Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Technology, Healthcare and Basic Materials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.14%, while the S&P 500 index gained 0.03%, and the NASDAQ Composite index gained 0.50%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL), which rose 6.13% or 7.44 points to trade at 128.79 at the close. Meanwhile, E I du Pont de Nemours & Co (NYSE:DD) added 1.11% or 0.84 points to end at 76.34 and Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) was up 0.83% or 0.26 points to 31.67 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), which fell 1.66% or 1.07 points to trade at 63.58 at the close. United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX) declined 1.36% or 1.49 points to end at 108.18 and Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ) was down 1.26% or 0.62 points to 48.39.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Arconic Inc (NYSE:ARNC) which rose 11.22% to 25.28, Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE:AVY) which was up 9.08% to settle at 79.65 and Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) which gained 6.13% to close at 128.79.
The worst performers were Pitney Bowes Inc (NYSE:PBI) which was down 17.46% to 13.14 in late trade, Dominion Resources Inc (NYSE:D) which lost 5.81% to settle at 71.85 and Automatic Data Processing Inc (NASDAQ:ADP) which was down 5.68% to 95.25 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Pulmatrix Inc (NASDAQ:PULM) which rose 73.49% to 3.730, EnteroMedics Inc (NASDAQ:ETRM) which was up 33.23% to settle at 8.3800 and Moleculin Biotech Inc (NASDAQ:MBRX) which gained 30.90% to close at 2.33.
The worst performers were Catabasis Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:CATB) which was down 70.72% to 1.180 in late trade, Real Goods Solar Inc (NASDAQ:RGSE) which lost 24.29% to settle at 2.9300 and Galena Biopharma Inc (NASDAQ:GALE) which was down 22.42% to 1.2800 at the close.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1667 to 1550 and 33 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1272 fell and 1236 advanced, while 118 ended unchanged.
Shares in Pitney Bowes Inc (NYSE:PBI) fell to 3-years lows; down 17.46% or 2.78 to 13.14. Shares in Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE:AVY) rose to all time highs; gaining 9.08% or 6.63 to 79.65. Shares in Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) rose to 52-week highs; up 6.13% or 7.44 to 128.79. Shares in Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) rose to 52-week highs; up 6.13% or 7.44 to 128.79. Shares in Pulmatrix Inc (NASDAQ:PULM) rose to 52-week highs; rising 73.49% or 1.580 to 3.730. Shares in Catabasis Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:CATB) fell to all time lows; falling 70.72% or 2.850 to 1.180. Shares in Real Goods Solar Inc (NASDAQ:RGSE) fell to all time lows; losing 24.29% or 0.9400 to 2.9300.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 2.34% to 11.71.
Gold Futures for April delivery was down 0.05% or 0.65 to $1210.75 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March rose 1.16% or 0.61 to hit $53.42 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract rose 1.53% or 0.85 to trade at $56.43 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.25% to 1.0770, while USD/JPY rose 0.33% to 113.17.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.14% at 99.67.