Investing.com – U.S. stocks were mixed after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Healthcare, Technology and Consumer Services sectors led shares higher while losses in the Basic Materials, Oil & Gas and Telecoms sectors led shares lower.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.62%, while the S&P 500 index fell 0.02%, and the NASDAQ Composite index gained 0.35%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Nike Inc (N:NKE), which rose 3.11% or 1.73 points to trade at 57.41 at the close. Meanwhile, Visa Inc (N:V) added 2.66% or 1.82 points to end at 70.15 and UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (N:UNH) was up 1.42% or 1.58 points to 112.74 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Walt Disney Company (N:DIS), which fell 3.76% or 3.47 points to trade at 88.85 at the close. International Business Machines (N:IBM) declined 3.13% or 3.88 points to end at 120.19 and Caterpillar Inc (N:CAT) was down 2.80% or 1.79 points to 62.14.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Akamai Technologies Inc (O:AKAM) which rose 21.20% to 47.96, Sealed Air Corporation (N:SEE) which was up 7.91% to settle at 43.63 and Williams Companies Inc (N:WMB) which gained 7.26% to close at 12.85.
The worst performers were Assurant Inc (N:AIZ) which was down 13.41% to 66.23 in late trade, Chesapeake Energy Corporation (N:CHK) which lost 12.82% to settle at 1.70 and Murphy Oil Corporation (N:MUR) which was down 6.16% to 16.76 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Seneca Foods Corp B (O:SENEB) which rose 39.39% to 44.88, Limelight Networks Inc (O:LLNW) which was up 38.89% to settle at 1.250 and Perfumania Holdings Inc (O:PERF) which gained 38.46% to close at 3.06.
The worst performers were CTI BioPharma Corp (O:CTIC) which was down 40.00% to 0.300 in late trade, Orion Energy Systems Inc (O:OESX) which lost 34.76% to settle at 1.370 and SolarCity Corporation (O:SCTY) which was down 29.30% to 18.630 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1779 to 1579 and 39 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1301 fell and 1294 advanced, while 54 ended unchanged.
Shares in Chesapeake Energy Corporation (N:CHK) fell to 5-year lows; losing 12.82% or 0.25 to 1.70. Shares in Walt Disney Company (N:DIS) fell to 52-week lows; down 3.76% or 3.47 to 88.85. Shares in International Business Machines (N:IBM) fell to 5-year lows; down 3.13% or 3.88 to 120.19. Shares in Seneca Foods Corp B (O:SENEB) rose to all time highs; rising 39.39% or 12.68 to 44.88. Shares in CTI BioPharma Corp (O:CTIC) fell to all time lows; down 40.00% or 0.200 to 0.300. Shares in Orion Energy Systems Inc (O:OESX) fell to 3-years lows; falling 34.76% or 0.730 to 1.370. Shares in SolarCity Corporation (O:SCTY) fell to 52-week lows; falling 29.30% or 7.720 to 18.630.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 1.21% to 26.22.
Gold for April delivery was down 0.12% or 1.40 to $1197.20 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March fell 2.24% or 0.62 to hit $27.32 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract rose 1.90% or 0.57 to trade at $30.89 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.03% to 1.1290, while USD/JPY fell 1.52% to 113.37.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.20% at 95.85.