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

The NYSE added 0.25% at the closing, while the index gained 0.43%. And the index climbed 0.06%.

The best performers of the session on the were Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:), which rose 2.15% or 1.83 points to trade at 86.80 at the close. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc NASDAQ: climbed 1.81%, or 0.80 points, to close at 45.11. Home Depot Inc (NYSE: ) rose 1.41%, or 4.21 points, to 302.75 in late trading.

These were the worst performers of the session. Visa Inc Class A (NYSE -), fell 1.31% or 2.86 point to trade at 216.15 by the close. Dow Inc (NYSE ) lost 0.42 point or 0.68% to trade at 61.25. Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: ) fell 0.67%, or 2.11 points, to 314.15.

The top performers on the S&P 500 were HP Inc (NYSE:) which rose 14.75% to 40.06, Lamb Weston Holdings Inc (NYSE:) The stock was up 7.96% and settled at 65.25 Target Corporation (NYSE 🙂 gained 5.67% and closed at 228.19.

They were among the most disappointing. Twitter Inc (NYSE:), down 5.40% – 48.03 in late trading Etsy Inc (NASDAQ.) lost 3.60% and settled at 120.95. Discovery Inc Class A (NASDAQ.) was down 3.53% at 23.08 at close.

Medavail Holdings Inc, NASDAQ:), rose 64.43% and reached 1.41. Trevi Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:), which was up 56.84% and settled at 2.98 Momentus Inc (NASDAQ) gained 48.81% and closed at 4.39

They were among the most disappointing. Blue Water Vaccines Inc (NASDAQ) was trading at a 82.77%-to-10.17 ratio in late trade. Aptinyx Inc (NASDAQ) lost 49.15% and settled at 1.19. Integrated Media Technology Ltd was at 13.11, down 36.11% at the end.

The New York Stock Exchange saw falling stocks surpass advancing stocks by 1741 to 1404, and 116 closed unchanged. On the Nasdaq Stock Exchange however, 2306 were down and 1521 moved, while 197 closed unchanged.

HP Inc (NYSE 🙂 shares rose to new highs, rising 14.75% or 5 to 40. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:), shares fell by 0.67%, or 2.11 to 314.15. Blue Water Vaccines Inc. shares (NASDAQ) plunged to new lows, down 82.77% or 48.85 and 10.17. Trevi Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:), rose 52 weeks to new highs, up 56.84% (1.08-2.98). Aptinyx Inc shares (NASDAQ:), fell to their lowest levels ever, losing 49.15% (1.15-1.19).

The , which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 2.49% to 21.55.

The June delivery of Gold Futures was 0.45% higher or 8.60 at $1,931.70 per troy ounce. In commodities trading, crude oil for May delivery rose 0.71 percent to $96.94 per barrel. The June Brent oil contract rose 0.21 percent to $101.28 per barrel.

EUR/USD was steady at 0.221%, 1.09 and USD/JPY at 124.00.

US Dollar Index Futures were up 0.2% at 99.81