U.S. stocks close mixed

NEW YORK, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) — U.S. stocks ended mixed on Wednesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 38.04 points, or 0.09 percent, to 40,974.97. The S&P 500 sank 8.86 points, or 0.16 percent, to 5,520.07. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 52.00 points, or 0.30 percent, to 17,084.3.

Six of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in red, with energy and materials leading the laggards by losing 1.41 percent and 0.48 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, utilities and consumer staples led the gainers by rising 0.85 percent and 0.52 percent, respectively.