U.S. stocks higher at close of trade; Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.01%

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

At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.01%, while the S&P 500 index added 0.13%, and the NASDAQ Composite index added 0.08%.

The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA), which rose 2.27% or 0.47 points to trade at 21.22 at the close. Meanwhile, American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) added 2.21% or 3.51 points to end at 162.56 and Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) was up 1.96% or 4.86 points to 253.07 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), which fell 1.68% or 6.32 points to trade at 369.85 at the close. Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) declined 1.53% or 1.65 points to end at 105.96 and Amgen Inc (NASDAQ:AMGN) was down 1.34% or 3.61 points to 265.39.

The top performers on the S&P 500 were Ross Stores Inc (NASDAQ:ROST) which rose 7.22% to 128.82, Expedia Inc (NASDAQ:EXPE) which was up 5.05% to settle at 136.38 and Albemarle Corp (NYSE:ALB) which gained 3.91% to close at 127.39.

The worst performers were Applied Materials Inc (NASDAQ:AMAT) which was down 4.02% to 148.59 in late trade, CF Industries Holdings Inc (NYSE:CF) which lost 3.31% to settle at 77.46 and Molina Healthcare Inc (NYSE:MOH) which was down 3.30% to 353.31 at the close.

The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Altamira Therapeutics Ltd (NASDAQ:CYTO) which rose 180.28% to 0.28, WANG&LEE GROUP Inc (NASDAQ:WLGS) which was up 95.85% to settle at 0.79 and Syntec Optics Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:OPTX) which gained 73.98% to close at 8.96.

The worst performers were Vigil Neuroscience Inc (NASDAQ:VIGL) which was down 40.03% to 4.00 in late trade, Onfolio Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:ONFO) which lost 34.58% to settle at 0.54 and Evelo Biosciences Inc (NASDAQ:EVLO) which was down 32.65% to 0.49 at the close.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2002 to 864 and 92 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 2317 rose and 1137 declined, while 132 ended unchanged.

Shares in Ross Stores Inc (NASDAQ:ROST) rose to 52-week highs; up 7.22% or 8.67 to 128.82. Shares in Expedia Inc (NASDAQ:EXPE) rose to 52-week highs; up 5.05% or 6.56 to 136.38. Shares in Vigil Neuroscience Inc (NASDAQ:VIGL) fell to 52-week lows; down 40.03% or 2.67 to 4.00. Shares in Onfolio Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:ONFO) fell to all time lows; falling 34.58% or 0.28 to 0.54.

The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 3.63% to 13.80 a new 1-month low.

Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.23% or 4.50 to $1,982.80 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December rose 3.91% or 2.85 to hit $75.75 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract rose 3.98% or 3.08 to trade at $80.50 a barrel.

EUR/USD was up 0.55% to 1.09, while USD/JPY fell 0.70% to 149.66.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.49% at 103.72.