Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Financials, Technology and Industrials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.04%, while the S&P 500 index gained 0.86%, and the NASDAQ Composite index gained 1.06%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK), which rose 10.41% or 6.02 points to trade at 63.86 at the close. Meanwhile, JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:JPM) added 2.70% or 1.74 points to end at 66.30 and Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) was up 2.56% or 4.04 points to 162.09 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ), which fell 0.54% or 0.29 points to trade at 53.64 at the close. Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) declined 0.31% or 0.27 points to end at 85.78 and Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) was down 0.07% or 0.03 points to 43.48.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) which rose 10.41% to 63.86, EOG Resources Inc (NYSE:EOG) which was up 7.03% to settle at 90.16 and Quanta Services Inc (NYSE:PWR) which gained 5.97% to close at 24.85.
The worst performers were Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) which was down 15.99% to 63.28 in late trade, Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) which lost 4.68% to settle at 4.890 and TripAdvisor Inc (NASDAQ:TRIP) which was down 4.37% to 60.81 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Lantheus Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:LNTH) which rose 54.24% to 6.000, Fuling Global Inc (NASDAQ:FORK) which was up 38.57% to settle at 2.910 and KBS Fashion Group Ltd (NASDAQ:KBSF) which gained 34.89% to close at 0.6190.
The worst performers were Great Basin Scientific Inc (NASDAQ:GBSN) which was down 30.76% to 0.2600 in late trade, Computer Programs and Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CPSI) which lost 29.74% to settle at 27.47 and Intermolecular Inc (NASDAQ:IMI) which was down 25.93% to 1.000 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2282 to 964 and 36 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1853 rose and 721 declined, while 55 ended unchanged.
Shares in Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 10.41% or 6.02 to 63.86. Shares in EOG Resources Inc (NYSE:EOG) rose to 52-week highs; rising 7.03% or 5.92 to 90.16. Shares in Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 10.41% or 6.02 to 63.86. Shares in Computer Programs and Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CPSI) fell to 5-year lows; falling 29.74% or 11.63 to 27.47. Shares in Intermolecular Inc (NASDAQ:IMI) fell to all time lows; falling 25.93% or 0.350 to 1.000.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 9.10% to 11.29 a new 52-week low.
Gold for December delivery was down 1.82% or 24.85 to $1342.55 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 0.10% or 0.04 to hit $41.97 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract rose 0.25% or 0.11 to trade at $44.40 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.38% to 1.1088, while USD/JPY rose 0.53% to 101.76.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.45% at 96.18.