US Stocks Close Higher as Tech Sector Rallies, VIX Tumbles

U.S. stocks finished Thursday's trading session firmly in positive territory, propelled by a broad-based rally with notable strength in the technology sector. All three major indices recorded gains, reflecting positive investor sentiment as market volatility declined sharply.

Thursday's Closing Bell

At the close of trading, the major U.S. stock indices posted the following results, according to market data from Investing.com:

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.62%.
• The S&P 500 climbed 1.14%.
• The tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite led the gains, adding 1.69%.

Market breadth was positive, with rising stocks outnumbering decliners on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq. In a significant sign of easing investor anxiety, the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), often referred to as the market's "fear gauge," plummeted 12.82% to 15.44.

Sector and Stock Movers

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The day's advance was led by gains in the Technology, Utilities, and Basic Materials sectors. Within the Dow, top performers included NVIDIA Corp. (NVDA), which rose 2.54%, and Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), up 2.13%. On the downside, Salesforce Inc. (CRM) was the index's biggest laggard, falling 3.07%.

Across the broader S&P 500, Generac Holdings Inc. (GNRC) was a standout performer, soaring 18.34%. Conversely, T-Mobile US Inc. (TMUS) shares fell 5.58% to a new 52-week low following the day's trading.

Other Markets

In commodity markets, energy prices retreated, with Crude oil futures for October delivery falling 1.34% to $101.22 a barrel. Gold futures for December delivery also edged lower, declining 0.16%. In currency markets, the US Dollar Index Futures was nearly flat, down just 0.02%.