Dow Jones Up 800 Points, Nasdaq Slips
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 3 days ago
0mins
The major averages were mixed at midday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average was more than 800 points higher and the Nasdaq slipping as investors take profits in semiconductor stocks amid the market reaction to Broadcom's earnings report. Broadcom's reaction suggests the market may be entering a phase where strong results alone are no longer enough if guidance does not materially improve.Meanwhile, oil prices have eased slightly following reports of progress toward regional de-escalation in the Middle East. At the same time, gold is modestly higher as traders seek safety amid the pullback in technology shares and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.Get caught up quickly on the top news and calls moving stocks with these five Top Five lists.1. STOCK NEWS:Broadcomreportedand reiterated its FY27 AI revenue targetCrowdStrikeprovided areport for Q1Five Belowalso provided areport for Q1Blackstone Private Credit Fundiscompared to the requested 10%PVH Corp.reportedand affirmed its FY26 guidance2. WALL STREET CALLS:BofAUnitedHealthto Buy on improving medical cost trendsMacquarieBroadcomon Googlemove to insource chipsRTXto Buy from Hold at JefferiesPVH Corp.to In Line from Outperform at Evercore ISIUBSEHangto Neutral amid setbacks3. AROUND THE WEB:TSMC'sCEO C.C. Wei said global chip supply is expected to remain constrained relative to AI-driven demand for years, noting that even with expanded U.S. manufacturing capacity, the company will not be able to fully meet strong customer demand, Bloomberg reportsIn a confidential Competition Commission of India, CCI, order, Appleagreed to submit the financials of its India business to the antitrust body as part of an investigation into whether the company abused its market position in the country, Reuters saysMetahas delayed plans to release its newest AI model to developers several times and does not have a planned date to release it, WSJ saysNvidiahas acquired Kumo AI, a startup focused on foundation models for business prediction and analytics, with all three co-founders already joining Nvidia, Yahoo Finance reportsSome members of the Glazer family are considering selling their stake in Manchester United FCafter internal discussions about individual exits, potentially drawing interest from Middle Eastern and U.S. wealthy buyers at a high valuation, Bloomberg reports4. MOVERS:Oscar Healthgains after Wells Fargothe stock to Equal Weight from UnderweightRedwireincreases after beingfrom Astrobiome SpaceAbsci (ABSI) higher after Leerinkof the stock with an Outperform ratingPetcolower afterand providing guidance for Q2 and FY26Netskopefalls afterand providing guidance for FY275. EARNINGS/GUIDANCE:Toro Companyand raised its guidance for FY26Ciena, with CEO Gary Smith commenting, "Today's results reflect the strength of our portfolio"Caleresand provided its guidance for Q2 and FY26Columbus McKinnon, with EPS missing consensusIDT Corpand raised its guidance for FY26INDEXES:Near midday, the Dow was up 1.69%, or 857.93, to 51,545.00, the Nasdaq was down 0.38%, or 101.24, to 26,752.73, and the S&P 500 was up 0.18%, or 13.33, to 7,567.01.
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Analyst Views on UNH
Wall Street analysts forecast UNH stock price to rise
19 Analyst Rating
16 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 396.470
Low
330.00
Averages
397.82
High
444.00
Current: 396.470
Low
330.00
Averages
397.82
High
444.00
About UNH
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is a healthcare and well-being company. Its segments include Optum Health, Optum Insight, Optum Rx, and UnitedHealthcare, which includes UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement and UnitedHealthcare Community & State. Optum Health provides comprehensive and patient-centered care, addressing the physical, mental, and social well-being. Optum Health delivers primary, specialty and surgical care and helps patients and providers navigate and address complex, chronic and behavioral health needs. Optum Insight connects the healthcare system with services, analytics and platforms that make clinical, administrative and financial processes simpler and more efficient for all participants in the healthcare system. Optum Rx offers a range of pharmacy care services through retail pharmacies, through home delivery, specialty and community health pharmacies and the provision of in-home and community-based infusion services.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Analysis of High Dividend Stock Investment Opportunities
- Pfizer Overview: Pfizer (PFE) currently boasts a dividend yield of 6.7%, and despite an average annual loss of about 7% over the past three years, its stock price has risen 17% in the past year, indicating some recovery potential and reflecting market confidence in its future drug development.
- UPS Strategic Shift: United Parcel Service (UPS) offers a dividend yield of 7.7%, and although it has posted an average annual loss of 8.6% over the past three years, the company is shifting focus to higher-margin customer segments, which is expected to enhance long-term profitability despite a 2.3% decline in domestic revenue.
- ETF Investment Option: The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) recently yielded 3.25% and invests in approximately 100 dividend-paying companies, having risen nearly 20% year-to-date, providing investors with a mix of stable income and growth potential.
- Market Valuation Analysis: Pfizer and UPS have forward P/E ratios of 9.0 and 14.0, respectively, both below their five-year averages, indicating that the market has low growth expectations for these companies, potentially offering value investment opportunities for investors.
See More
Pfizer's Drug Pipeline Shows Promising Potential
- Pfizer's Dividend Appeal: Pfizer boasts a dividend yield of 6.7%, and despite an average annual loss of about 7% over the past three years, its stock has risen 17% in the past year, indicating market confidence in its future drug development.
- Rich Drug Pipeline: Pfizer is addressing patent expirations by continuously developing new drugs and acquiring promising candidates, a strategy that not only helps maintain revenue streams but could also lead to significant market share growth in the future.
- UPS Strategic Shift: UPS's recent decision to cut back on deliveries for Amazon in favor of higher-margin customers, such as small businesses and healthcare, has resulted in a 2.3% decline in overall domestic revenue, yet revenue per package grew by 6.5%, reflecting an improvement in profitability.
- ETF Investment Opportunity: The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF offers a yield of 3.25% and has risen nearly 20% year-to-date, providing investors with a solid mix of income and growth potential, making it a good choice for diversified investment.
See More
Recommended High-Yield ETF: Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF
- Income and Growth Balance: The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF boasts a dividend yield of 3.25% and has risen 19% year-to-date in 2026, delivering slightly lower growth than the S&P 500 while providing nearly three times the dividend income, indicating a strong balance between income and growth.
- Expense Ratio Advantage: With an expense ratio of just 0.06%, investors pay only $6 for every $10,000 invested, making it competitive among similar products and enhancing net returns for investors.
- Robust Portfolio Composition: The ETF tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index, comprising 100 stocks with a history of at least 10 years of dividend payments, ensuring financial health among constituents and reducing the risk of dividend cuts due to financial troubles, thus enhancing long-term investment safety.
- Diversified Holdings Structure: The top ten holdings account for about 43% of the ETF, with 18% in consumer defensive stocks, 15% in energy, and 18% in healthcare, providing a diversified allocation that helps maintain stability and risk resistance in the event of a market pullback.
See More
Analysis of Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF
- Dividend Yield Advantage: The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF boasts a dividend yield of 3.25%, approximately three times that of the S&P 500, indicating its stability during market fluctuations and appealing to income-seeking investors.
- Strong Performance: With a three-year average annual return of 15.09%, the ETF, while lower than the S&P 500's 22.44%, outperforms many other dividend-focused funds, demonstrating a solid balance between income and growth.
- Low Expense Ratio: The ETF's expense ratio stands at just 0.06%, meaning investors pay only $6 for every $10,000 invested, enhancing its cost-effectiveness and attractiveness for long-term investors.
- Diversified Portfolio: Tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index, the ETF includes 100 stocks with a minimum 10-year dividend payment history, with about 43% of its assets in the top 10 holdings, showcasing a strong allocation in defensive and growth sectors to adapt to future market volatility.
See More
Wall Street Major Indexes Decline as Tech Stocks Face Sell-Off
- Tech Stock Sell-Off: The Nasdaq fell 4%, primarily driven by heavy sell-offs in tech stocks like Micron, Arm, and AMD, indicating investor concerns about the sector's outlook, which may lead to short-term capital outflows from technology.
- Analyst Rating Changes: RBC downgraded Rio Tinto (RIO) to Sell, noting an 8% rise in shares since the Middle East conflict began but citing a lack of catalysts for further growth, with iron ore prices expected to decline to $85/ton by 2027, reflecting market caution towards resource stocks.
- Healthcare Stock Upgrade: Bank of America upgraded UnitedHealth Group (UNH) to Buy, raising its price target from $420 to $450 based on improving medical cost trends, showcasing optimism in the healthcare sector.
- Fast Food Sector Ratings Adjusted: Morgan Stanley upgraded Yum! Brands (YUM) to Overweight with a price target of $185, believing the company’s growth potential remains underappreciated, while downgrading Chipotle (CMG), reflecting a reassessment of competition in the fast-food market.
See More
Managed Care Stocks Surge Led by UnitedHealth
- Market Recovery: After a 35% decline last year, UnitedHealth (UNH) has surged approximately 21% year-to-date, indicating a strong rebound in the managed care sector, particularly led by the Medicare Advantage market.
- Payment Rate Increase: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized a 3% payment hike for Medicare Advantage players for next year, reflecting an improving backdrop of care utilization that further fuels optimism in the industry.
- Analyst Rating Upgrade: Following Bank of America's upgrade of UnitedHealth from Neutral to Buy, the stock rose about 5% on Thursday, with analyst Kevin Fischbeck projecting a broader managed care rally if utilization trends continue to improve.
- Attractive Valuations: Despite the positive outlook, UnitedHealth's EV/EBITDA valuation is roughly in line with its five-year average, while CVS Health shows only a ~7% premium, suggesting that the sector still has room for further upside given the favorable setup.
See More
Analysis of High Dividend Stock Investment Opportunities
- Pfizer Overview: Pfizer (PFE) currently boasts a dividend yield of 6.7%, and despite an average annual loss of about 7% over the past three years, its stock price has risen 17% in the past year, indicating some recovery potential and reflecting market confidence in its future drug development.
- UPS Strategic Shift: United Parcel Service (UPS) offers a dividend yield of 7.7%, and although it has posted an average annual loss of 8.6% over the past three years, the company is shifting focus to higher-margin customer segments, which is expected to enhance long-term profitability despite a 2.3% decline in domestic revenue.
- ETF Investment Option: The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) recently yielded 3.25% and invests in approximately 100 dividend-paying companies, having risen nearly 20% year-to-date, providing investors with a mix of stable income and growth potential.
- Market Valuation Analysis: Pfizer and UPS have forward P/E ratios of 9.0 and 14.0, respectively, both below their five-year averages, indicating that the market has low growth expectations for these companies, potentially offering value investment opportunities for investors.
See More
Pfizer's Drug Pipeline Shows Promising Potential
- Pfizer's Dividend Appeal: Pfizer boasts a dividend yield of 6.7%, and despite an average annual loss of about 7% over the past three years, its stock has risen 17% in the past year, indicating market confidence in its future drug development.
- Rich Drug Pipeline: Pfizer is addressing patent expirations by continuously developing new drugs and acquiring promising candidates, a strategy that not only helps maintain revenue streams but could also lead to significant market share growth in the future.
- UPS Strategic Shift: UPS's recent decision to cut back on deliveries for Amazon in favor of higher-margin customers, such as small businesses and healthcare, has resulted in a 2.3% decline in overall domestic revenue, yet revenue per package grew by 6.5%, reflecting an improvement in profitability.
- ETF Investment Opportunity: The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF offers a yield of 3.25% and has risen nearly 20% year-to-date, providing investors with a solid mix of income and growth potential, making it a good choice for diversified investment.
See More
Recommended High-Yield ETF: Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF
- Income and Growth Balance: The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF boasts a dividend yield of 3.25% and has risen 19% year-to-date in 2026, delivering slightly lower growth than the S&P 500 while providing nearly three times the dividend income, indicating a strong balance between income and growth.
- Expense Ratio Advantage: With an expense ratio of just 0.06%, investors pay only $6 for every $10,000 invested, making it competitive among similar products and enhancing net returns for investors.
- Robust Portfolio Composition: The ETF tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index, comprising 100 stocks with a history of at least 10 years of dividend payments, ensuring financial health among constituents and reducing the risk of dividend cuts due to financial troubles, thus enhancing long-term investment safety.
- Diversified Holdings Structure: The top ten holdings account for about 43% of the ETF, with 18% in consumer defensive stocks, 15% in energy, and 18% in healthcare, providing a diversified allocation that helps maintain stability and risk resistance in the event of a market pullback.
See More
Analysis of Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF
- Dividend Yield Advantage: The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF boasts a dividend yield of 3.25%, approximately three times that of the S&P 500, indicating its stability during market fluctuations and appealing to income-seeking investors.
- Strong Performance: With a three-year average annual return of 15.09%, the ETF, while lower than the S&P 500's 22.44%, outperforms many other dividend-focused funds, demonstrating a solid balance between income and growth.
- Low Expense Ratio: The ETF's expense ratio stands at just 0.06%, meaning investors pay only $6 for every $10,000 invested, enhancing its cost-effectiveness and attractiveness for long-term investors.
- Diversified Portfolio: Tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index, the ETF includes 100 stocks with a minimum 10-year dividend payment history, with about 43% of its assets in the top 10 holdings, showcasing a strong allocation in defensive and growth sectors to adapt to future market volatility.
See More
Wall Street Major Indexes Decline as Tech Stocks Face Sell-Off
- Tech Stock Sell-Off: The Nasdaq fell 4%, primarily driven by heavy sell-offs in tech stocks like Micron, Arm, and AMD, indicating investor concerns about the sector's outlook, which may lead to short-term capital outflows from technology.
- Analyst Rating Changes: RBC downgraded Rio Tinto (RIO) to Sell, noting an 8% rise in shares since the Middle East conflict began but citing a lack of catalysts for further growth, with iron ore prices expected to decline to $85/ton by 2027, reflecting market caution towards resource stocks.
- Healthcare Stock Upgrade: Bank of America upgraded UnitedHealth Group (UNH) to Buy, raising its price target from $420 to $450 based on improving medical cost trends, showcasing optimism in the healthcare sector.
- Fast Food Sector Ratings Adjusted: Morgan Stanley upgraded Yum! Brands (YUM) to Overweight with a price target of $185, believing the company’s growth potential remains underappreciated, while downgrading Chipotle (CMG), reflecting a reassessment of competition in the fast-food market.
See More
Managed Care Stocks Surge Led by UnitedHealth
- Market Recovery: After a 35% decline last year, UnitedHealth (UNH) has surged approximately 21% year-to-date, indicating a strong rebound in the managed care sector, particularly led by the Medicare Advantage market.
- Payment Rate Increase: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized a 3% payment hike for Medicare Advantage players for next year, reflecting an improving backdrop of care utilization that further fuels optimism in the industry.
- Analyst Rating Upgrade: Following Bank of America's upgrade of UnitedHealth from Neutral to Buy, the stock rose about 5% on Thursday, with analyst Kevin Fischbeck projecting a broader managed care rally if utilization trends continue to improve.
- Attractive Valuations: Despite the positive outlook, UnitedHealth's EV/EBITDA valuation is roughly in line with its five-year average, while CVS Health shows only a ~7% premium, suggesting that the sector still has room for further upside given the favorable setup.
See More
