Investing.com – U.S. stocks were mixed after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Oil & Gas, Financials and Technology sectors led shares higher while losses in the Basic Materials, Telecoms and Utilities sectors led shares lower.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.04%, while the S&P 500 index lost 0.13%, and the NASDAQ Composite index fell 0.37%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK), which rose 1.48% or 0.93 points to trade at 63.63 at the close. Meanwhile, Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) added 1.29% or 1.36 points to end at 106.72 and McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) was up 0.98% or 1.39 points to 142.62 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), which fell 2.40% or 2.75 points to trade at 111.62 at the close. E I du Pont de Nemours & Co (NYSE:DD) declined 1.18% or 0.94 points to end at 79.00 and Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) was down 0.98% or 0.54 points to 54.53.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were First Solar Inc (NASDAQ:FSLR) which rose 11.84% to 33.91, Delphi Automotive plc (NYSE:DLPH) which was up 10.91% to settle at 87.01 and Citrix Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CTXS) which gained 7.09% to close at 87.05.
The worst performers were Frontier Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:FTR) which was down 16.58% to 1.61 in late trade, Akamai Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:AKAM) which lost 15.52% to settle at 52.80 and Anadarko Petroleum Corp (NYSE:APC) which was down 7.69% to 51.95 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were First NBC Bank Holding Company (NASDAQ:FNBC) which rose 164.49% to 0.25, Pieris Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:PIRS) which was up 52.92% to settle at 3.670 and Eco Stim Energy Solutions Inc (NASDAQ:ESES) which gained 34.62% to close at 1.400.
The worst performers were ITUS Corp (NASDAQ:ITUS) which was down 37.50% to 1.125 in late trade, DryShips Inc (NASDAQ:DRYS) which lost 30.19% to settle at 0.74 and Cumulus Media Inc (NASDAQ:CMLS) which was down 25.64% to 0.2900 at the close.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1933 to 1260 and 44 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1562 fell and 921 advanced, while 114 ended unchanged.
Shares in Frontier Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:FTR) fell to 5-year lows; losing 16.58% or 0.32 to 1.61. Shares in Delphi Automotive plc (NYSE:DLPH) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 10.91% or 8.56 to 87.01. Shares in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) rose to all time highs; gaining 0.98% or 1.39 to 142.62. Shares in ITUS Corp (NASDAQ:ITUS) fell to all time lows; falling 37.50% or 0.675 to 1.125. Shares in Pieris Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:PIRS) rose to 52-week highs; rising 52.92% or 1.270 to 3.670. Shares in DryShips Inc (NASDAQ:DRYS) fell to 5-year lows; losing 30.19% or 0.32 to 0.74.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was up 1.13% to 10.71.
Gold Futures for June delivery was down 1.39% or 17.46 to $1239.54 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in June fell 0.10% or 0.05 to hit $47.61 a barrel, while the July Brent oil contract rose 0.28% or 0.14 to trade at $50.60 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.38% to 1.0888, while USD/JPY rose 0.61% to 112.68.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.43% at 99.20.