U.S. stocks mixed at close of trade; Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.68%

Investing.com – U.S. stocks were mixed after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the , and sectors led shares higher while losses in the , and sectors led shares lower.

At the close in NYSE, the declined 0.68%, while the index fell 0.38%, and the index gained 0.47%.

The best performers of the session on the were Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:), which rose 7.24% or 19.95 points to trade at 295.37 at the close. Meanwhile, Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:) added 0.59% or 0.17 points to end at 29.05 and Salesforce Inc (NYSE:) was up 0.43% or 0.82 points to 191.49 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Home Depot Inc (NYSE:), which fell 2.75% or 8.14 points to trade at 288.19 at the close. Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:) declined 2.70% or 3.15 points to end at 113.38 and Honeywell International Inc (NASDAQ:) was down 2.58% or 5.06 points to 190.90.

The top performers on the S&P 500 were Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (NYSE:) which rose 13.01% to 2,011.50, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:) which was up 7.24% to settle at 295.37 and Allegion PLC (NYSE:) which gained 5.47% to close at 107.53.

The worst performers were First Republic Bank (NYSE:) which was down 29.75% to 5.69 in late trade, Enphase Energy Inc (NASDAQ:) which lost 25.73% to settle at 163.83 and Activision Blizzard Inc (NASDAQ:) which was down 11.45% to 76.81 at the close.

The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Crown Electrokinetics Corp. (NASDAQ:) which rose 80.19% to 0.15, Elevation Oncology Inc (NASDAQ:) which was up 77.19% to settle at 3.03 and ETAO International Co Ltd (NASDAQ:) which gained 57.33% to close at 1.18.

The worst performers were Zyversa Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:) which was down 69.07% to 0.50 in late trade, Bed Bath & Beyond Inc (NASDAQ:) which lost 43.80% to settle at 0.11 and Powerbridge Technologies Co Ltd (NASDAQ:) which was down 34.98% to 0.06 at the close.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1945 to 1021 and 88 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 2149 fell and 1466 advanced, while 148 ended unchanged.

Shares in Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (NYSE:) rose to all time highs; up 13.01% or 231.50 to 2,011.50. Shares in First Republic Bank (NYSE:) fell to all time lows; down 29.75% or 2.41 to 5.69. Shares in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:) rose to 52-week highs; rising 7.24% or 19.95 to 295.37. Shares in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 7.24% or 19.95 to 295.37. Shares in Zyversa Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:) fell to all time lows; falling 69.07% or 1.11 to 0.50. Shares in Bed Bath & Beyond Inc (NASDAQ:) fell to all time lows; losing 43.80% or 0.09 to 0.11. Shares in Powerbridge Technologies Co Ltd (NASDAQ:) fell to all time lows; down 34.98% or 0.03 to 0.06.

The , which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was up 0.43% to 18.84.

Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.28% or 5.60 to $1,998.90 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in June fell 3.56% or 2.74 to hit $74.33 a barrel, while the July Brent oil contract fell 3.56% or 2.87 to trade at $77.73 a barrel.

EUR/USD was up 0.59% to 1.10, while USD/JPY fell 0.04% to 133.65.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.38% at 101.20.