSE:M) which rose 17.13% to 39.83, Kohl’s Corporation (NYSE:KSS) which was up 16.22% to settle at 44.21 and Nordstrom Inc (NYSE:JWN) which gained 7.48% to close at 47.54.
The worst performers were General Growth Properties Inc (NYSE:GGP) which was down 3.42% to 29.67 in late trade, HCP Inc (NYSE:HCP) which lost 2.41% to settle at 38.55 and Kimco Realty Corporation (NYSE:KIM) which was down 2.09% to 30.42 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Uranium Resources Inc (NASDAQ:URRE) which rose 33.07% to 1.6900, Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Ltd (NASDAQ:AOSL) which was up 27.87% to settle at 19.04 and Transglobe Energy Corp (NASDAQ:TGA) which gained 24.53% to close at 1.980.
The worst performers were A Schulman Inc (NASDAQ:SHLM) which was down 26.98% to 21.89 in late trade, Avinger Inc (NASDAQ:AVGR) which lost 18.83% to settle at 3.75 and Energy Focu (NASDAQ:EFOI) which was down 17.24% to 4.85 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2016 to 1166 and 78 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1617 rose and 885 declined, while 109 ended unchanged.
Shares in Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Ltd (NASDAQ:AOSL) rose to all time highs; gaining 27.87% or 4.15 to 19.04. Shares in Avinger Inc (NASDAQ:AVGR) fell to all time lows; falling 18.83% or 0.87 to 3.75. Shares in Energy Focu (NASDAQ:EFOI) fell to 52-week lows; losing 17.24% or 1.01 to 4.85.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 2.07% to 11.80.
Gold for December delivery was down 0.60% or 8.10 to $1343.80 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 3.98% or 1.66 to hit $43.37 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract rose 4.25% or 1.87 to trade at $45.92 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.36% to 1.1139, while USD/JPY rose 0.59% to 101.89.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.30% at 95.88.