On June 19, U.S. stocks closed higher, driven by gains in the telecommunications, financial, and oil and gas sectors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.15% at the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the S&P 500 increased 0.25%, and the Nasdaq Composite Index edged up by 0.02%.

Among the Dow Jones components, Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS) performed the best, with its stock price rising 1.61% or 7.25 points, closing at $457.43; Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) gained 1.57% or 0.62 points, closing at $40.08; and Home Depot (NYSE: HD) increased by 1.25% or 4.37 points, closing at $353.87.

Boeing (NYSE: BA) performed the worst, with its stock price falling 1.91% or 3.40 points, closing at $174.99; UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) dropped 1.67% or 8.18 points, closing at $481.05; and Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) decreased by 1.13% or 0.35 points, closing at $30.63.

In the S&P 500, the best performer was Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ: WBA), whose stock price rose 6.34% to $16.11; Teradyne (NASDAQ: TER) increased 4.84% to $151.75; and United Rentals (NYSE: URI) rose 4.13% to $644.89.

The worst performer was Ball Corporation (NYSE: BALL), whose stock price fell 6.29% to $62.26; Lennar Corporation (NYSE: LEN) dropped 4.98% to $148.72; and West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE: WST) decreased 4.17% to $322.07.

In the Nasdaq Composite Index, the best-performing company was Comtech Telecommunications Corp (NASDAQ: CMTL), whose stock price soared 87.56% to $4.07; Actelis Networks Inc (NASDAQ: ASNS) increased 84.35% to $2.12; and NLS Pharmaceutics AG (NASDAQ: NLSP) rose 82.13% to $0.27.

The worst performer was Solidion Technology Inc (NASDAQ: STI), whose stock price dropped 64.35% to $0.69; DermTech Inc (NASDAQ: DMTK) fell 56.24% to $0.15; and Zentalis Pharmaceuticals LLC (NASDAQ: ZNTL) decreased 50.66% to $4.14.

On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of declining stocks exceeded the number of advancing stocks. The same was true on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange.

Teradyne (NASDAQ: TER) stock hit a 52-week high, rising 4.84% or 7.01 points to $151.75; DermTech Inc (NASDAQ: DMTK) stock hit an all-time low, falling 56.24% or 0.19 points to $0.15; Zentalis Pharmaceuticals LLC (NASDAQ: ZNTL) stock also hit an all-time low, dropping 50.66% or 4.25 points to $4.14.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, rose 1.46% to 12.48.

August gold futures fell 0.18% or $4.20, closing at $2,342.70 per ounce. In other commodity trading, August crude oil futures fell 0.09% or $0.07, closing at $80.64 per barrel; August Brent crude oil contracts fell 0.07% or $0.06, closing at $85.27 per barrel.

The EUR/USD exchange rate remained unchanged at 1.07; the USD/JPY exchange rate rose 0.13% to 158.06; and the U.S. Dollar Index futures were flat, closing at 104.88.