Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Financials, Consumer Goods and Consumer Services sectors led shares higher.
At the close in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.79%, while the S&P 500 index added 0.69%, and the NASDAQ Composite index climbed 0.53%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were The Travelers Companies Inc (NYSE:TRV), which rose 2.73% or 2.64 points to trade at 99.30 at the close. Meanwhile, Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) added 1.89% or 1.48 points to end at 79.72 and Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) was up 1.45% or 2.01 points to 140.73 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT), which fell 1.03% or 0.87 points to trade at 83.95 at the close. Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) declined 1.00% or 0.83 points to end at 82.37 and Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) was down 0.77% or 0.23 points to 30.18.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Chubb Corporation (NYSE:CB) which rose 26.12% to 119.99, Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) which was up 6.30% to settle at 44.19 and Tesoro Corporation (NYSE:TSO) which gained 4.89% to close at 88.54.
The worst performers were Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) which was down 5.55% to 10.55 in late trade, Joy Global Inc (NYSE:JOY) which lost 4.94% to settle at 34.41 and United Rentals Inc (NYSE:URI) which was down 4.59% to 83.60 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were WPCS International Incorporated (NASDAQ:WPCS) which rose 96.10% to 3.020, Air T Inc (NASDAQ:AIRT) which was up 22.48% to settle at 25.66 and Bassett Furniture Industries (NASDAQ:BSET) which gained 21.54% to close at 34.53.
The worst performers were Local Corporation (NASDAQ:LOCM) which was down 30.93% to 0.063 in late trade, Delta Technology Holding Ltd (NASDAQ:DELT) which lost 27.22% to settle at 3.53 and Ballard Power Systems Inc (NASDAQ:BLDP) which was down 17.70% to 1.72 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1853 to 1229 and 1 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1519 rose and 1280 declined, while 4 ended unchanged.
Shares in Chubb Corporation (NYSE:CB) rose to all time highs; up 26.12% or 24.85 to 119.99. Shares in Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) fell to 5-year lows; down 5.55% or 0.62 to 10.55. Shares in Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 6.30% or 2.62 to 44.19. Shares in Joy Global Inc (NYSE:JOY) fell to 3-years lows; losing 4.94% or 1.79 to 34.41. Shares in Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) fell to 3-years lows; losing 1.00% or 0.83 to 82.37. Shares in Delta Technology Holding Ltd (NASDAQ:DELT) fell to all time lows; down 27.22% or 1.32 to 3.53. Shares in Bassett Furniture Industries (NASDAQ:BSET) rose to 5-year highs; up 21.54% or 6.12 to 34.53.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 12.07% to 16.03.
Gold for August delivery was down 0.34% or 4.00 to $1167.80 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in August fell 4.34% or 2.58 to hit $56.88 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract fell 2.40% or 1.52 to trade at $62.05 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.83% to 1.1051, while USD/JPY rose 0.52% to 123.14.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.76% at 96.48.