Dow Surges 800 Points to 52-Week High on Thursday as Investors Rotate Into Healthcare; Chip Stocks Fall

On Thursday morning, U.S. equity markets showed divergent performance as investors rotated out of semiconductor stocks and into healthcare, financials, and communication services. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) soared more than 800 points to reach a 52-week high of 51,502, while the S&P 500 index remained flat and the Nasdaq Composite declined nearly 0.7%.

UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH) led healthcare gains with shares up 6% after BofA analyst Kevin Fischbeck upgraded the stock to 'Buy' from 'Neutral' with a $450 price target, citing improving medical cost trends. Morgan Stanley also raised its UNH price target to $453. Conversely, Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) plummeted 15% after declining to raise AI revenue expectations for fiscal 2026 and 2027, dragging broader chip stocks lower; Nvidia, AMD, and Qualcomm each fell 1–7% at the time of writing.