Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Industrials, Oil & Gas and Basic Materials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.85% to hit a new 1-month high, while the S&P 500 index climbed 0.91%, and the NASDAQ Composite index climbed 0.59%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Boeing Co (NYSE:BA), which rose 4.43% or 7.98 points to trade at 187.94 at the close. Meanwhile, Raytheon Technologies Corp (NYSE:RTX) added 4.08% or 2.47 points to end at 62.94 and American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) was up 2.66% or 2.52 points to 97.36 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH), which fell 1.44% or 4.45 points to trade at 304.07 at the close. Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ) declined 0.69% or 0.38 points to end at 55.06 and Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) was down 0.47% or 0.59 points to 124.50.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (NYSE:RCL) which rose 21.20% to 58.36, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NYSE:NCLH) which was up 20.68% to settle at 18.50 and Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) which gained 16.22% to close at 17.48.
The worst performers were Ball Corporation (NYSE:BLL) which was down 5.56% to 69.52 in late trade, Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK) which lost 5.41% to settle at 36.86 and Fortinet Inc (NASDAQ:FTNT) which was down 3.84% to 129.32 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Genetic Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ:GENE) which rose 150.88% to 5.67, China Finance Online Co Limited (NASDAQ:JRJC) which was up 93.30% to settle at 14.13 and CLPS Inc (NASDAQ:CLPS) which gained 54.42% to close at 3.32.
The worst performers were Perceptron Inc (NASDAQ:PRCP) which was down 27.08% to 4.74 in late trade, Endologix Inc (NASDAQ:ELGX) which lost 23.88% to settle at 0.220 and Rigel Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:RIGL) which was down 20.48% to 3.280 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2436 to 450 and 47 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 2213 rose and 495 declined, while 52 ended unchanged.
Shares in Genetic Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ:GENE) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 150.88% or 3.41 to 5.67. Shares in China Finance Online Co Limited (NASDAQ:JRJC) rose to 52-week highs; up 93.30% or 6.82 to 14.13. Shares in Endologix Inc (NASDAQ:ELGX) fell to all time lows; down 23.88% or 0.069 to 0.220.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 5.96% to 27.76.
Gold Futures for August delivery was down 0.02% or 0.45 to $1812.95 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in August rose 1.76% or 0.71 to hit $41.00 a barrel, while the September Brent oil contract unchanged 0.00% or 0.00 to trade at $43.64 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.02% to 1.1412, while USD/JPY rose 0.03% to 106.95.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.22% at 95.995.