Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Consumer Services, Utilities and Healthcare sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.63%, while the S&P 500 index added 0.45%, and the NASDAQ Composite index climbed 0.54%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were McDonald`s Corporation (NYSE:MCD), which rose 2.27% or 2.16 points to trade at 97.41 at the close. Meanwhile, Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) added 1.83% or 1.88 points to end at 104.48 and UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) was up 1.65% or 1.93 points to 118.70 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO), which fell 0.91% or 0.24 points to trade at 26.02 at the close. EI du Pont de Nemours and Company (NYSE:DD) declined 0.37% or 0.18 points to end at 48.44 and Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) was down 0.34% or 0.18 points to 52.09.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Kroger Company (NYSE:KR) which rose 5.34% to 37.29, Newmont Mining Corporation (NYSE:NEM) which was up 4.37% to settle at 16.24 and EMC Corporation (NYSE:EMC) which gained 2.89% to close at 24.60.
The worst performers were CONSOL Energy Inc (NYSE:CNX) which was down 5.15% to 12.53 in late trade, Murphy Oil Corporation (NYSE:MUR) which lost 4.97% to settle at 26.78 and Transocean Ltd (NYSE:RIG) which was down 3.91% to 14.24 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were xG Technology Inc (NASDAQ:XGTI) which rose 40.53% to 0.585, Mirati Ther (NASDAQ:MRTX) which was up 25.03% to settle at 43.51 and Unico American Corporation (NASDAQ:UNAM) which unchanged 0.00% to close at 13.76.
The worst performers were Cherokee Inc (NASDAQ:CHKE) which was down 38.53% to 14.82 in late trade, Zumiez Inc (NASDAQ:ZUMZ) which lost 32.46% to settle at 14.63 and Energy Focu (NASDAQ:EFOI) which was down 28.57% to 16.43 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1402 to 1141 and 4 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1456 rose and 1090 declined, while 68 ended unchanged.
Shares in Murphy Oil Corporation (NYSE:MUR) fell to 5-year lows; falling 4.97% or 1.40 to 26.78. Shares in EI du Pont de Nemours and Company (NYSE:DD) fell to 52-week lows; losing 0.37% or 0.18 to 48.44. Shares in Cherokee Inc (NASDAQ:CHKE) fell to 52-week lows; falling 38.53% or 9.29 to 14.82. Shares in Mirati Ther (NASDAQ:MRTX) rose to all time highs; gaining 25.03% or 8.71 to 43.51. Shares in Zumiez Inc (NASDAQ:ZUMZ) fell to 5-year lows; falling 32.46% or 7.03 to 14.63. Shares in Unico American Corporation (NASDAQ:UNAM) unchanged to 52-week highs; unchanged 0.00% or 0.00 to 13.76.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 3.69% to 23.47.
Gold for December delivery was down 0.22% or 2.40 to $1106.90 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in October fell 2.50% or 1.15 to hit $44.77 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract fell 1.60% or 0.78 to trade at $48.11 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.50% to 1.1337, while USD/JPY fell 0.05% to 120.56.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.39% at 95.18.