U.S. stocks were mixed after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Basic Materials, Technology and Utilities sectors led shares higher while losses in the Telecoms, Oil & Gas and Consumer Services sectors led shares lower.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.04%, while the S&P 500 index fell 0.09%, and the NASDAQ Composite index gained 0.06%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Dow Inc (NYSE:DOW), which rose 5.32% or 2.51 points to trade at 49.67 at the close. Meanwhile, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) added 2.09% or 6.65 points to end at 324.34 and McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) was up 1.93% or 4.05 points to 214.44 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were 3M Company (NYSE:MMM), which fell 2.16% or 3.58 points to trade at 162.00 at the close. Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ) declined 1.93% or 1.17 points to end at 59.53 and Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) was down 1.67% or 2.31 points to 136.06.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were L Brands Inc (NYSE:LB) which rose 12.94% to 23.22, General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) which was up 10.32% to settle at 12.94 and Progressive Corp (NYSE:PGR) which gained 5.70% to close at 80.81.
The worst performers were Xilinx Inc (NASDAQ:XLNX) which was down 10.70% to 88.06 in late trade, Hess Corporation (NYSE:HES) which lost 6.92% to settle at 57.82 and Keysight Technologies Inc (NYSE:KEYS) which was down 6.34% to 95.66 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were ReTo Eco-Solutions Inc (NASDAQ:RETO) which rose 24.32% to 1.150, Genprex Inc (NASDAQ:GNPX) which was up 23.44% to settle at 1.5800 and 89bio Inc (NASDAQ:ETNB) which gained 23.12% to close at 33.66.
The worst performers were Cocrystal Pharma Inc (NASDAQ:COCP) which was down 30.77% to 0.5400 in late trade, Avinger Inc (NASDAQ:AVGR) which lost 26.98% to settle at 0.633 and Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:SBPH) which was down 21.76% to 1.330 at the close.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1462 to 1338 and 97 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1708 fell and 937 advanced, while 70 ended unchanged.
Shares in Xilinx Inc (NASDAQ:XLNX) fell to 52-week lows; falling 10.70% or 10.55 to 88.06. Shares in General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) rose to 52-week highs; rising 10.32% or 1.21 to 12.94. Shares in Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) rose to all time highs; up 2.09% or 6.65 to 324.34. Shares in Avinger Inc (NASDAQ:AVGR) fell to all time lows; losing 26.98% or 0.234 to 0.633. Shares in 89bio Inc (NASDAQ:ETNB) rose to all time highs; gaining 23.12% or 6.32 to 33.66.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was up 0.68% to 16.39.
Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.43% or 6.80 to $1576.60 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March fell 0.73% or 0.39 to hit $53.09 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract rose 0.07% or 0.04 to trade at $58.70 a barrel.
