Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Basic Materials, Financials and Oil & Gas sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.32% to hit a new all time high, while the S&P 500 index climbed 0.15%, and the NASDAQ Composite index climbed 0.27%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), which rose 2.55% or 2.58 points to trade at 103.79 at the close. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) added 2.33% or 5.49 points to end at 241.05 and EI du Pont de Nemours and Company (NYSE:DD) was up 1.32% or 0.97 points to 74.80 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE), which fell 1.15% or 0.60 points to trade at 51.50 at the close. United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX) declined 1.15% or 1.26 points to end at 108.42 and Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) was down 1.04% or 1.01 points to 96.32.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) which rose 6.99% to 89.58, Qorvo Inc (NASDAQ:QRVO) which was up 5.42% to settle at 58.13 and Under Armour Inc A (NYSE:UAA) which gained 2.18% to close at 32.97.
The worst performers were Wynn Resorts Limited (NASDAQ:WYNN) which was down 10.33% to 91.45 in late trade, Express Scripts Holding Co (NASDAQ:ESRX) which lost 7.40% to settle at 70.24 and Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) which was down 3.78% to 237.81 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Interpace Diagnostics Group Inc (NASDAQ:IDXG) which rose 273.80% to 0.9345, Sunshine Heart Inc (NASDAQ:SSH) which was up 171.43% to settle at 0.570 and Prism Technologies Group Inc (NASDAQ:PRZM) which gained 150.00% to close at 0.5000.
The worst performers were Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp (NASDAQ:SHIP) which was down 44.18% to 1.228 in late trade, Real Goods Solar Inc (NASDAQ:RGSE) which lost 38.24% to settle at 0.2285 and Immune Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:IMNP) which was down 34.64% to 0.1830 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1941 to 1245 and 53 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1714 rose and 807 declined, while 89 ended unchanged.
Shares in Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) rose to 5-year highs; up 2.33% or 5.49 to 241.05. Shares in EI du Pont de Nemours and Company (NYSE:DD) rose to 52-week highs; up 1.32% or 0.97 to 74.80. Shares in Interpace Diagnostics Group Inc (NASDAQ:IDXG) rose to 52-week highs; rising 273.80% or 0.6845 to 0.9345. Shares in Real Goods Solar Inc (NASDAQ:RGSE) fell to all time lows; falling 38.24% or 0.1415 to 0.2285.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was up 1.72% to 12.43.
Gold for February delivery was down 0.39% or 4.65 to $1172.85 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January rose 2.15% or 1.07 to hit $50.84 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 1.66% or 0.88 to trade at $53.88 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 1.27% to 1.0618, while USD/JPY rose 0.18% to 113.97.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.81% at 101.09.