U.S. stocks close mixed

NEW YORK, July 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended mixed on Wednesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 23.85 points, or 0.06 percent, to 39,308.0. The S&P 500 added 28.01 points, or 0.51 percent, to 5,537.02. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased by 159.54 points, or 0.88 percent, to 18,188.3.

Seven of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with technology and materials leading the gainers by going up 1.48 percent and 0.81 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, health and consumer staples led the laggards by dropping 0.73 percent and 0.12 percent, respectively.