Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Telecoms, Technology and Industrials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.20%, while the S&P 500 index gained 0.20%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 0.37%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX), which rose 2.12% or 2.30 points to trade at 110.82 at the close. Meanwhile, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) added 2.12% or 1.32 points to end at 63.62 and Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) was up 1.60% or 0.58 points to 36.89 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK), which fell 2.08% or 1.30 points to trade at 61.14 at the close. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) declined 1.46% or 2.40 points to end at 161.54 and Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) was down 0.83% or 0.76 points to 90.42.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were NRG Energy Inc (NYSE:NRG) which rose 4.47% to 12.85, HCP Inc (NYSE:HCP) which was up 3.98% to settle at 30.30 and Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O) which gained 3.35% to close at 57.33.
The worst performers were Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS) which was down 6.06% to 27.77 in late trade, Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:ALXN) which lost 4.57% to settle at 114.56 and CF Industries Holdings Inc (NYSE:CF) which was down 4.04% to 28.29 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were xG Technology Inc (NASDAQ:XGTI) which rose 57.39% to 3.6200, Atlantic Alliance Partnership Corp (NASDAQ:AAPC) which was up 27.89% to settle at 9.72 and MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD) which gained 27.66% to close at 0.785.
The worst performers were JAKKS Pacific Inc (NASDAQ:JAKK) which was down 32.62% to 4.75 in late trade, Interpace Diagnostics Group Inc (NASDAQ:IDXG) which lost 30.63% to settle at 0.7700 and Rennova Health Inc (NASDAQ:RNVA) which was down 30.62% to 0.090 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1967 to 1262 and 39 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1429 rose and 1092 declined, while 105 ended unchanged.
Shares in United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX) rose to 52-week highs; up 2.12% or 2.30 to 110.82. Shares in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) rose to all time highs; rising 2.12% or 1.32 to 63.62. Shares in JAKKS Pacific Inc (NASDAQ:JAKK) fell to 3-years lows; falling 32.62% or 2.30 to 4.75.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 3.69% to 11.75 a new 3-months low.
Gold for February delivery was up 0.32% or 3.65 to $1141.05 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February fell 0.28% or 0.15 to hit $52.80 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract fell 0.87% or 0.48 to trade at $54.73 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.50% to 1.0398, while USD/JPY fell 0.66% to 117.16.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.18% at 103.11.