Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Basic Materials, Healthcare and Consumer Goods sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.98%, while the S&P 500 index gained 0.83%, and the NASDAQ Composite index gained 1.05%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH), which rose 2.65% or 10.45 points to trade at 404.70 at the close. Meanwhile, Dow Inc (NYSE:DOW) added 2.36% or 1.35 points to end at 58.51 and Home Depot Inc (NYSE:HD) was up 2.16% or 7.12 points to 337.48 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Amgen Inc (NASDAQ:AMGN), which fell 0.41% or 0.86 points to trade at 209.12 at the close. International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) declined 0.39% or 0.55 points to end at 141.81 and 3M Company (NYSE:MMM) was down 0.34% or 0.60 points to 177.80.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc (NYSE:FCX) which rose 8.23% to 34.32, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) which was up 5.45% to settle at 14.89 and Capri Holdings Ltd (NYSE:CPRI) which gained 5.14% to close at 50.95.
The worst performers were Pinnacle West Capital Corp (NYSE:PNW) which was down 8.07% to 68.19 in late trade, Lamb Weston Holdings Inc (NYSE:LW) which lost 6.61% to settle at 58.22 and Perrigo Company PLC (NYSE:PRGO) which was down 4.68% to 46.25 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Merus NV (NASDAQ:MRUS) which rose 38.15% to 27.63, New Fortress Energy LLC (NASDAQ:NFE) which was up 25.36% to settle at 33.22 and Nutriband Inc (NASDAQ:NTRB) which gained 23.31% to close at 7.83.
The worst performers were Prelude Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:PRLD) which was down 39.78% to 17.33 in late trade, Osmotica Pharmaceuticals PLC (NASDAQ:OSMT) which lost 37.25% to settle at 1.920 and Oric Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:ORIC) which was down 35.54% to 12.26 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2337 to 872 and 131 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 2580 rose and 993 declined, while 157 ended unchanged.
Shares in Pinnacle West Capital Corp (NYSE:PNW) fell to 52-week lows; down 8.07% or 5.99 to 68.19. Shares in Lamb Weston Holdings Inc (NYSE:LW) fell to 52-week lows; down 6.61% or 4.12 to 58.22. Shares in Amgen Inc (NASDAQ:AMGN) fell to 52-week lows; losing 0.41% or 0.86 to 209.12. Shares in Prelude Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:PRLD) fell to all time lows; falling 39.78% or 11.45 to 17.33. Shares in Osmotica Pharmaceuticals PLC (NASDAQ:OSMT) fell to all time lows; losing 37.25% or 1.140 to 1.920. Shares in Oric Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:ORIC) fell to all time lows; losing 35.54% or 6.76 to 12.26.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 6.95% to 19.54.
Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.33% or 5.75 to $1756.05 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in November rose 1.82% or 1.41 to hit $78.84 a barrel, while the December Brent oil contract rose 1.68% or 1.36 to trade at $82.44 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.01% to 1.1554, while USD/JPY rose 0.17% to 111.61.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.07% at 94.205.