UnitedHealth Stock Climbs After News of Berkshire Stake

U.S. stocks logged weekly gains, the major indexes finishing Friday with mixed results heading into the weekend, as the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index showed declining confidence in the state of the economy for the first time in four months.

The S&P 500 declined 0.3% on Friday, snapping a streak of three straight record closing highs. The Nasdaq lost 0.4%, while the Dow held onto a gain of 0.1%. Read today’s full daily markets roundup here.

UnitedHealth Group (UNH) shares jumped after a regulatory filing showed that Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B), the firm run by legendary investor Warren Buffett, has increased its stake in the health insurance giant. UnitedHealth and other insurers have been pressured by rising medical costs and changes in government reimbursement rates, which contributed to UnitedHealth’s decision to withdraw full-year guidance in May. A surge of 12% made UnitedHealth the S&P 500’s top daily performer. Shares of other health insurers also moved higher.

Sunrun (RUN), the market share leader in the U.S. residential solar business, beat quarterly sales and profit forecasts. The provider of panel installation and battery storage solutions said it would rely on its experience from past regulatory changes to mitigate the impact from pending changes to clean energy tax credits. Sunrun shares rocketed 33%. Shares of S&P 500 constituents Fist Solar (FSLR) and Enphase Energy (ENPH) shares added 11% and 8.1%, respectively.

Moderna (MRNA) advanced 5%, adding to gains posted earlier in the week after Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, recognized the potential of the mRNA vaccine technology that underlies Moderna’s products. Bhattacharya’s view showed more flexibility on mRNA when compared with tougher rhetoric from other health officials tied to the Trump administration, which has moved to cut funding for mRNA-related research.

Shares of semiconductor equipment manufacturer Applied Materials (AMAT) tumbled 14%, falling the most of any S&P 500 stock. Although Applied Materials topped sales and profit forecasts for its fiscal fourth quarter, its guidance for the current quarter fell short of forecasts, with macroeconomic uncertainty weighing on its outlook, particularly in China. Shares of fellow chip equipment makers KLA Corp. (KLAC) and Lam Research (LRCX) fell 8.4% and 7.3%, respectively.

Paramount Skydance (PSKY) shares lost 4.6%, giving back some of the outsized gains posted earlier in the week as the stock drew comparisons to “meme stocks” that have generated trading frenzies lately. The stock has seen major volatility following the completion of the merger between Skydance Media and Paramount Global.

HSBC downgraded Cisco Systems (CSCO) stock to “hold” from “buy” and lowered its price target. Analysts pointed to Cisco’s modest revenue growth expectations and the possibility of diminishing momentum as the benefits of restocking cycle that has been boosting the computer networking specialist taper off. Cisco stock slipped 4.5% on Friday.