Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Financials, Industrials and Basic Materials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.85%, while the S&P 500 index climbed 0.76%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 0.92%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were American Express Company (NYSE:AXP), which rose 5.92% or 4.47 points to trade at 80.02 at the close. Meanwhile, Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) added 2.11% or 1.96 points to end at 94.66 and Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) was up 1.85% or 3.97 points to 218.06 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were The Travelers Companies Inc (NYSE:TRV), which fell 1.26% or 1.52 points to trade at 118.88 at the close. Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ) declined 1.08% or 0.53 points to end at 48.41 and Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) was down 0.32% or 0.14 points to 43.09.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Alliance Data Systems Corporation (NYSE:ADS) which rose 8.30% to 260.62, Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) which was up 6.03% to settle at 104.03 and Navient Cor (NASDAQ:NAVI) which gained 5.96% to close at 16.01.
The worst performers were United Rentals Inc (NYSE:URI) which was down 5.20% to 113.24 in late trade, Danaher Corporation (NYSE:DHR) which lost 4.11% to settle at 82.89 and eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY) which was down 3.91% to 32.53 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Immune Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:IMNP) which rose 49.59% to 3.6500, Select Comfort Corporation (NASDAQ:SCSS) which was up 28.26% to settle at 33.18 and Helios and Matheson Analytics Inc (NASDAQ:HMNY) which gained 20.51% to close at 3.266.
The worst performers were Altisource Portfolio Solutions SA (NASDAQ:ASPS) which was down 42.02% to 25.44 in late trade, Argos Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:ARGS) which lost 19.99% to settle at 0.48 and Aldeyra The (NASDAQ:ALDX) which was down 16.35% to 4.35 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2209 to 999 and 40 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1818 rose and 715 declined, while 82 ended unchanged.
Shares in Alliance Data Systems Corporation (NYSE:ADS) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 8.30% or 19.98 to 260.62. Shares in Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) rose to all time highs; gaining 6.03% or 5.92 to 104.03. Shares in Select Comfort Corporation (NASDAQ:SCSS) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 28.26% or 7.31 to 33.18. Shares in Aldeyra The (NASDAQ:ALDX) fell to 52-week lows; down 16.35% or 0.85 to 4.35.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 5.16% to 14.16.
Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.03% or 0.40 to $1283.00 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in June fell 0.43% or 0.22 to hit $50.63 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract fell 0.02% or 0.01 to trade at $52.92 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.05% to 1.0716, while USD/JPY rose 0.40% to 109.30.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.01% at 99.70.