Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Oil & Gas, Telecoms and Utilities sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 2.24%, while the S&P 500 index climbed 2.28%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 1.72%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX), which rose 11.03% or 7.56 points to trade at 76.12 at the close. Meanwhile, Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE:XOM) added 7.65% or 2.87 points to end at 40.40 and Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) was up 4.84% or 5.39 points to 116.74 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA), which fell 6.30% or 2.71 points to trade at 40.32 at the close. United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX) declined 5.87% or 5.36 points to end at 86.01 and Boeing Co (NYSE:BA) was down 5.68% or 7.43 points to 123.27.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:OXY) which rose 18.90% to 12.77, Apache Corporation (NYSE:APA) which was up 16.67% to settle at 4.69 and Diamondback Energy Inc (NASDAQ:FANG) which gained 15.88% to close at 29.05.
The worst performers were Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NYSE:NCLH) which was down 12.04% to 8.40 in late trade, Arconic Inc (NYSE:ARNC) which lost 10.26% to settle at 6.21 and Macerich Company (NYSE:MAC) which was down 9.87% to 5.02 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Payment Data Systems Inc (NASDAQ:USIO) which rose 44.44% to 1.560, Cellect Biotechnology Ltd (NASDAQ:APOP) which was up 42.75% to settle at 1.970 and EuroDry Ltd (NASDAQ:EDRY) which gained 36.10% to close at 5.58.
The worst performers were Luckin Coffee (NASDAQ:LK) which was down 75.57% to 6.40 in late trade, Golar LNG Partners LP (NASDAQ:GMLP) which lost 44.86% to settle at 1.77 and Safe-T Group Ltd ADR (NASDAQ:SFET) which was down 38.07% to 1.35 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1719 to 1128 and 60 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1447 rose and 1200 declined, while 72 ended unchanged.
Shares in Arconic Inc (NYSE:ARNC) fell to all time lows; losing 10.26% or 0.71 to 6.21. Shares in Macerich Company (NYSE:MAC) fell to all time lows; losing 9.87% or 0.55 to 5.02. Shares in Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA) fell to 5-year lows; down 6.30% or 2.71 to 40.32. Shares in Luckin Coffee (NASDAQ:LK) fell to all time lows; falling 75.57% or 19.80 to 6.40. Shares in Golar LNG Partners LP (NASDAQ:GMLP) fell to all time lows; falling 44.86% or 1.44 to 1.77.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 10.78% to 50.91.
Gold Futures for June delivery was up 2.76% or 43.95 to $1635.35 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 21.76% or 4.42 to hit $24.73 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract unchanged 0.00% or 0.00 to trade at $29.63 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.01% to 1.0857, while USD/JPY fell 0.04% to 107.86.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.46% at 100.208.