U.S. stocks higher at close of trade; Dow Jones Industrial Average up 1.15%

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

At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 1.15% to hit a new 1-month high, while the S&P 500 index gained 1.56%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 2.05%.

The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), which rose 2.80% or 1.06 points to trade at 38.86 at the close. Meanwhile, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) added 2.49% or 8.98 points to end at 369.67 and Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) was up 2.36% or 5.53 points to 239.68 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), which fell 2.29% or 2.07 points to trade at 88.27 at the close. Merck&Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) declined 0.97% or 0.99 points to end at 101.39 and Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) was down 0.83% or 0.89 points to 106.11.

The top performers on the S&P 500 were Hologic Inc (NASDAQ:HOLX) which rose 7.34% to 72.13, KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC) which was up 5.50% to settle at 534.25 and Lam Research Corp (NASDAQ:LRCX) which gained 5.41% to close at 685.43.

The worst performers were Illumina Inc (NASDAQ:ILMN) which was down 8.05% to 98.37 in late trade, Wynn Resorts Limited (NASDAQ:WYNN) which lost 5.69% to settle at 85.49 and Brown Forman (NYSE:BFb) which was down 2.33% to 57.02 at the close.

The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were INVO Bioscience Inc (NASDAQ:INVO) which rose 90.68% to 1.31, Marpai Inc (NASDAQ:MRAI) which was up 78.72% to settle at 0.68 and Direct Digital Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:DRCT) which gained 54.79% to close at 4.04.

The worst performers were 2U Inc (NASDAQ:TWOU) which was down 56.72% to 1.03 in late trade, Airgain Inc (NASDAQ:AIRG) which lost 45.97% to settle at 1.67 and Plug Power Inc (NASDAQ:PLUG) which was down 40.30% to 3.54 at the close.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2050 to 833 and 83 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1974 rose and 1485 declined, while 118 ended unchanged.

Shares in Illumina Inc (NASDAQ:ILMN) fell to 5-year lows; falling 8.05% or 8.61 to 98.37. Shares in KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC) rose to all time highs; up 5.50% or 27.86 to 534.25. Shares in Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) rose to 52-week highs; up 2.80% or 1.06 to 38.86. Shares in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) rose to all time highs; gaining 2.49% or 8.98 to 369.67. Shares in 2U Inc (NASDAQ:TWOU) fell to all time lows; down 56.72% or 1.35 to 1.03. Shares in Airgain Inc (NASDAQ:AIRG) fell to all time lows; down 45.97% or 1.42 to 1.67. Shares in Plug Power Inc (NASDAQ:PLUG) fell to 3-years lows; losing 40.30% or 2.39 to 3.54.

The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 7.33% to 14.17 a new 1-month low.

Gold Futures for December delivery was down 1.44% or 28.45 to $1,941.35 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December rose 2.17% or 1.64 to hit $77.38 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract rose 2.01% or 1.61 to trade at $81.62 a barrel.

EUR/USD was unchanged 0.18% to 1.07, while USD/JPY rose 0.12% to 151.51.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.10% at 105.67.