NEW YORK, July 17 -- U.S. stocks ended mixed on Wednesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 243.60 points, or 0.59 percent, to 41,198.08. The S&P 500 sank 78.93 points, or 1.39 percent, to 5,588.27. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 512.41 points, or 2.77 percent, to 17,996.92.

Six of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with consumer staples and energy leading the gainers by going up 1.43 percent and 1.08 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, technology and communication services led the laggards by dropping 3.72 percent and 2.09 percent, respectively.

  - Xinhua