Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Basic Materials, Utilities and Industrials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.37% to hit a new 1-month high, while the S&P 500 index gained 0.33%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 0.26%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH), which rose 2.50% or 3.43 points to trade at 140.40 at the close. Meanwhile, Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) added 1.69% or 1.30 points to end at 78.11 and Visa Inc (NYSE:V) was up 1.25% or 1.01 points to 81.65 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were EI du Pont de Nemours and Company (NYSE:DD), which fell 0.54% or 0.37 points to trade at 68.37 at the close. Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ) declined 0.44% or 0.23 points to end at 51.52 and Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) was down 0.37% or 0.58 points to 154.64.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) which rose 6.42% to 4.970, Signet Jewelers Ltd (NYSE:SIG) which was up 3.97% to settle at 89.31 and Brown Forman (NYSE:BFb) which gained 3.60% to close at 100.80.
The worst performers were Southwestern Energy Company (NYSE:SWN) which was down 7.17% to 14.12 in late trade, Range Resources Corporation (NYSE:RRC) which lost 3.79% to settle at 44.47 and Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS) which was down 3.48% to 28.02 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Biostar Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:BSPM) which rose 200.75% to 4.1200, Gevo Inc (NASDAQ:GEVO) which was up 59.08% to settle at 0.9597 and Orexigen Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:OREX) which gained 51.56% to close at 0.640.
The worst performers were Fibrocell S (NASDAQ:FCSC) which was down 36.68% to 1.260 in late trade, Catabasis Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:CATB) which lost 26.28% to settle at 5.050 and China Auto Logistics Inc (NASDAQ:CALI) which was down 16.94% to 2.060 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2225 to 1089 and 25 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1645 rose and 909 declined, while 69 ended unchanged.
Shares in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) rose to all time highs; up 2.50% or 3.43 to 140.40. Shares in Visa Inc (NYSE:V) rose to all time highs; rising 1.25% or 1.01 to 81.65. Shares in Fibrocell S (NASDAQ:FCSC) fell to all time lows; losing 36.68% or 0.730 to 1.260.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was up 0.36% to 14.10.
Gold for August delivery was up 1.42% or 17.75 to $1264.75 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July rose 2.40% or 1.21 to hit $51.57 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract rose 2.53% or 1.30 to trade at $52.74 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.33% to 1.1396, while USD/JPY fell 0.32% to 107.02.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.27% at 93.59.