Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Technology, Consumer Services and Healthcare sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.52%, while the S&P 500 index added 0.38%, and the NASDAQ Composite index climbed 0.62%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Nike Inc (N:NKE), which rose 5.46% or 6.87 points to trade at 132.65 at the close. Meanwhile, Home Depot Inc (N:HD) added 2.64% or 3.35 points to end at 130.21 and UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (N:UNH) was up 2.12% or 2.34 points to 112.97 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Chevron Corporation (N:CVX), which fell 2.00% or 1.82 points to trade at 89.01 at the close. Coca-Cola Company (N:KO) declined 1.58% or 0.68 points to end at 42.43 and Wal-Mart Stores Inc (N:WMT) was down 1.04% or 0.63 points to 60.07.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Ross Stores Inc (O:ROST) which rose 10.04% to 50.84, Gap Inc (N:GPS) which was up 7.53% to settle at 26.98 and Intuit Inc (O:INTU) which gained 5.93% to close at 103.20.
The worst performers were Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (N:CMG) which was down 12.32% to 536.19 in late trade, Southwestern Energy Company (N:SWN) which lost 7.57% to settle at 9.04 and Chesapeake Energy Corporation (N:CHK) which was down 5.93% to 5.08 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Macrocure Ltd (O:MCUR) which rose 84.91% to 1.96, KaloBios Pharmaceuticals Inc (O:KBIO) which was up 75.48% to settle at 18.250 and Globeimmune (O:GBIM) which gained 41.13% to close at 3.50.
The worst performers were Aptose Biosciences Inc (O:APTO) which was down 53.17% to 2.51 in late trade, Mentor Graphics Corporation (O:MENT) which lost 35.75% to settle at 17.85 and FreeSeas Inc (O:FREE) which was down 25.00% to 0.021 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2004 to 1448 and 5 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1630 rose and 963 declined, while 76 ended unchanged.
Shares in Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (N:CMG) fell to 52-week lows; falling 12.32% or 75.32 to 536.19. Shares in Southwestern Energy Company (N:SWN) fell to 5-year lows; falling 7.57% or 0.74 to 9.04. Shares in Chesapeake Energy Corporation (N:CHK) fell to 5-year lows; down 5.93% or 0.32 to 5.08. Shares in Home Depot Inc (N:HD) rose to all time highs; gaining 2.64% or 3.35 to 130.21. Shares in Aptose Biosciences Inc (O:APTO) fell to 52-week lows; falling 53.17% or 2.85 to 2.51. Shares in KaloBios Pharmaceuticals Inc (O:KBIO) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 75.48% or 7.850 to 18.250. Shares in Mentor Graphics Corporation (O:MENT) fell to 52-week lows; down 35.75% or 9.93 to 17.85. Shares in FreeSeas Inc (O:FREE) fell to all time lows; losing 25.00% or 0.007 to 0.021.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 7.36% to 15.74.
Gold for December delivery was down 0.06% or 0.60 to $1077.30 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January fell 0.35% or 0.14 to hit $41.58 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract rose 0.67% or 0.29 to trade at $44.48 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.84% to 1.0644, while USD/JPY rose 0.03% to 122.90.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.61% at 99.69.