US Stocks Close Higher; Nasdaq Leads with 1.3% Gain

U.S. stocks closed higher on Thursday, with the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite leading the gains as strength in several key sectors lifted investor sentiment. The broad-based rally saw all three major indices finish the session in positive territory, according to closing data from the New York Stock Exchange.

Broad-Based Gains Lift Major Indices

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.27%, while the broader S&P 500 index gained 0.81%. The NASDAQ Composite was the day's top performer, climbing 1.30% by the close.

Market sentiment was broadly positive, with advancing stocks outnumbering declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by a margin of 1,698 to 1,035. Reflecting the calmer mood, the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), often referred to as the market's fear gauge, fell 6.27% to 15.84.

Sector and Stock Movers

Gains were driven by strong performance in the Technology, Financials, and Industrials sectors. A number of blue-chip and large-cap stocks posted notable movements.

Key performers on the Dow Jones included:

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• Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO), which rose 3.94%
• American Express Company (AXP), which added 3.07%
• Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS), which was up 2.56%

Among the S&P 500's top performers was Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co (HPE), which surged 9.94%. On the downside, laggards included Salesforce Inc (CRM), down 2.45%, and Costco Wholesale Corp (COST), which fell 4.21%.

Commodities and Currencies

In commodity markets, energy prices retreated while precious metals gained. Crude oil for August delivery fell 2.31% to settle at $71.82 a barrel, while the international Brent benchmark also declined.

Conversely, Gold futures for August delivery rose 1.19%. Currency markets were relatively quiet, with the US Dollar Index Futures remaining nearly flat with a slight decline of 0.04% to 100.72.