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UnitedHealth falls after CEO abruptly exits and guidance is suspended

The healthcare giant is under pressure from rising costs and a murky near-term outlook.

Nia Warfield

UnitedHealth shares sank 10% in premarket trading after the company said CEO Andrew Witty would step down for personal reasons. Witty’s departure follows a turbulent stretch for the insurance giant, including the highly publicized death of Brian Thompson, head of its insurance business, late last year. Longtime chairman Stephen J. Hemsley will now take over as CEO.

Adding to the pressure, UnitedHealth also suspended its full-year guidance just one month after cutting its outlook. Management cited higher-than-anticipated medical costs among its new Medicare Advantage members along with accelerated care activity. The company now expects to return to growth in 2026.

Prior to the premarket dip, UNH shares were down roughly 25% year to date.

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SpaceX gets a wave of bullish ratings from Wall Street analysts

SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

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