Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Utilities, Consumer Goods and Financials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.82%, while the S&P 500 index climbed 0.82%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 0.64%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO), which rose 2.86% or 1.52 points to trade at 54.75 at the close. Meanwhile, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) added 2.17% or 2.67 points to end at 125.83 and Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) was up 1.96% or 2.05 points to 106.73 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA), which fell 1.36% or 0.70 points to trade at 50.80 at the close. International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) declined 0.90% or 1.20 points to end at 131.49 and Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE:XOM) was down 0.83% or 0.61 points to 72.98.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Pacific Gas & Electric Co (NYSE:PCG) which rose 10.73% to 20.75, Campbell Soup Company (NYSE:CPB) which was up 10.02% to settle at 41.93 and Salesforce.com Inc (NYSE:CRM) which gained 5.06% to close at 158.44.
The worst performers were Range Resources Corp (NYSE:RRC) which was down 6.86% to 7.74 in late trade, Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) which lost 6.47% to settle at 1.880 and Signet Jewelers Ltd (NYSE:SIG) which was down 5.45% to 19.42 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Rewalk Robotics Ltd (NASDAQ:RWLK) which rose 122.89% to 7.40, Naked Brand Group Ltd (NASDAQ:NAKD) which was up 25.81% to settle at 0.377 and Workhorse Group Inc (NASDAQ:WKHS) which gained 24.86% to close at 2.1600.
The worst performers were InflaRx N.V. (NASDAQ:IFRX) which was down 91.79% to 3.06 in late trade, FuelCell Energy Inc (NASDAQ:FCEL) which lost 33.33% to settle at 0.780 and Legacy Reserves Inc (NASDAQ:LGCY) which was down 25.25% to 0.23 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1502 to 1480 and 111 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1599 fell and 1064 advanced, while 76 ended unchanged.
Shares in Range Resources Corp (NYSE:RRC) fell to 5-year lows; losing 6.86% or 0.57 to 7.74. Shares in InflaRx N.V. (NASDAQ:IFRX) fell to all time lows; down 91.79% or 34.23 to 3.06. Shares in FuelCell Energy Inc (NASDAQ:FCEL) fell to all time lows; losing 33.33% or 0.390 to 0.780.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 5.52% to 16.09.
Gold Futures for August delivery was up 0.45% or 6.00 to $1334.70 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July fell 3.29% or 1.76 to hit $51.72 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract fell 0.02% or 0.01 to trade at $60.51 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.06% to 1.1225, while USD/JPY fell 0.00% to 108.44.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.30% at 97.287.