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 rose 0.43% to hit a new 1-month high, while the index gained 0.37%, and the index lost 0.05%.

The best performers of the session on the were UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:), which rose 2.52% or 10.71 points to trade at 435.09 at the close. Meanwhile, Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:) added 2.41% or 1.26 points to end at 53.61 and The Travelers Companies Inc (NYSE:) was up 2.12% or 3.30 points to 158.69 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:), which fell 1.26% or 3.05 points to trade at 239.72 at the close. Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:) declined 1.04% or 4.27 points to end at 407.89 and Visa Inc Class A (NYSE:) was down 0.90% or 2.10 points to 231.42.

The top performers on the S&P 500 were Anthem Inc (NYSE:) which rose 7.70% to 424.05, People’s United Financial Inc (NASDAQ:) which was up 5.85% to settle at 18.81 and M&T Bank Corp (NYSE:) which gained 5.78% to close at 160.41.

The worst performers were Baker Hughes Co (NYSE:) which was down 5.66% to 25.35 in late trade, PayPal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:) which lost 4.91% to settle at 258.36 and Nasdaq Inc (NASDAQ:) which was down 4.64% to 199.16 at the close.

The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Xiaobai Maimai Inc (NASDAQ:) which rose 98.42% to 18.8700, Sesen Bio Inc (NASDAQ:) which was up 25.74% to settle at 1.270 and Puhui Wealth Investment Management Co Ltd (NASDAQ:) which gained 22.66% to close at 2.490.

The worst performers were Vinco Ventures Inc (NASDAQ:) which was down 17.99% to 6.380 in late trade, Grove Inc (NASDAQ:) which lost 17.54% to settle at 6.30 and ALJ Regional Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:) which was down 15.38% to 0.9900 at the close.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2179 to 1016 and 143 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 2043 rose and 1514 declined, while 203 ended unchanged.

Shares in Anthem Inc (NYSE:) rose to all time highs; rising 7.70% or 30.30 to 424.05. Shares in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:) rose to all time highs; gaining 2.52% or 10.71 to 435.09. Shares in Xiaobai Maimai Inc (NASDAQ:) rose to 52-week highs; rising 98.42% or 9.3600 to 18.8700.

The , which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 1.34% to 15.49 a new 1-month low.

Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.74% or 13.05 to $1783.55 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December rose 1.21% or 1.00 to hit $83.44 a barrel, while the December Brent oil contract rose 0.85% or 0.72 to trade at $85.80 a barrel.

EUR/USD was up 0.15% to 1.1650, while USD/JPY fell 0.04% to 114.32.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.14% at 93.600.