Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Basic Materials, Oil & Gas and Consumer Goods sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.27% to hit a new all time high, while the S&P 500 index added 0.13%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 0.14%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), which rose 2.52% or 4.46 points to trade at 181.76 at the close. Meanwhile, Visa Inc Class A (NYSE:V) added 2.14% or 4.59 points to end at 218.96 and Dow Inc (NYSE:DOW) was up 2.12% or 1.15 points to 55.48 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), which fell 1.46% or 0.72 points to trade at 48.67 at the close. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) declined 1.06% or 2.38 points to end at 221.77 and Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ) was down 1.07% or 0.63 points to 58.18.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc (NYSE:FCX) which rose 7.19% to 26.52, Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN) which was up 5.29% to settle at 16.12 and Diamondback Energy Inc (NASDAQ:FANG) which gained 4.89% to close at 49.30.
The worst performers were The AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) which was down 2.34% to 22.77 in late trade, H&R Block Inc (NYSE:HRB) which lost 1.85% to settle at 15.37 and Akamai Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:AKAM) which was down 1.93% to 104.65 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Professional Diversity Network Inc (NASDAQ:IPDN) which rose 113.14% to 2.9200, Bionano Genomics Inc (NASDAQ:BNGO) which was up 64.66% to settle at 2.190 and SGOCO Group Ltd (NASDAQ:SGOC) which gained 64.30% to close at 1.7000.
The worst performers were China Finance Online Co Limited (NASDAQ:JRJC) which was down 23.01% to 8.46 in late trade, BOS Better Online Solutions (NASDAQ:BOSC) which lost 20.91% to settle at 2.270 and Osmotica Pharmaceuticals PLC (NASDAQ:OSMT) which was down 20.60% to 4.20 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2094 to 980 and 94 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 2058 rose and 949 declined, while 58 ended unchanged.
Shares in Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc (NYSE:FCX) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 7.19% or 1.78 to 26.52. Shares in Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) rose to all time highs; rising 2.52% or 4.46 to 181.76. Shares in Visa Inc Class A (NYSE:V) rose to all time highs; gaining 2.14% or 4.59 to 218.96. Shares in Bionano Genomics Inc (NASDAQ:BNGO) rose to 52-week highs; rising 64.66% or 0.860 to 2.190. Shares in SGOCO Group Ltd (NASDAQ:SGOC) rose to 3-years highs; up 64.30% or 0.6653 to 1.7000.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 0.13% to 23.05.
Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.68% or 12.85 to $1895.75 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February rose 0.65% or 0.31 to hit $48.31 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract rose 0.59% or 0.30 to trade at $51.53 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.38% to 1.2294, while USD/JPY fell 0.31% to 103.23.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.34% at 89.608.