Markets News, February 21, 2025: Dow Has Worst Week Since October As Stocks Tumble; Tesla, Nvidia, UnitedHealth Plunge Amid Broad Sell-Off

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange

Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images

Stocks tumbled Friday as a big decline in shares of UnitedHealth weighed heavily on the Dow Jo🍸nes Industrial Average and investors reacted to disappointing economic data.

The Dow and 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:S&P 500 each closed 1.7% lower, while the tech-heavy 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.2%, finishing near session lows as losses accelerated during afternoon trading. The major indexes—which were coming off 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:a down session on Thursday after two straight days of gains that boosted the S&P 500 to 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:record highs—posted steep losses for the holiday-shortened trading week and are now in negative territory for the 🦩month.

The Dow fell 2.5% this week, its biggest drop since the week of Oct. 25. The Nasdaq also🐠 slid 2.5% this week, its largest decline in three months, while the S&P 500,🍨 which was down 1.7% for the week, turned in its weakest performance since the week of Jan. 10.

UnitedHealth Group (UNH) shares sank more than 7% after the Wall Street Journal reported that the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Departme♚nt of Justice is inܫvestigating the health insurer's Medicare billing practices. Shares of other insurers, including CVS Health (CVS), Humana (HUM) and Centene (CNC), also lost ground.

Shares of the world's largest technology companies were down across the board, led by a near-5% decline for EV maker Tesla (TSLA). AI chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA), which is 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:due toꦉ report quarterly results next week, dropped 4%, while Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet (GOOG), Amazon (AMZN), Meta Platforms (META) and Broadcom (AVGO) also retreated.

A handful of stocks made big moves after the release of earnings reports. Akamai Technologies (AKAM), a cybersecurity and cloud computing company, plunged 22% to lead S&P 500 decliners, while cloud storage provider Dropbox (DBX) and fintech company Block (XYZ) each slid more than 16%. Among post-earnings gainers, energy drink-maker Celsius Holdings (CELH) soared 28% and e-commerce company MercadoLibre (MELI) jumped 7%.

Coinbase (COIN) dropped more than 8% after rising as much 4% early in the session 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:following news the Securities and Exchange Commission is expected to drop a𒐪n enforcement case against the crypto exchange.

Bitcoin wඣas at $95,900 in late-afternoon trading, after⛎ rising as high as $99,500 earlier in the day, its highest level since Feb. 4.

The yield on 10-year Treasurys, which is correlated with expectations about where interest rates are headed, was at 4.43%, down from 4.50% at yesterday's close and trading near its lowest level of the month as investors digested economic data released this morning.

♏Existing home sales numbers came in lower than economists expected as mortgage rates and prices keep many would-be buyers from the marജket, while a separate report showed that consumer confidence has been shaken by long-term inflation expectations and the uncertainty about tariffs.

Gold futures were down sightly at around $2,950 an ounce, after hitting a record high on Thursday, while West Texas intermediate crude oil futures slid 3% to $70.25 per barrel.

Biggest S&P 500 Movers on Friday

February 21, 2025 06:49 PM EST

Decliners

  • Shares of cloud services provider Akamai Technologies (AKAM) plunged the most of any S&P 500 constituent, falling by 21.7%. The company reported quarterly results that met or exceeded analyst expectations, but its 2025 revenue outlook 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:came up short. While the company laid out an ambitious long-term revenue goal of 10% growth, it also expects a 10% decline in services revenue this year, raising questions about whether the tech firm can provide near-term growth.
  • Shipping giant Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) fell 8.5% on worries that Amazon's (AMZN) efforts to expand its freight shipping could undercut demand for its services. 
  • Nuclear energy providers also saw their stocks decline after federal government energy regulators said it would be 2026 before rules are ready that would allow power providers to put facilities on-site at data centers. Investors worried the delay in regulatory certainty could prevent some companies from signing deals now. GE Vernova (GEV) fell by 8.8%, while Constellation Energy (CEG) was down 8.1%, and Vistra (VST) shares declined by 7.8%. 

Advancers

A scientist works in the lab at the Moderna Inc. headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.
A scientist works in the lab at Moderna headquarters in 🌊Cambridge♛, Massachusetts, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.

Adam Glanzman / Bloomberg / Getty Images

  • Tylenol maker Kenvue (KVUE) shares moved up 4.2% amid reports that the consumer health care company may be a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:target for a takeover
  • Stock of food makers and other consumer staples moved higher as traders looked for safe plays amid the broad market selloff. Shares of Hershey (HSY) rose 4.1%, while Banquet frozen dinner maker Conagra Brands (CAG), Nabisco parent Mondelez International (MDLZ), soup seller Campbell’s (CPB) and cereal maker General Mills (GIS) were similarly higher.

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Terry Lane

Walmart Levels to Watch After Recent Slide

February 21, 2025 06:29 PM EST

Walmart (WMT) shares fell Friday after recording their largest one-day loss in more than a year yesterday following the release of a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:disappointing outlook from the retail giant.

Walmart shares have trended higher in an orderly 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:ascending channel since March last year. However, more recently, the price ran into selling pressure near the pattern’s upper trendline after setting a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:record high, with selling accelerating afte🧸r the retailer’s earnings report and lackluster guidance.

It’s also worth pointing out that Thursday’s earnings-driven drop occurred on the highest daily volume since May, indicating conౠviction behind the selling.

Investors should monitor crucial support levels near $90, $86, and $81, while🐈 also watching a key overhead area near $105.

The stock fell 2.5% to $94.78 today after plunging more than 6% on Thursday. Despite their recent decline, Walmart shares have gained 64% over the past 12 months, boosted in part by the retailer’s ability to attract 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:higher-income consumers seeking value on essential iteꦿms.

Read the full 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:technical analysis piece here.

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Timothy Smith

Did Coronavirus News Move Vaccine-Maker, Travel Stocks?

February 21, 2025 05:45 PM EST

Concerns about♚ coronavirus news out of China may have moved some vaccine-maker and travel stocks Friday. 

Shares of Moderna (MRNA), Pfizer (PFE) and Novavax (NVAX) all gained Friday, a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:broadly downbeat session that saw the S&P 500 slide 1.7%. Moderna was the biggest gainer on the benchmark index, rising more than 5%. Some stocks associated with international travel, meanwhile, retreated: Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCLH), which fell more ꦑthan 6%, was among the index’s 🅺top decliners. 

Some of the share moves may be attributable to investors' assessment of reports from the South China Morning Post, Daily Mail and other outlets saying that a team of Chinese reseaꦐrchers in a scientific journal said it identified a bat coronavirus that might be able to move from animals to humans.

Asked about the reports on CNBC Friday, former FDA Commissi🐽oner Scott Gottlieb said tha🌠t “we find these things pretty routinely” and “I think the link to an imminent risk here is pretty flimsy, quite frankly.”

The moves came as stock markets were buffeted by a range of other forces. Reports that the Justice Department 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:was investigating UnitedHealth Group (UNH) was bad news f🅺or health ins𒊎urers' shares, while earnings news dragged some tech shares lower. 

Some market watchers saw the move lower in markets as driven by economic data and policy uncertainty. Cruise stocks had been 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:hit earlier this week a🌄fter Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said they might be su𝕴bjected to U.S. taxes.  

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:David Marino-Nachison

Major Indexes in Negative Territory for Month

February 21, 2025 05:23 PM EST

The S&P 5𒅌00 is just two days removed from an all-time high, while th💙e Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite each got to within 1% of record highs of their own.

But after two consecutive days of declines, the major indexes enter the final week of the month in negative territory for February.🎃

DJIA vs S&P 500 vs Nasdaq Composite chart MTD

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The Dow is down 2.5% so far this month, while the S&🍨P 500 and Nasdaq are off 0.5%. The Dow and S&P 500 posted gains in January after losing ground the month before, while the Nasdaq was riding a three-month winning streak coming into February.

Block Plunges as Slower Consumer Spending Hurt Results

February 21, 2025 04:40 PM EST

Shares of Block (XYZ) sank 18% Friday, a day after the provider of online payment systems' results and guidance🅘 missed estimates as consumer spending slowed.

The Square and Cash App parent reported fourth-quarter adjusted 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:earnings per share (EPS) of $0.71, with revenue up 4.5%🥂 year-ov🔜er-year to $6.03 billion. Analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha were looking for $0.90 and $6.32 billion, respectively.

CEO Jack Dorsey said the company spent 2024 "looking critically at our organization and making changes so we can build much faster." Dorsey added that most of that work has been completed and that "positions us for a strong financial outlook in 2025, with momentum building throughout the year."

The company sees full-year gross pro🥀fit of 🔜$10.22 billion, while the Visible Alpha estimate was for $10.30 billion.

Jefferies, which has a "buy" rating on the stock, called 2025 a "now or never" year for Block, writing that while the size of the estimated acceleration of the business "is likely to be met with some skepticism, we take some comfort in mgmt. framing as having 'clear visibility' into the drivers."

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Bill McColl

What Analysts Think of Nvidia Ahead of Earnings Next Week

February 21, 2025 03:39 PM EST

Nvidia (NVDA) is set to report fourth-quarter results ℱafter 🥂the market closes Wednesday, with analysts widely bullish on the AI chipmaker's stock.

All but one of the 18 analysts covering the stock tracked by Visible Alpha have issued “buy” ღor equivalent ratings, with one analyst giving the stock a “hold” rating. The consensus price target is about $175. The stock, which has doubled over the past 12 months, was ෴down more than 3% late Friday at around $135.

Jensen Huang, co-founder and chief executive officer of Nvidia Corp., speaks during the 2025 CES event in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang speaks during the 2025 CES consumer electronics trade show in Las Vegas, o🔯n ꦅJan. 6, 2025.

Bridget Bennett / Bloomberg / Getty Images

Nvidia is projected t🌼o post record quarterly revenue of $38.32 billion, up 73% year-over-year, ♋according to estimates compiled by Visible Alpha. Net income is expected to climb to $21.08 billion, from $12.84 billion a year earlier.

Read the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:full story here.

Akamai Plunges to Lead S&P 500 Decliners on Weak Outlook

February 21, 2025 02:46 PM EST

Shares of Akamai Technologies (AKAM) fell more than 20% to lead 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:S&P 500 decliners Friday, as disappointing forecasts outweighed better-than-expected fourt✤h-🐼quarter results.

After the bell Thursday, the cybersecurity and 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:cloud computing company reported $1.02 billion in revenue, up 3% year-over-year and a tick above Visible Alpha estimates. Adjusted 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:earnings per share (EPS) came in at $1.66, a 2% decline but still beꦇtter thꩵan analysts had expected.

However, Akamai's forward-looking projections overshadowed the Q4 results. The company said it expects current-quarter revenue between $1.00 billion and $1.02 billion and full-year revenue between $4.00 billion and $4.20 billion, both below consensus estimates.

Adjusted EPS is forecast between $1.54 and $1.59 for the first quarter and $6.00 to $ꦉ6.40 f🌠or 2025, below expectations of $1.66 and $6.81, respectively.

Also on Thursday, Akamai announced that it has signed a multi-year contract worth more than $100 million with "one of the world's largest technology companies" to "augment and improve" the unidentified client's cloud infrastructure services.

Akamai stock price chart since start of 2023

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Akamai shares sank to their lowest level since May 2023.

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Aaron McDade

Buffett's Annual Letter, Berkshire Earnings Set for Saturday

February 21, 2025 01:54 PM EST

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) (BRK.B) is set to report its fo🐠ꦕurth-quarter earnings on Saturday.

Buffett's annual shareholder letter, which investors look to for commentary on investments and the economy, will also be released this weekend.

An illustration of Warren Buffett is layered on top of various logos of companies Berkshire Hathaway has holdings in.

Investopedia / Photo Illustrꦡation by Alice Morgan / Alison ꦇCzinkota / Getty Images

Investors will be looking for any clu😼es about how Berkshire plans to deploy some of its record cash pile.

Buffett's portfolio decisions will also be in focus after recent 13F filings revealed new positions and reduced stakes in bank stocks.

Read the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:full preview here.

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Mrinalini Krishna

Rivian Stock Falls as Deliveries Forecast Disappoints

February 21, 2025 01:08 PM EST

Rivian Automotive (RIVN) shares fell Friday, a day after the electric vehicle maker predicted 2025 delive📖ries below analysts' estimates🔜.

The maker of the electric pickups, SUVs, and commercial vans backed by Amazon (AMZN) said it sees full-year deliveries of 46,000 to 51,000. Analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha were looking for more than 55,000. The company noted that its outlook took into account "potential adjust💟ments to incentives, regulations, and tariff structures🌄" that may be implemented by the Trump administration, as well as "a challenging demand environment."

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe speaks onstage during the Rivian Reveals All-Electric R2 Midsize SUV event at Rivian South Coast Theater on March 07, 2024 in Laguna Beach, California.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe s🎶peaks during the Rivian Reveals All-Electric R2 Midsize SUV event on March 07, 2024 in Laguna Beach, California.

Phillip Faraone / Getty Images

The news offset a better-than-expected fourth-quarter report. Rivian posted a net loss of $0.70 per share, $0.08 less than the estimate of analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha. Revenue jumped 32% to $1.73 billion, also ahead of🌺 forecasts.

The company producౠed 12,727 vehicles and delivered 14,183 in the period, and produced 49,476 and deli💜vered 51,579 in 2024.

Earlier this week, electric truckmaker Nikola (NKLAfiled for 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with CEO Steve Girsky explaining that recent attempts to raise cash and𝄹 keep operating weren't enough to overcome "significant"✱ macroeconomic challenges. 

Shares of Rivian Automotive were down 5% in recent trading and have💟 lost about 16% 🌱over the past 12 months.

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Bill McColl

Celsius Rises as Drinks Maker Buys Rival, Tops Estimates

February 21, 2025 12:08 PM EST

Celsius Holdings (CELH) shares skyrocketed Friday, a day after the energy-drink maker expanded its eff♏orts to reach women by acquiring rival Alani Nu for a net purchase price of $1.65 billion.

 The company also posted bett✨er-than-expected ไfinancial results.

Celsius said the deal consists of $1.80 billion in cash and stock plus $150 million in tax assets. It is purchasing Alani Nu from co-founders Katy and Haydn Schneider and Congo Brands co-founders Max Clemons and Trey Steiger. Congo Brands operates Alani Nu. Celsius noted that along with the initial agreement, the sellers stand to potentially make another $25 mil💙lion earn-out based on 2025 performance. 

Celsius CEO John Fieldly said that the company expects the move will help expand the availability of Alani Nu products and "help more people achieve their wellness goals with great-tasting, functional product options at more moments throughout their lives."

The transaction is exಌpected to close in the second quarter.

Along with the Alani Nu news, Celsius reported fourth-quarter revenue of $332.2 million, which topped Visible Alpha consensus. Adjusted 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:earnings per share (EPS) of $0.14 was just short of estimates.

Celsius Holdings stock price chart over last 12 months

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Celsius shares were up 32% in recent trading. Even with today's advance, the stock has lost nearly half its value in the last year.

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Bill McColl

Major Indexes on Pace for Weekly Declines

February 21, 2025 10:57 AM EST

With their early-session retreat, major U🐠.S. stock indexes ar꧟e on track to record losses for the holiday-shortened trading week.

The 🥀Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 1.6% so far this week, while theಌ S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite are off 0.7% and 1.2%, respectively.

If the Dow finishes today around current levels, it would be the worst weekly performance since the week of Jan. 10. For the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, this would be the third of the last four weeks the indexes have posted weekly losses.

Booking Holdings Stock Rises on Strong Results

February 21, 2025 10:32 AM EST

Shares of Booking Holdings (BKNG) rose in early trading after the company'✅s fourth-quarter results topped exp♓ectations.

After the bell Thursday, the parent company of its namesake travel booking site along with Priceline, Kayak, and OpenTable reported $5.47 billion in revenue for the final quarter of 2024, better than the $5.19 billion analysts ꦏhad expected.

Booking's adjusted earnings came in at $41.55 per share, well above the $36.70 analyst consensus compiled by Visible Alpha. The travel and dining company posted gross bookings of $37.2 billion, compared to the $34.5 billion analyst estimate. Bookings,෴ revenue, and adjusted EPS all rose from the same time a year ago.

The company also said Thursday that its board last month approved $20 billion for a new stoc🌼k buyback program, in addition to the $7.7 billion remaining in the previous program at the end of 2024. Booking is also lifti💫ng its quarterly dividend by 10% to $9.60 per share, up from $8.75 a year ago.

Booking said it expects revenue to grow 2% to 4% year-over-year in the first quarter while gross bookings increaꦚse by 5% to 7%. Each metric is expected to rise in the mid-single digit percent range for the full year, while adjusted EPS grows in the ༺low double digit percent range.

Analysts for Jefferies and JPMorgan each lifted their price target for Booking stock following the report to $5,400 and $5,750, respectively. They each noted that Booking executives said travel demand remained strong in the quarter, and that the company expects to increase its social media advertising spend this year, mostly on Meta Platforms (META) products like Facebook and Instagram.

Booking Holdings vs the S&P 500 over the past 12 months - stock price chart

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Booking shares were up more than 4% recently atꦡ around $5,220. The stock has risen about 40% over the last 12 months, outpacing the performance of the S&P 500 during that stretch.

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Aaron McDade

UnitedHealth Plunges on News of DOJ Probe

February 21, 2025 09:06 AM EST

UnitedHealth Group (UNH) shares tu𓂃mbled in premarket trading Frida🌠y following a report that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the healthcare giant's Medicare billing practices.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the DOJ is investigating whether UnitedHealth tends to over-diagnose conditions that can earn it extra payouts from the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Medicare Advantage program. The newspaper had reported on allegations of the practice in December, with doctors telling the outlet they were trained to "document reve🙈nue-generating diagnoses, including some they felt were obscure or irrelevant."

The DOJ and UnitedHealth did not immediately respond to Investopedia  requests for comment.

UnitedHealth previously has criticized the Journal's reporting on 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Medicare Advantage. The company has said the reports "clearly demonstrate that the Journal does not understand the Medicare Advantage program," c🐽alling the reporting a "one-sided, 😼biased attack."

The news was also weighing on other health insurer stocks Friday, with CVS Health (CVS), Cigna (CI), Humana (HUM) and Centene (CNC) all tumbling.

UnitedHealth shares were down 13% about half an hour hoಞur before the opening bell, set to trade at their l♏owest level since last April.

-澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Aaron McDade

Futures Point to Mixed Open for Major Indexes

February 21, 2025 08:35 AM EST

🌃 Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 0.5%.

DJIA futures - Feb. 21, 2025

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S&P 500 futures were up 0.1%.

S&P 500 futures - Feb. 21, 2025

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Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.4%.

Nasdaq 100 futures - Feb. 21, 2025

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