Investing.com – United States stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Utilities, Health Care and Telecommunications sectors led shares higher.
At the close in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.13% to hit a new all time high, while the S&P 500 index added 0.33%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 0.70%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD), which rose 1.01% or 0.95 points to trade at 94.78 at the close. Meanwhile, Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) added 0.73% or 0.23 points to end at 31.65 and Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) was up 0.65% or 0.61 points to 95.03 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), which fell 0.61% or 0.57 points to trade at 93.21 at the close. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) declined 0.54% or 0.26 points to end at 47.88 and 3M Company (NYSE:MMM) was down 0.42% or 0.70 points to 166.26.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG) which rose 3.42% to 113.35, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:REGN) which was up 3.34% to settle at 413.48 and Nabors Industries Ltd (NYSE:NBR) which gained 3.22% to close at 12.82.
The worst performers were Newfield Exploration Company (NYSE:NFX) which was down 3.19% to 26.97 in late trade, Noble Energy Inc (NYSE:NBL) which lost 2.64% to settle at 47.22 and Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE:THC) which was down 2.15% to 51.31 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Atossa Genetics Inc (NASDAQ:ATOS) which rose 31.47% to 1.880, LiveDeal Inc (NASDAQ:LIVE) which was up 26.05% to settle at 3.29 and Synacor Inc (NASDAQ:SYNC) which gained 22.62% to close at 2.06.
The worst performers were Response Genetics Inc (NASDAQ:RGDX) which was down 18.41% to 0.300 in late trade, Jacksonville Bancorp Inc (NASDAQ:JAXB) which lost 17.11% to settle at 12.400 and UBIC Inc (NASDAQ:UBIC) which was down 12.93% to 13.06 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1899 to 889; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1765 rose and 1000 declined, while 9 ended unchanged.
Shares in Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) rose to 52 week highs; up 0.65% or 0.61 to 95.03.
Shares in Response Genetics Inc (NASDAQ:RGDX) fell to 52 week lows; falling 18.41% or 0.068 to 0.300.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was up 1.53% to 14.59.
Gold for February delivery was up 1.90% or 22.30 to $1195.80 a troy ounce.
Elsewhere in commodities trading, crude oil for delivery in February fell 1.60% or 0.90 to hit $54.95 a barrel, while the February brent oil contract fell 1.15% or 0.69 to trade at $59.55 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.38% to 1.2180, while USD/JPY rose 0.25% to 120.39.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.07% at 90.31.