Investing.com – U.S. stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Healthcare, Consumer Services and Industrials sectors led shares lower.
At the close in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.44%, while the S&P 500 index declined 0.40%, and the NASDAQ Composite index lost 0.42%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS), which rose 2.27% or 4.26 points to trade at 192.23 at the close. Meanwhile, American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) added 1.04% or 0.81 points to end at 78.93 and Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ) was up 0.60% or 0.29 points to 48.92 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE:WMT), which fell 1.87% or 1.54 points to trade at 80.71 at the close. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) declined 1.50% or 0.47 points to end at 30.80 and 3M Company (NYSE:MMM) was down 1.47% or 2.43 points to 162.52.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Windstream Corporation (NASDAQ:WIN) which rose 5.00% to 7.77, Newmont Mining Corporation (NYSE:NEM) which was up 4.65% to settle at 22.72 and Kraft Foods Group Inc (NASDAQ:KRFT) which gained 4.12% to close at 90.70.
The worst performers were Macerich Company (NYSE:MAC) which was down 6.64% to 78.73 in late trade, NRG Energy Inc (NYSE:NRG) which lost 6.31% to settle at 23.60 and American Airlines Group (NASDAQ:AAL) which was down 4.43% to 50.44 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Motricity (NASDAQ:VLTC) which rose 147.52% to 2.500, Dyax Corp (NASDAQ:DYAX) which was up 53.69% to settle at 25.750 and Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation (NASDAQ:NYMX) which gained 49.64% to close at 1.257.
The worst performers were ROI Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ:EVRY) which was down 81.25% to 0.225 in late trade, Response Genetics Inc (NASDAQ:RGDX) which lost 38.64% to settle at 0.270 and Cytosorbents Crp (NASDAQ:CTSO) which was down 31.61% to 9.02 at the close.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1423 to 1394; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1540 fell and 1244 advanced, while 4 ended unchanged.
Shares in Kraft Foods Group Inc (NASDAQ:KRFT) rose to all time highs; rising 4.12% or 3.58 to 90.70. Shares in ROI Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ:EVRY) fell to all time lows; down 81.25% or 0.975 to 0.225. Shares in Dyax Corp (NASDAQ:DYAX) rose to 5-year highs; rising 53.69% or 8.995 to 25.750. Shares in Response Genetics Inc (NASDAQ:RGDX) fell to all time lows; losing 38.64% or 0.170 to 0.270.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 1.31% to 15.09.
Gold for June delivery was up 1.78% or 21.10 to $1204.30 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 4.38% or 2.08 to hit $49.69 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract rose 2.95% or 1.62 to trade at $56.73 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.24% to 1.0759, while USD/JPY fell 0.35% to 119.72.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.17% at 98.53.