Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Technology, Consumer Services and Consumer Goods sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.43%, while the S&P 500 index climbed 0.47%, and the NASDAQ Composite index climbed 1.00%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), which rose 2.25% or 1.34 points to trade at 61.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) added 1.33% or 1.81 points to end at 137.44 and Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE:WMT) was up 1.26% or 0.86 points to 69.20 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK), which fell 0.75% or 0.46 points to trade at 60.74 at the close. Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) declined 0.65% or 0.66 points to end at 100.64 and UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) was down 0.49% or 0.71 points to 144.66.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Qorvo Inc (NASDAQ:QRVO) which rose 4.73% to 57.29, NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) which was up 4.69% to settle at 70.71 and Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ:SYMC) which gained 3.41% to close at 24.90.
The worst performers were Rockwell Collins Inc (NYSE:COL) which was down 6.22% to 79.21 in late trade, Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) which lost 4.79% to settle at 6.360 and Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB) which was down 4.75% to 113.90 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Unilife Corp (NASDAQ:UNIS) which rose 67.43% to 2.9300, Merchants Bancshares Inc (NASDAQ:MBVT) which was up 31.20% to settle at 43.10 and Benitec Biopharma Ltd (NASDAQ:BNTC) which gained 28.99% to close at 1.7800.
The worst performers were Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:INO) which was down 16.39% to 6.990 in late trade, Escalon Medical Corp (NASDAQ:ESMC) which lost 14.58% to settle at 0.4100 and Moleculin Biotech Inc (NASDAQ:MBRX) which was down 14.45% to 3.02 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1867 to 1258 and 108 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1476 rose and 964 declined, while 163 ended unchanged.
Shares in NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) rose to all time highs; rising 4.69% or 3.17 to 70.71. Shares in Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB) fell to 52-week lows; falling 4.75% or 5.68 to 113.90. Shares in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) rose to all time highs; up 2.25% or 1.34 to 61.00. Shares in Merchants Bancshares Inc (NASDAQ:MBVT) rose to all time highs; gaining 31.20% or 10.25 to 43.10. Shares in Escalon Medical Corp (NASDAQ:ESMC) fell to 3-years lows; falling 14.58% or 0.0700 to 0.4100.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 1.95% to 13.08.
Gold for December delivery was down 0.26% or 3.25 to $1264.45 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December fell 0.79% or 0.40 to hit $50.45 a barrel, while the December Brent oil contract fell 0.71% or 0.37 to trade at $51.41 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.02% to 1.0880, while USD/JPY rose 0.42% to 104.22.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.07% at 98.69.