Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Consumer Goods, Industrials and Technology sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.68%, while the S&P 500 index gained 0.98%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 1.39%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK), which rose 6.14% or 5.01 points to trade at 86.55 at the close. Meanwhile, Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) added 4.06% or 7.96 points to end at 204.09 and Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) was up 2.50% or 3.72 points to 152.57 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Visa Inc Class A (NYSE:V), which fell 2.75% or 5.94 points to trade at 209.84 at the close. American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) declined 1.92% or 3.42 points to end at 174.61 and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) was down 0.54% or 0.89 points to 162.85.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Smith AO Corporation (NYSE:AOS) which rose 10.50% to 70.69, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) which was up 8.70% to settle at 16.86 and Nielsen Holdings PLC (NYSE:NLSN) which gained 6.54% to close at 20.69.
The worst performers were Flowserve Corporation (NYSE:FLS) which was down 8.55% to 32.94 in late trade, Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) which lost 7.60% to settle at 358.64 and eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY) which was down 6.76% to 72.41 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were HCW Biologics Inc (NASDAQ:HCWB) which rose 66.44% to 4.86, Glimpse Group Inc (NASDAQ:VRAR) which was up 50.77% to settle at 14.64 and Meten Edtechx Education Group Ltd (NASDAQ:METX) which gained 44.34% to close at 0.5990.
The worst performers were CohBar Inc (NASDAQ:CWBR) which was down 37.83% to 0.5595 in late trade, Brickell Biotech Inc (NASDAQ:BBI) which lost 25.53% to settle at 0.3990 and Brightcove Inc (NASDAQ:BCOV) which was down 20.74% to 9.40 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2244 to 981 and 121 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 2655 rose and 992 declined, while 184 ended unchanged.
Shares in Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) rose to 5-year highs; rising 8.70% or 1.35 to 16.86. Shares in Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 6.14% or 5.01 to 86.55. Shares in CohBar Inc (NASDAQ:CWBR) fell to all time lows; down 37.83% or 0.3405 to 0.5595. Shares in Glimpse Group Inc (NASDAQ:VRAR) rose to all time highs; gaining 50.77% or 4.93 to 14.64. Shares in Brickell Biotech Inc (NASDAQ:BBI) fell to all time lows; losing 25.53% or 0.1368 to 0.3990. Shares in Brightcove Inc (NASDAQ:BCOV) fell to 52-week lows; down 20.74% or 2.46 to 9.40.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 2.65% to 16.53.
Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.10% or 1.85 to $1800.65 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December rose 0.56% or 0.46 to hit $83.12 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract rose 0.04% or 0.03 to trade at $83.90 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.67% to 1.1681, while USD/JPY fell 0.22% to 113.57.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.48% at 93.352.