US close: Stocks rise with buoyant oil prices

The session followed Tuesday's large rally, with the S&P 500 closing up 0.41% to 1,986.36. The energy sector showed the strongest gains on the index, up 2.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.2% higher at 16,898.70, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.29% to 5,703.42.

A view that the Federal Reserve was unlikely to raise interest rates with any haste this year was fuelled by the release of the central bank's Beige Book, which painted a sombre picture of the US economy.

"Today's moves are very small, and it's not surprising to see markets take a breather after a big rally, like the 300 point gain in the Dow yesterday," said Tower Bridge Advisors president Maris Ogg.

"The fact that the economy is still growing, however slowly, is good news, and since markets are not anticipating a rate hike soon, they are taking good news as good news."

Oil prices ended the day higher, after a report from the US Energy Information Administration showed mixed numbers. Investors seemed keener to focus on a drop in production, and ignore a larger increase in weekly supplies.

Brent crude was last up 0.78% to $37.10 per barrel, and West Texas Intermediate was up 1.09% to $34.78.

On the economic front, the US private sector added 214,000 jobs in February according to data from ADP. It was a slight increase in momentum from January's revised figure of 193,000, and gave the markets a teaser ahead of the Fed's nonfarm payrolls on Friday.

In stocks, Monsanto shares lost 7.77% after the agricultural products company ran a knife through its full-year profit outlook, with the company citing challenging conditions in a worsening macroeconomic environment.

Chesapeake Energy stocks were boosted 23% after the oil and gas firm's former CEO Aubrey McClendon was indicted on Tuesday on charges of conspiring to rig bids for oil and gas leases. McClendon was found dead in a car crash on Wednesday.

Abercrombie & Fitch was up 4.4% after the retailer reported the first same-store sales gains in oer three years, with profit in the most recent quarter rocketing 33%.

Checkpoint Systems was up 29%, after a takeover bid from CCL Industries was announced.

S&P 500 - Risers

United States Steel Corp. (X) $11.35 +23.50%
Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK) $3.40 +23.19%
Freeport-McMoRan Inc (FCX) $8.97 +15.59%
Marathon Oil Corp. (MRO) $9.10 +14.32%
Murphy Oil Corp. (MUR) $19.30 +12.08%
Devon Energy Corp. (DVN) $21.52 +11.97%
Ensco Plc. (ESV) $9.58 +10.62%
Range Resources Corp. (RRC) $28.46 +10.57%
Southwestern Energy Co. (SWN) $6.21 +10.50%
Rowan Companies plc (RDC) $14.91 +9.47%

S&P 500 - Fallers

Monsanto Co. (MON) $85.30 -7.77%
CF Industries Holdings Inc. (CF) $34.72 -4.22%
Dollar Tree Inc (DLTR) $78.77 -3.97%
Stericycle Inc. (SRCL) $114.65 -2.80%
Sherwin-Williams Co. (SHW) $273.69 -2.66%
eBay Inc. (EBAY) $23.72 -2.19%
Skyworks Solutions Inc. (SWKS) $68.98 -2.02%
Gen Dynamics Corp. (GD) $135.61 -1.90%
AutoNation Inc. (AN) $51.55 -1.87%
Tesoro Corp. (TSO) $82.19 -1.71%

Dow Jones I.A - Risers

Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) $82.70 +1.75%
Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) $82.55 +1.63%
International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) $136.30 +1.44%
Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) $52.12 +1.28%
Chevron Corp. (CVX) $87.14 +1.17%
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) $52.27 +1.00%
General Electric Co. (GE) $30.18 +1.00%
JP Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM) $59.76 +0.95%
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) $52.95 +0.70%
American Express Co. (AXP) $57.12 +0.56%

Dow Jones I.A - Fallers

E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. (DD) $62.15 -1.26%
Nike Inc. (NKE) $62.22 -1.11%
Walt Disney Co. (DIS) $97.00 -0.67%
Visa Inc. (V) $74.30 -0.46%
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) $66.21 -0.38%
Unitedhealth Group Inc. (UNH) $121.27 -0.33%
McDonald's Corp. (MCD) $118.48 -0.31%
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) $154.20 -0.29%
Boeing Co. (BA) $119.65 -0.26%
Pfizer Inc. (PFE) $29.98 -0.20%

Nasdaq 100 - Risers

Micron Technology Inc. (MU) $11.68 +5.51%
Endo International Plc (ENDP) $43.85 +3.93%
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX) $92.52 +3.29%
Western Digital Corp. (WDC) $47.35 +2.71%
Ross Stores Inc. (ROST) $57.74 +2.69%
Seagate Technology Plc (STX) $33.93 +2.11%
Maxim Integrated Products Inc. (MXIM) $34.82 +1.75%
Nxp Semiconductors Nv (NXPI) $75.53 +1.75%
Liberty Media Corporation - Class A (LMCA) $37.11 +1.70%
Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) $152.79 +1.51%

Nasdaq 100 - Fallers

Dollar Tree Inc (DLTR) $78.77 -3.97%
Ctrip.Com International Ltd. Ads (CTRP) $40.50 -3.34%
Stericycle Inc. (SRCL) $114.65 -2.80%
eBay Inc. (EBAY) $23.72 -2.19%
Skyworks Solutions Inc. (SWKS) $68.98 -2.02%
Incyte Corp. (INCY) $73.60 -1.93%
Baidu Inc. (BIDU) $176.94 -1.81%
CA Inc. (CA) $29.61 -1.53%
Monster Beverage Corp (MNST) $127.75 -1.53%
Illumina Inc. (ILMN) $157.20 -1.45%