Dow ends higher after UnitedHealth gains, other indexes slip on rate cut

Dow ends higher after UnitedHealth gains, other indexes slip on rate cut uncertainty

By Saeed Azhar, Johann M Cherian and Sanchayaita Roy

Fri August 15, 2025 4:20 PM  

Both the Nasdaq and S&P spent the whole day in the red, the Dow spent the whole day in the green. The push down on tech was the continuing uncertainty over tariffs, inflation, and rate cuts. The push up on the Dow was Warren Buffett dramatically upping his stake in United Health, which made that stock soar and the rest of industrials followed suit. Besides United Health, the day’s dynamics included July retail sales rising but counterbalanced by falling consumer confidence and factory production, both again attributed to tariffs.  

But at least the losses were modest and even the gains on the Dow were somewhat trifling as the index went from a +300 at launch to only a 34 gain at close, losing 90% of its initial gains. Still the three indexes saw gains for a second week in a row ranging from a 0.81% on the Nasdaq for 1.74% on the Dow. So far, for the year, the S&P has seen 10 new 52-week highs, the Nasdaq 79. Once again, at 16.3 billion, volume was about 2 billion short of the 18.2 average. 

DJ: 44,911.26  -11.01       NAS: 21,710.67  -2.47       S&P: 6,468.54  +1.96         8/14

DJ: 44,946.12  +34.86     NAS: 21,622.98  -87.69      S&P: 6,449.80  -18.74        8/15

Fri 8-15-25 4:20 pm Dow ends higher after UnitedHealth gains, other indexes slip on rate cut uncertainty | Reuters