Investing.com – U.S. stocks were mixed after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Technology, Utilities and Healthcare sectors led shares higher while losses in the Oil & Gas, Financials and Consumer Goods sectors led shares lower.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.18% to hit a new 1-month low, while the S&P 500 index fell 0.06%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 0.36%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL), which rose 3.54% or 3.82 points to trade at 111.77 at the close. Meanwhile, Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) added 0.98% or 0.79 points to end at 81.02 and McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) was up 0.37% or 0.43 points to 115.16 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were American Express Company (NYSE:AXP), which fell 1.40% or 0.90 points to trade at 63.46 at the close. International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) declined 1.10% or 1.72 points to end at 154.09 and Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) was down 0.99% or 0.98 points to 98.45.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Skyworks Solutions Inc (NASDAQ:SWKS) which rose 4.38% to 72.40, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) which was up 3.54% to settle at 111.77 and FMC Corporation (NYSE:FMC) which gained 3.50% to close at 46.49.
The worst performers were Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:VRTX) which was down 5.41% to 90.12 in late trade, Range Resources Corporation (NYSE:RRC) which lost 5.07% to settle at 39.30 and McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK) which was down 4.63% to 167.70 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Vitae Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:VTAE) which rose 157.41% to 20.85, Acasti Pharma Inc (NASDAQ:ACST) which was up 123.02% to settle at 2.810 and Biostar Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:BSPM) which gained 65.37% to close at 3.3900.
The worst performers were Opexa Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:OPXA) which was down 21.08% to 3.220 in late trade, Great Basin Scientific Inc (NASDAQ:GBSN) which lost 18.59% to settle at 0.1156 and Reading International B Inc (NASDAQ:RDIB) which was down 18.04% to 16.990 at the close.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1679 to 1480 and 93 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1267 rose and 1247 declined, while 113 ended unchanged.
Shares in Vitae Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:VTAE) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 157.41% or 12.75 to 20.85. Shares in Great Basin Scientific Inc (NASDAQ:GBSN) fell to all time lows; falling 18.59% or 0.0264 to 0.1156.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 0.78% to 17.71.
Gold for December delivery was up 0.18% or 2.35 to $1326.05 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in October fell 2.72% or 1.22 to hit $43.68 a barrel, while the November Brent oil contract fell 2.36% or 1.11 to trade at $45.99 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.29% to 1.1251, while USD/JPY fell 0.19% to 102.39.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.24% at 95.31.