U.S. equity markets closed with broad-based gains on Wednesday, as strength in Technology, Industrials and Consumer Goods helped push the major indexes higher. At the New York Stock Exchange close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.31%, the S&P 500 rose 1.08% and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.55%.
On the Dow, the top-performing stocks included Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS), which jumped 5.75% or 53.38 points to finish at 982.12. Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) added 4.17% or 1.77 points to close at 44.19, while Boeing Co (NYSE:BA) gained 3.30% or 7.10 points to end the session at 222.11.
Not all Dow components moved higher. Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX) was the heaviest decliner on the index, falling 3.00% or 5.92 points to 191.33 at the close. Walmart Inc (NASDAQ:WMT) slipped 2.50% or 3.35 points to finish at 130.85, and UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) retreated 1.51% or 5.89 points to 383.35.
Within the S&P 500, the session's largest percentage risers included Enphase Energy Inc (NASDAQ:ENPH), which rose 13.67% to 53.15, United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL), up 9.99% to settle at 98.02, and Super Micro Computer Inc (NASDAQ:SMCI), which gained 9.49% to close at 33.46. Leading decliners on the S&P included Hasbro Inc (NASDAQ:HAS), down 8.83% to 88.60, CME Group Inc (NASDAQ:CME), which lost 4.05% to settle at 290.12, and Dow Inc (NYSE:DOW), which fell 3.95% to 36.25.
The Nasdaq Composite saw outsized moves in several smaller-cap names. HCW Biologics Inc (NASDAQ:HCWB) climbed 128.77% to 2.42, Silexion Therapeutics Corp (NASDAQ:SLXN) rose 92.53% to 0.52, and GCL Global Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:GCL) gained 72.46% to close at 0.74. On the downside, Lichen China Ltd (NASDAQ:LICN) tumbled 61.48% to 1.09, Society Pass Inc (NASDAQ:SOPA) fell 55.56% to 0.08, and Jayud Global Logistics Ltd (NASDAQ:JYD) declined 52.11% to 0.90.
Market breadth was positive on both exchanges. On the NYSE, 2,048 issues advanced, 711 declined and 73 were unchanged. On the Nasdaq, 2,488 rose, 902 fell and 172 finished flat.
Several individual-stock milestones were recorded during the session. Enphase Energy reached a 52-week high, rising 13.67% or 6.39 to 53.15. Goldman Sachs shares rose to all-time highs, climbing 5.75% or 53.38 to 982.12. Conversely, Lichen China Ltd, Society Pass Inc and Jayud Global Logistics Ltd each declined to all-time lows, with losses of 61.48% to 1.09, 55.56% to 0.08 and 52.11% to 0.90, respectively.
Volatility, as measured by the CBOE Volatility Index, eased during the session. The VIX fell 3.38% to 17.45.
Commodities showed mixed but generally softer performance. Gold futures for June delivery declined 0.22% or 10.20 to 4,547.80 a troy ounce. In energy markets, crude oil for July delivery dropped 5.78% or 6.03 to 98.35 a barrel, while the July Brent contract fell 6.47% or 7.25 to trade at 104.85 a barrel.
Currency markets saw modest moves. EUR/USD registered a 0.19% change to 1.16, while USD/JPY fell 0.11% to 158.90. The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.06% at 99.04.
In addition to the market data, promotional material included in the session commentary highlighted an AI-based stock screening service evaluating Boeing Co (NYSE:BA) among other companies. The promotional copy referenced the service's use of more than 100 financial metrics and cited prior notable gains for some selected names, naming Super Micro Computer and AppLovin as examples of past winners and noting respective gains reported in that material. The promotional paragraph also referenced a time-limited pricing message.
Overall, Wednesday's session closed with benchmarks higher and a breadth profile that favored advancing issues across both major U.S. exchanges. Sector-level strength in Technology, Industrials and Consumer Goods coincided with weakness among several large energy and consumer-oriented stocks, while commodities and the dollar showed modest declines.