Stock Market Update

[BRIEFING.COM] The S&P 500 (+0.5%) now sits just a few points below its all-time high, while the Nasdaq Composite (+0.9%) holds an even wider gain, and the DJIA (-0.8%) continues to lag. 

UnitedHealth (UNH 283.96, -67.68, -19.25%) is under pressure after reporting its Q4 results this morning, which is a major point of weakness for the DJIA.

The health insurance giant delivered a modest EPS beat, while revenue increased 12.3% year-over-year to $113.22 billion, in line with expectations. Weighing on shares today, however, is its cautious FY26 guidance. UNH expects adjusted EPS of greater than $17.75, which is still above expectations, but it guided FY26 revenue to more than $439 billion, which was well below expectations and implies a rare top line decline.

Adding to the pressure is the Trump administration's proposed near-flat Medicare Advantage rate update for 2027, which management said does not reflect current utilization and cost trends. Humana (HUM 215.08, -48.55, -18.42%) holds a similar loss, while CVS Health (CVS 74.06, -9.81, -11.70%), Elevance Health (ELV 333.79, -43.14, -11.45%) and Centene (CNC 40.94, -5.34, -11.53%) also face double-digit retreats