Investing.com – U.S. stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Utilities, Consumer Goods and Health Care sectors led shares lower.
At the close in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.54%, while the S&P 500 index declined 1.42%, and the NASDAQ Composite index declined 1.11%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were EI du Pont de Nemours and Company (NYSE:DD), which fell 0.23% or 0.18 points to trade at 78.14 at the close. Meanwhile, Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) fell 0.87% or 1.35 points to end at 153.12 and American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) was down 1.04% or 0.84 points to 80.31 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), which fell 2.35% or 2.41 points to trade at 100.11 at the close. Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) declined 2.33% or 1.97 points to end at 82.66 and Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) was down 2.08% or 0.88 points to 41.52.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were E-TRADE Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:ETFC) which rose 3.26% to 27.85, The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW) which was up 2.75% to settle at 31.04 and ONEOK Inc (NYSE:OKE) which gained 2.48% to close at 47.13.
The worst performers were Newmont Mining Corporation (NYSE:NEM) which was down 7.91% to 23.30 in late trade, Fossil Group Inc (NASDAQ:FOSL) which lost 5.30% to settle at 81.13 and Noble Corporation PLC (NYSE:NE) which was down 4.88% to 15.19 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Durect Corporation (NASDAQ:DRRX) which rose 22.39% to 1.640, Rxi Pharmac (NASDAQ:RXII) which was up 21.95% to settle at 1.50 and Regado Bios (NASDAQ:RGDO) which gained 20.30% to close at 1.60.
The worst performers were AEterna Zentaris Inc (NASDAQ:AEZS) which was down 32.88% to 0.531 in late trade, Sunshine Heart Inc (NASDAQ:SSH) which lost 24.67% to settle at 4.030 and BioLineRx Ltd (NASDAQ:BLRX) which was down 24.56% to 2.120 at the close.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2369 to 451; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1944 fell and 844 advanced, while 3 ended unchanged.
Shares in E-TRADE Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:ETFC) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 3.26% or 0.88 to 27.85. Shares in The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW) rose to all time highs; rising 2.75% or 0.83 to 31.04. Shares in Fossil Group Inc (NASDAQ:FOSL) fell to 52-week lows; falling 5.30% or 4.54 to 81.13.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was up 8.26% to 15.20.
Gold for April delivery was down 2.56% or 30.60 to $1165.60 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude Oil for delivery in April fell 2.06% or 1.04 to hit $49.72 a barrel, while the April Brent Oil contract fell 1.11% or 0.67 to trade at $59.81 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 1.65% to 1.0846, while USD/JPY rose 0.48% to 120.71.
The US Dollar Index was up 1.36% at 97.70.