This Was the Top-Performing Stock in the S&P 500 in August 2025

Group 1 - The S&P 500 market index gained 1.9% in August 2025, indicating a potential total return of 25.3% if sustained for 12 months [1] - UnitedHealth Group delivered the strongest performance in the S&P 500 for August 2025 with a 24.2% price gain, recovering from a 20% decline in July due to disappointing earnings [2][8] - The recovery was driven by two significant events on the same day: Berkshire Hathaway's investment in UnitedHealth and the closing of a $3.3 billion acquisition of Amedisys [6][9] Group 2 - Berkshire Hathaway filed a report indicating a new position of 5 million shares in UnitedHealth, which investors interpreted as a strong endorsement of the company's investment value [6][7] - The acquisition of Amedisys had been pending since summer 2023, but the market reaction was more influenced by the Berkshire investment [9]