Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Oil & Gas, Basic Materials and Utilities sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 1.06%, while the S&P 500 index added 1.24%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 0.90%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Chevron Corporation (N:CVX), which rose 3.92% or 3.54 points to trade at 93.81 at the close. Meanwhile, Exxon Mobil Corporation (N:XOM) added 3.32% or 2.58 points to end at 80.23 and EI du Pont de Nemours and Company (N:DD) was up 2.17% or 1.40 points to 66.03 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Nike Inc (N:NKE), which fell 2.38% or 3.14 points to trade at 128.71 at the close. Walt Disney Company (N:DIS) declined 1.11% or 1.18 points to end at 105.56 and Pfizer Inc (N:PFE) was up 0.12% or 0.04 points to 32.56.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc (N:FCX) which rose 16.04% to 7.45, Southwestern Energy Company (N:SWN) which was up 14.03% to settle at 6.71 and Williams Companies Inc (N:WMB) which gained 12.27% to close at 25.34.
The worst performers were Bed Bath & Beyond Inc (O:BBBY) which was down 4.58% to 48.97 in late trade, Nike Inc (N:NKE) which lost 2.38% to settle at 128.71 and Micron Technology Inc (O:MU) which was down 2.22% to 14.29 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Adamas Phar (O:ADMS) which rose 82.98% to 30.85, Memorial Production Partners LP (O:MEMP) which was up 51.38% to settle at 2.74 and Globus Maritime Ltd (O:GLBS) which gained 38.89% to close at 0.25.
The worst performers were Northwest Biotherapeutics Inc (O:NWBO) which was down 18.88% to 3.610 in late trade, Fuwei Films Holdings Co Ltd (O:FFHL) which lost 15.72% to settle at 0.750 and Great Basin Scientific Inc (O:GBSN) which was down 14.20% to 1.3900 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2889 to 546 and 3 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1893 rose and 753 declined, while 58 ended unchanged.
Shares in Bed Bath & Beyond Inc (O:BBBY) fell to 3-years lows; falling 4.58% or 2.35 to 48.97. Shares in Adamas Phar (O:ADMS) rose to all time highs; up 82.98% or 13.99 to 30.85. Shares in Northwest Biotherapeutics Inc (O:NWBO) fell to 52-week lows; losing 18.88% or 0.840 to 3.610. Shares in Great Basin Scientific Inc (O:GBSN) fell to all time lows; losing 14.20% or 0.2300 to 1.3900.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 6.33% to 15.55.
Gold for February delivery was down 0.44% or 4.70 to $1069.40 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February rose 4.63% or 1.68 to hit $37.81 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 4.40% or 1.59 to trade at $37.70 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.38% to 1.0916, while USD/JPY fell 0.17% to 120.86.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.15% at 98.36.