Investing.com – U.S. stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Oil & Gas, Financials and Healthcare sectors led shares lower.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.20%, while the S&P 500 index declined 0.29%, and the NASDAQ Composite index declined 0.40%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE:WMT), which rose 1.27% or 0.93 points to trade at 73.97 at the close. Meanwhile, Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) added 1.22% or 1.18 points to end at 97.85 and Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) was up 0.60% or 0.79 points to 132.32 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), which fell 1.81% or 1.59 points to trade at 86.36 at the close. Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) declined 1.14% or 1.16 points to end at 100.16 and Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) was down 1.13% or 0.63 points to 55.14.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) which rose 8.47% to 103.12, Akamai Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:AKAM) which was up 3.58% to settle at 52.02 and Hanesbrands Inc (NYSE:HBI) which gained 3.21% to close at 26.40.
The worst performers were KLA-Tencor Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC) which was down 10.26% to 69.47 in late trade, Perrigo Co (NYSE:PRGO) which lost 9.63% to settle at 85.93 and First Solar Inc (NASDAQ:FSLR) which was down 7.20% to 38.66 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were DXP Enterprises Inc (NASDAQ:DXPE) which rose 58.26% to 27.60, Magellan Petroleum Corporation (NASDAQ:MPET) which was up 29.85% to settle at 5.3500 and Healthways Inc (NASDAQ:HWAY) which gained 18.27% to close at 21.36.
The worst performers were Nymox Pharmaceutical Corp (NASDAQ:NYMX) which was down 40.51% to 1.850 in late trade, Myriad Genetics Inc (NASDAQ:MYGN) which lost 33.13% to settle at 19.70 and Gevo Inc (NASDAQ:GEVO) which was down 33.09% to 0.5050 at the close.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1763 to 1395 and 101 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1714 fell and 799 advanced, while 121 ended unchanged.
Shares in Perrigo Co (NYSE:PRGO) fell to 3-years lows; down 9.63% or 9.16 to 85.93. Shares in First Solar Inc (NASDAQ:FSLR) fell to 52-week lows; down 7.20% or 3.00 to 38.66. Shares in Magellan Petroleum Corporation (NASDAQ:MPET) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 29.85% or 1.2300 to 5.3500. Shares in Myriad Genetics Inc (NASDAQ:MYGN) fell to 3-years lows; down 33.13% or 9.76 to 19.70. Shares in Healthways Inc (NASDAQ:HWAY) rose to 52-week highs; up 18.27% or 3.30 to 21.36.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was up 3.09% to 12.02.
Gold for December delivery was up 0.43% or 5.85 to $1352.55 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September fell 3.02% or 1.29 to hit $41.48 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract fell 2.47% or 1.11 to trade at $43.87 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.57% to 1.1178, while USD/JPY fell 0.64% to 101.23.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.51% at 95.57.