DOW Jones lost 178 points, dragged down by reduced profit expectations from major U.S. healthcare firms.
Stock markets are rallying thanks to the China-U.S. tariff de-escalation, but the DOW Jones is still lagging. On Tuesday, May 13, the S&P 500 was at 5,893 points, up 50 points or 0.85%, entering positive territory for the year of 2025. The tech-focused Nasdaq was trading at 21,222.80, up 354.652 points or 1.7%.
At the same time, DOW Jones was at 42,250.67 points, down 159.43 or 0.38%. This is despite the fact that positive developments in U.S.-China trade relations boosted tech stocks. For instance, Nvidia was up 5.79%, Amazon was up 1.64%, while IBM gained 1.87%.
Healthcare stocks hammered by Trump’s new move
Still, gains from Nvidia and Amazon were outweighed by Microsoft’s loss of 0.28%, as well as significant losses from healthcare firms. For instance, Johnson & Johnson lost 3.04%, while Merck lost 3.18%, both companies involved in healthcare.
What is more, UnitedHealth lost an astonishing 16.34% after an abrupt exit by its long-time CEO, Andrew Witty. The company also suspended its annual price forecast, citing rising medical costs for the decision.
Health care stocks have been on the decline after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at slashing prescription drug prices. The administration directed companies to cut drug prices to similar levels to what patients in other countries are paying. For those that don’t comply, the White House has threatened escalating, yet unspecified measures to keep them in line.
Analysts estimated that cutting drug prices in the U.S. could cut 2028 net income for the world’s pharmaceutical industry by 8%. Still, while the move would cut into the profits of healthcare firms, it might bring relief to Americans struggling with rising healthcare costs.