Investing.com – U.S. stocks were mixed after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Financials, Oil & Gas and Industrials sectors led shares higher while losses in the Technology, Utilities and Healthcare sectors led shares lower.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.25% to hit a new all time high, while the S&P 500 index declined 0.47%, and the NASDAQ Composite index declined 1.56%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS), which rose 2.92% or 6.41 points to trade at 225.70 at the close. Meanwhile, General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) added 1.97% or 0.60 points to end at 31.36 and UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) was up 1.85% or 2.93 points to 161.25 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), which fell 3.08% or 1.07 points to trade at 33.63 at the close. Visa Inc (NYSE:V) declined 2.43% or 1.88 points to end at 75.44 and Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) was down 1.99% or 0.64 points to 31.50.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Southwestern Energy Company (NYSE:SWN) which rose 6.70% to 12.11, General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) which was up 5.60% to settle at 36.46 and Flowserve Corporation (NYSE:FLS) which gained 4.68% to close at 49.67.
The worst performers were Microchip Technology Incorporated (NASDAQ:MCHP) which was down 8.10% to 60.82 in late trade, Lam Research Corp (NASDAQ:LRCX) which lost 7.51% to settle at 98.06 and Applied Materials Inc (NASDAQ:AMAT) which was down 7.13% to 29.91 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Venaxis Inc (NASDAQ:APPY) which rose 58.04% to 4.8201, Vanguard Natural Resources LLC (NASDAQ:VNR) which was up 30.33% to settle at 0.757 and Biostage Inc (NASDAQ:BSTG) which gained 35.00% to close at 1.080.
The worst performers were Heat Biolog (NASDAQ:HTBX) which was down 64.35% to 1.023 in late trade, Aradigm Cor (NASDAQ:ARDM) which lost 56.68% to settle at 2.270 and Genetic Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ:GENE) which was down 36.07% to 1.400 at the close.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2015 to 1145 and 72 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1552 fell and 963 advanced, while 85 ended unchanged.
Shares in General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) rose to 52-week highs; up 5.60% or 1.93 to 36.46. Shares in Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) rose to 5-year highs; rising 2.92% or 6.41 to 225.70. Shares in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) rose to all time highs; rising 1.85% or 2.93 to 161.25. Shares in Venaxis Inc (NASDAQ:APPY) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 58.04% or 1.7701 to 4.8201. Shares in Aradigm Cor (NASDAQ:ARDM) fell to all time lows; falling 56.68% or 2.970 to 2.270.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was up 7.28% to 14.30.
Gold for February delivery was down 0.06% or 0.75 to $1173.15 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January rose 2.83% or 1.40 to hit $50.84 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 3.53% or 1.83 to trade at $53.67 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.52% to 1.0646, while USD/JPY fell 0.29% to 114.12.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.49% at 101.13.