U.S. stocks higher at close of trade; Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.49%

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

At the close in NYSE, the added 0.49% to hit a new all time high, while the index gained 0.45%, and the index climbed 0.67%.

The best performers of the session on the were Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:), which rose 2.66% or 1.24 points to trade at 47.88 at the close. Meanwhile, 3M Company (NYSE:) added 1.85% or 3.12 points to end at 172.15 and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:) was up 1.51% or 2.16 points to 145.35 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:), which fell 1.43% or 2.10 points to trade at 145.02 at the close. Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE:) declined 0.69% or 0.48 points to end at 69.39 and JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:) was down 0.50% or 0.69 points to 137.35.

The top performers on the S&P 500 were ConAgra Foods Inc (NYSE:) which rose 15.87% to 33.66, Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:) which was up 3.56% to settle at 332.22 and Ecolab Inc (NYSE:) which gained 3.28% to close at 191.78.

The worst performers were Darden Restaurants Inc (NYSE:) which was down 6.26% to 109.03 in late trade, ABIOMED Inc (NASDAQ:) which lost 4.28% to settle at 169.43 and Macy’s Inc (NYSE:) which was down 2.72% to 16.08 at the close.

The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Catalyst Biosciences Inc (NASDAQ:) which rose 65.83% to 7.910, Helius Medical Technologies Inc Class A (NASDAQ:) which was up 55.83% to settle at 0.6545 and Zion Oil & Gas Inc (NASDAQ:) which gained 46.38% to close at 0.186.

The worst performers were Ascena Retail Group Inc (NASDAQ:) which was down 59.05% to 8.19 in late trade, Euroseas Ltd (NASDAQ:) which lost 47.25% to settle at 4.220 and Ekso Bionics Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:) which was down 23.51% to 0.41 at the close.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1684 to 1131 and 96 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1474 rose and 1175 declined, while 86 ended unchanged.

Shares in ConAgra Foods Inc (NYSE:) rose to 52-week highs; rising 15.87% or 4.61 to 33.66. Shares in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:) rose to 52-week highs; up 1.51% or 2.16 to 145.35. Shares in Ascena Retail Group Inc (NASDAQ:) fell to 3-years highs; losing 59.05% or 11.81 to 8.19. Shares in Euroseas Ltd (NASDAQ:) fell to 3-years highs; down 47.25% or 3.780 to 4.220. Shares in Ekso Bionics Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:) fell to all time lows; falling 23.51% or 0.13 to 0.41.

The , which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 0.64% to 12.50.

Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.27% or 4.05 to $1482.75 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February rose 0.39% or 0.24 to hit $61.09 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 0.03% or 0.02 to trade at $66.59 a barrel.

EUR/USD was up 0.04% to 1.1125, while USD/JPY fell 0.03% to 109.34.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.03% at 96.993.

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