U.S. stocks higher at close of trade; Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.74%

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 0.74% to hit a new all time high, while the index climbed 0.67%, and the index added 0.81%.

The best performers of the session on the were Apple Inc (NASDAQ:), which rose 2.12% or 6.44 points to trade at 309.63 at the close. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:) added 2.04% or 4.84 points to end at 242.60 and Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:) was up 1.82% or 0.99 points to 55.34 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:), which fell 2.06% or 1.15 points to trade at 54.68 at the close. Dow Inc (NYSE:) declined 1.02% or 0.54 points to end at 52.19 and UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:) was down 0.57% or 1.68 points to 294.22.

The top performers on the S&P 500 were L Brands Inc (NYSE:) which rose 4.46% to 18.96, Jefferies Financial Group Inc (NYSE:) which was up 3.94% to settle at 21.90 and Align Technology Inc (NASDAQ:) which gained 3.69% to close at 296.54.

The worst performers were Kohls Corp (NYSE:) which was down 6.54% to 46.15 in late trade, Gap Inc (NYSE:) which lost 3.54% to settle at 17.43 and Capri Holdings Ltd (NYSE:) which was down 3.39% to 36.72 at the close.

The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Applied Genetic (NASDAQ:) which rose 122.84% to 9.27, Trillium Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:) which was up 93.96% to settle at 2.89 and Genetic Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ:) which gained 45.09% to close at 4.730.

The worst performers were Regulus Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:) which was down 19.33% to 1.210 in late trade, Bed Bath & Beyond Inc (NASDAQ:) which lost 19.22% to settle at 13.45 and Ecmoho Ltd (NASDAQ:) which was down 18.95% to 6.97 at the close.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1536 to 1281 and 93 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1485 rose and 1152 declined, while 83 ended unchanged.

Shares in Jefferies Financial Group Inc (NYSE:) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 3.94% or 0.83 to 21.90. Shares in Apple Inc (NASDAQ:) rose to all time highs; gaining 2.12% or 6.44 to 309.63. Shares in Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:) rose to 52-week highs; up 2.04% or 4.84 to 242.60. Shares in Applied Genetic (NASDAQ:) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 122.84% or 5.11 to 9.27. Shares in Trillium Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:) rose to 52-week highs; up 93.96% or 1.40 to 2.89.

The , which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 6.77% to 12.54.

Gold Futures for February delivery was down 0.44% or 6.85 to $1553.35 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February fell 0.03% or 0.02 to hit $59.59 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract rose 0.05% or 0.03 to trade at $65.39 a barrel.

EUR/USD was up 0.01% to 1.1106, while USD/JPY rose 0.02% to 109.53.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.14% at 97.132.

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