U.S. stocks higher at close of trade; Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.02%

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

At the close in NYSE, the gained 0.02% to hit a new all time high, while the index added 0.26%, and the index added 0.48%.

The best performers of the session on the were Walt Disney Company (NYSE:), which rose 3.76% or 5.00 points to trade at 137.96 at the close. Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:) added 1.19% or 1.57 points to end at 133.00 and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:) was up 1.18% or 1.70 points to 145.96 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:), which fell 1.95% or 1.18 points to trade at 59.35 at the close. Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE:) declined 1.90% or 1.37 points to end at 70.77 and Boeing Co (NYSE:) was down 1.77% or 6.31 points to 351.00.

The top performers on the S&P 500 were Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:) which rose 7.17% to 20.04, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:) which was up 4.72% to settle at 341.79 and Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:) which gained 4.50% to close at 94.03.

The worst performers were Gap Inc (NYSE:) which was down 7.64% to 16.68 in late trade, Albemarle Corp (NYSE:) which lost 4.78% to settle at 67.98 and News Corp B (NASDAQ:) which was down 4.06% to 13.23 at the close.

The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Micronet Enertec Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:) which rose 54.32% to 1.000, Clovis Oncology Inc (NASDAQ:) which was up 36.11% to settle at 5.88 and Truecar Inc (NASDAQ:) which gained 30.96% to close at 4.78.

The worst performers were AnaptysBio Inc (NASDAQ:) which was down 71.85% to 10.18 in late trade, Waitr Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:) which lost 38.18% to settle at 0.28 and Therapix Biosciences Ltd (NASDAQ:) which was down 28.16% to 1.76 at the close.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1455 to 1397 and 95 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1433 rose and 1202 declined, while 99 ended unchanged.

Shares in Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:) rose to all time highs; rising 4.50% or 4.05 to 94.03. Shares in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:) rose to all time highs; gaining 1.18% or 1.70 to 145.96. Shares in AnaptysBio Inc (NASDAQ:) fell to all time lows; down 71.85% or 25.98 to 10.18. Shares in Waitr Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:) fell to all time lows; losing 38.18% or 0.17 to 0.28. Shares in Therapix Biosciences Ltd (NASDAQ:) fell to all time lows; falling 28.16% or 0.69 to 1.76.

The , which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 5.18% to 12.07 a new 6-months low.

Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.46% or 6.80 to $1459.60 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December rose 0.51% or 0.29 to hit $57.44 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract rose 0.51% or 0.32 to trade at $62.61 a barrel.

EUR/USD was down 0.27% to 1.1019, while USD/JPY rose 0.01% to 109.28.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.23% at 98.218.

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