Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Oil & Gas, Industrials and Technology sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.94% to hit a new 6-months high, while the S&P 500 index climbed 0.95%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 0.80%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX), which rose 2.60% or 3.29 points to trade at 130.05 at the close. Meanwhile, Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) added 2.34% or 3.06 points to end at 133.67 and Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO) was up 2.28% or 1.28 points to 57.41 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH), which fell 0.96% or 2.39 points to trade at 247.80 at the close. Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) declined 0.91% or 0.78 points to end at 84.58 and Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ) was down 0.49% or 0.28 points to 57.35.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Pacific Gas & Electric Co (NYSE:PCG) which rose 14.90% to 23.59, Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) which was up 8.22% to settle at 57.01 and Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) which gained 7.92% to close at 1.975.
The worst performers were Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) which was down 7.63% to 48.81 in late trade, Alaska Air Group Inc (NYSE:ALK) which lost 3.37% to settle at 60.74 and American Airlines Group (NASDAQ:AAL) which was down 3.19% to 32.15 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Stellar Biotechnologies Inc (NASDAQ:EDSA) which rose 74.94% to 7.400, Aridis Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:ARDS) which was up 47.34% to settle at 10.80 and Arbutus Biopharma Corp (NASDAQ:ABUS) which gained 37.21% to close at 2.360.
The worst performers were Legacy Reserves Inc (NASDAQ:LGCY) which was down 32.66% to 0.0532 in late trade, Pintec Technology Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:PT) which lost 31.71% to settle at 2.80 and Estre USA Inc Class A (NASDAQ:ESTR) which was down 27.88% to 1.19 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2187 to 843 and 16 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1450 rose and 1202 declined, while 106 ended unchanged.
Shares in Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) rose to all time highs; up 8.22% or 4.33 to 57.01. Shares in Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO) rose to 5-year highs; rising 2.28% or 1.28 to 57.41. Shares in Legacy Reserves Inc (NASDAQ:LGCY) fell to all time lows; losing 32.66% or 0.0258 to 0.0532. Shares in Pintec Technology Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:PT) fell to all time lows; down 31.71% or 1.30 to 2.80.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was up 2.93% to 14.75.
Gold Futures for August delivery was up 3.22% or 43.40 to $1392.20 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in August rose 5.87% or 3.17 to hit $57.14 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract rose 0.12% or 0.08 to trade at $64.59 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.00% to 1.1292, while USD/JPY fell 0.00% to 107.28.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.44% at 96.153.