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

The index increased 1.32% and the index gained 1.88% at the closing of NYSE.

Salesforce.com Inc (NYSE 🙂 was the best performer of the session, rising 4.41% or 12.53 point to close at 296.74. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE 🙂 gained 2.75%, or 12.09 points, to close at 452.00. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ 🙂 rose 2.50% or 1.22 to 50.00 late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:), which fell 5.39% or 4.27 points to trade at 74.89 at the close. Walmart Inc. (NYSE:), fell 1.57% or 2.27 to finish at 142.63 Caterpillar Inc (NYSE 🙂 fell 1.41% or 2.81 to 195.92

The top performers on the S&P 500 were Lam Research Corp (NASDAQ) rose 6.01% at 680.54, NVIDIA Corporation was up 5.95% at 333.76, and Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ) gained 5.53% at close at 151.22.

The worst performers were Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:) which was down 5.39% to 74.89 in late trade, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:) which lost 3.34% to settle at 54.64 and Best Buy Co Inc (NYSE :), which fell 3.33% at 110.95 by the end.

These were the top performers in the NASDAQ Composite Krystal Biotech Inc (NASDAQ) rose by 121.65% and now stands at 88.24 Petros Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:), which rose 91.39% to settle for 4.000 Adagio Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:), which gained 86.43% to close near 46.83

Fennec Pharmaceuticals Inc. was among the worst-performing stocks, falling 50.41% to $4.780 late trade. Mink Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ) lost 33.63% and settled at 13.28 Vaxxinity Inc (NASDAQ:), which fell 25.79%, to 13.70 by the end.

The New York Stock Exchange saw rising stocks surpass declining stocks by 1741 to 15,19, and 120 finished unchanged. On the Nasdaq Stock Exchange however, 2288 was down and 1473 moved ahead, while 164 finished unchanged.

Lam Research Corp. (NASDAQ:), shares rose to record highs. They rose by 6.01%, or 38.56 to 680.54. NVIDIA Corporation’s shares rose to new heights, up 5.95% (or 18.73 to 33.76). Bristol-Myers Squibb Company shares (NYSE:), fell to 52-week lowests, falling 3.34% (1.89 to 54.64). Krystal Biotech Inc. (NASDAQ) shares rose to their highest levels, increasing 121.65%. That’s 48.43 to 88.14%. Fennec Pharmaceuticals Inc. shares (NASDAQ) dropped 52.4% to 52 week lows. This is a drop of 4.860 to 47.780.

The , which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 19.88% to 22.93.

For February delivery, gold futures fell 0.11% to $1786.20 an ounce. In commodities trading, crude oil rose 2.80%, or 1.91, to $70.06 per barrel in January. The February Brent oil contract dropped 0.07%, or 0.05, to $73.08 per barrel.

EUR/USD was stable at 0.00%, 1.1291, and USD/JPY rose by 0.04%, to 113.57.

At 96.172, the US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.07%.