Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Consumer Goods, Healthcare and Utilities sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.33%, while the S&P 500 index gained 0.39%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 0.41%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), which rose 1.74% or 2.24 points to trade at 131.28 at the close. Meanwhile, Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) added 1.47% or 2.22 points to end at 153.73 and Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) was up 1.49% or 0.53 points to 36.46 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM), which fell 1.47% or 2.32 points to trade at 156.00 at the close. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) declined 1.13% or 0.58 points to end at 50.74 and UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) was down 0.71% or 1.60 points to 224.92.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Express Scripts Holding Co (NASDAQ:ESRX) which rose 7.82% to 79.16, Akamai Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:AKAM) which was up 6.70% to settle at 74.68 and Wynn Resorts Limited (NASDAQ:WYNN) which gained 6.47% to close at 179.31.
The worst performers were Kroger Company (NYSE:KR) which was down 11.84% to 23.12 in late trade, Cigna Corporation (NYSE:CI) which lost 11.31% to settle at 172.28 and L Brands Inc (NYSE:LB) which was down 5.59% to 41.51 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Jaguar Health Inc (NASDAQ:JAGX) which rose 117.71% to 0.305, Immuron Ltd ADR (NASDAQ:IMRN) which was up 65.55% to settle at 14.27 and InVivo Therapeutics Holdings (NASDAQ:NVIV) which gained 60.17% to close at 0.84.
The worst performers were Vascular Biogenics Ltd (NASDAQ:VBLT) which was down 61.03% to 2.650 in late trade, FTD Companies Inc (NASDAQ:FTD) which lost 34.74% to settle at 4.41 and Regulus Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:RGLS) which was down 26.59% to 0.918 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1731 to 1380 and 46 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1376 rose and 1124 declined, while 103 ended unchanged.
Shares in Akamai Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:AKAM) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 6.70% or 4.69 to 74.68. Shares in Vascular Biogenics Ltd (NASDAQ:VBLT) fell to all time lows; falling 61.03% or 4.150 to 2.650. Shares in FTD Companies Inc (NASDAQ:FTD) fell to all time lows; falling 34.74% or 2.34 to 4.41.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 6.02% to 16.69.
Gold Futures for April delivery was down 0.42% or 5.60 to $1322.00 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in April fell 1.39% or 0.85 to hit $60.30 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract fell 0.76% or 0.49 to trade at $63.85 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.86% to 1.2304, while USD/JPY rose 0.12% to 106.22.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.66% at 90.15.