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

At the close of NYSE the index gained 0.34% while the index gained 0.40%. The index meanwhile grew 0.29%.

These were the best performers of the session Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE :), rose 2.32% (1.18 points) to trade at 52.12 by the close. Meanwhile, Visa Inc Class A (NYSE:) added 2.07% or 4.59 points to end at 226.36 and Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:) was up 1.79% or 1.47 points to 83.52 in late trade.

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ 🙂 fell 2.93 points or 1.45 to trade at 48.11 by the closing. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc NASDAQ: fell 2.03%, or 0.91 points, to close at 43.86 Caterpillar Inc (NYSE: ) fell 1.37%, or 3.05 points, to 219.77.

The top performers on the S&P 500 were Edwards Lifesciences Corp (NYSE:) which rose 4.54% to 123.07, Newmont Goldcorp Corp (NYSE:) which was up 4.19% to settle at 82.78 and Illumina Inc (NASDAQ:) which gained 4.15% to close at 363.90.

JB Hunt Transport Services Inc (NASDAQ) was the worst performer, falling 9.60% to 181.51 late trade. Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE 🙂 lost 6.79% and settled at 265.84 Old Dominion Freight Line Inc (NASDAQ:), which fell 6.76% at 278.50 by the end.

Top performers of the NASDAQ Composite are Chicken Soup Soul Entertainment (NASDAQ.) rose 43.80% at 11.49. Hudson Capital Inc (NASDAQ.) was up 36.27% at 2.63. Greenidge Generation Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ.) gained 33.95% at 11.52.

Sellas Life Sciences Group Inc. (NASDAQ:), which fell 37.87% to 4.15 late trade, and Cyren Ltd. (NASDAQ:), which lost 36.04%. They settled at 3.23. Pulse Biosciences Inc (NASDAQ:), which fell 26.95% and was at 3.55 by the end.

The New York Stock Exchange saw rising stocks surpass declining stocks by 2138 to 1044. 108 closed unchanged. On the Nasdaq Stock Exchange 2214 rose while 1606 fell, while 195 closed unchanged.

Newmont Goldcorp Corp shares rose to new highs, up 4.19% (or 3.33 to 82.178). Sellas Life Sciences Group Inc. shares (NASDAQ) dropped to 52-week lowests. They were down 37.87%, or 2.53 and 4.15 respectively. Pulse Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ:), shares fell to their lowest levels in over a decade, losing 26.95% (1.31 to 3.55).

The , which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 4.52% to 19.63.

The April delivery of Gold Futures was lower by 1.38%, or 26.90, to $1922.30 per troy ounce. In commodities trading, crude oil fell 0.75 percent or $99.53 to reach $99.53 per barrel in May. The June Brent oil contract dropped 0.12% or 0.13, to trade at $104.58 per barrel.

EUR/USD was steady at 0.12%, 1.11 and USD/JPY at 122.50.

US Dollar Index Futures were up 0.7% to 98.53