NEW YORK, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) — U.S. stocks finished higher on Wednesday as investors are assessing the impact of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 35.32 points, or 0.10 percent, to 35,754.75. The S&P 500 was up 14.46 points, or 0.31 percent, to 4,701.21. The Nasdaq Composite Index added 100.07 points, or 0.64 percent, to 15,786.99.

Eight of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with communication services and health care up 0.75 percent and 0.74 percent, respectively, leading the gainers. Financials slipped 0.46 percent, the worst-performing group.

U.S.-listed Chinese companies traded mostly lower with seven of the top 10 stocks by weight in the S&P U.S. Listed China 50 index ending the day on a downbeat note.

The above market reactions followed two consecutive sessions of rallies on Wall Street, which saw the Dow jump 492 points on Tuesday after a nearly 650-point surge on Monday.

Stocks rebounded as “Omicron concerns fade,” Kevin Matras, executive vice president at Zacks Investment Research, said Wednesday in a note.

“That’s not to say that Omicron isn’t a concern because it is. But the worst-case scenario that sank stocks a couple of weeks ago looks to be off the table as the variant appears to produce mild symptoms, and the vaccines and therapeutics are believed to offer protection,” he added.