U.S. stocks higher at close of trade; Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.43%

Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the , and sectors led shares higher.

At the close in NYSE, the rose 0.43% to hit a new 1-month high, while the index climbed 0.33%, and the index gained 0.33%.

The best performers of the session on the were Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:), which rose 2.88% or 3.72 points to trade at 132.84 at the close. Meanwhile, McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:) added 2.22% or 4.27 points to end at 196.89 and Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:) was up 1.32% or 1.12 points to 86.22 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Chevron Corp (NYSE:), which fell 1.50% or 1.77 points to trade at 116.36 at the close. Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE:) declined 1.05% or 0.72 points to end at 67.72 and Dow Inc (NYSE:) was down 0.89% or 0.46 points to 51.03.

The top performers on the S&P 500 were General Electric Company (NYSE:) which rose 11.47% to 10.11, Garmin Ltd (NASDAQ:) which was up 9.60% to settle at 96.35 and Centene Corp (NYSE:) which gained 8.27% to close at 54.04.

The worst performers were CH Robinson Worldwide Inc (NASDAQ:) which was down 14.85% to 77.08 in late trade, McKesson Corporation (NYSE:) which lost 8.44% to settle at 136.79 and Yum! Brands Inc (NYSE:) which was down 5.81% to 103.34 at the close.

The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were IVERIC bio Inc (NASDAQ:) which rose 65.58% to 3.56, Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation (NASDAQ:) which was up 44.81% to settle at 3.49 and Neuralstem Inc (NASDAQ:) which gained 39.69% to close at 1.8300.

The worst performers were Cyclerion Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:) which was down 79.52% to 2.75 in late trade, Diffusion Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:) which lost 27.28% to settle at 0.6000 and Enphase Energy Inc (NASDAQ:) which was down 25.53% to 18.760 at the close.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1491 to 1360 and 106 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1352 fell and 1258 advanced, while 100 ended unchanged.

Shares in CH Robinson Worldwide Inc (NASDAQ:) fell to 52-week lows; falling 14.85% or 13.44 to 77.08. Shares in Garmin Ltd (NASDAQ:) rose to 5-year highs; rising 9.60% or 8.44 to 96.35. Shares in IVERIC bio Inc (NASDAQ:) rose to 52-week highs; up 65.58% or 1.41 to 3.56. Shares in Cyclerion Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:) fell to all time lows; down 79.52% or 10.68 to 2.75. Shares in Diffusion Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:) fell to all time lows; losing 27.28% or 0.2251 to 0.6000.

The , which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 6.59% to 12.33 a new 3-months low.

Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.49% or 7.25 to $1497.95 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December fell 0.94% or 0.52 to hit $55.02 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract rose 0.02% or 0.01 to trade at $60.17 a barrel.

EUR/USD was up 0.02% to 1.1150, while USD/JPY rose 0.05% to 108.89.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.22% at 97.255.

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