Investing.com – U.S. stocks were lower after the close on Tuesday, as losses in the Basic Materials, Technology and Healthcare sectors led shares lower.
At the close in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.20%, while the S&P 500 index fell 0.29%, and the NASDAQ Composite index declined 0.35%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE:WMT), which rose 1.10% or 0.86 points to trade at 78.96 at the close. Meanwhile, Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) added 0.59% or 0.64 points to end at 109.24 and Home Depot Inc (NYSE:HD) was up 0.55% or 0.62 points to 112.52 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), which fell 1.35% or 0.44 points to trade at 32.25 at the close. Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) declined 0.93% or 0.56 points to end at 59.44 and American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) was down 0.78% or 0.62 points to 79.08.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Pall Corporation (NYSE:PLL) which rose 19.44% to 118.62, Humana Inc (NYSE:HUM) which was up 4.06% to settle at 173.38 and Discovery Communications Inc (NASDAQ:DISCA) which gained 4.05% to close at 32.02.
The worst performers were FMC Corporation (NYSE:FMC) which was down 4.80% to 57.77 in late trade, Internationa Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE:IFF) which lost 4.11% to settle at 114.40 and Gap Inc (NYSE:GPS) which was down 3.79% to 38.36 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Pain Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PTIE) which rose 35.05% to 2.620, Cartesian I (NASDAQ:CRTN) which was up 20.49% to settle at 3.94 and Torchlight Energ (NASDAQ:TRCH) which gained 19.75% to close at 0.970.
The worst performers were NewLink Genetics Corporation (NASDAQ:NLNK) which was down 29.90% to 36.55 in late trade, Barrett Business Services Inc (NASDAQ:BBSI) which lost 29.34% to settle at 35.01 and American Public Education Inc (NASDAQ:APEI) which was down 20.32% to 22.11 at the close.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1854 to 1273 and 2 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1603 fell and 1179 advanced, while 8 ended unchanged.
Shares in Pall Corporation (NYSE:PLL) rose to all time highs; gaining 19.44% or 19.31 to 118.62. Shares in American Public Education Inc (NASDAQ:APEI) fell to all time lows; losing 20.32% or 5.64 to 22.11.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was up 0.07% to 13.86.
Gold for June delivery was up 0.79% or 9.30 to $1192.30 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in June rose 2.22% or 1.31 to hit $60.56 a barrel, while the July Brent oil contract rose 2.33% or 1.53 to trade at $67.15 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.45% to 1.1206, while USD/JPY fell 0.13% to 119.92.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.44% at 94.70.