Investopedia·2025-11-10 22:35Core Insights - Palantir Technologies was the best-performing stock in the S&P 500, with shares surging nearly 9% due to optimism surrounding a potential end to the U.S. government shutdown, which would benefit the company as it has significant contracts with federal agencies [4][8]. Company Performance - Palantir Technologies (PLTR) shares increased close to 9%, marking the top performance in the S&P 500 on that day [4]. - Western Digital (WDC) shares rose nearly 7% following a price-target increase and positive analyst comments, anticipating growing demand for hard disk drives [5]. - Nvidia (NVDA) shares gained about 6% after Citi raised its price target from $210 to $220, citing robust demand for its AI processors [6]. Market Reactions - Major U.S. equity indexes rose, with the Dow up 0.8%, the S&P 500 up 1.5%, and the Nasdaq climbing 2.3%, driven by optimism regarding a potential government shutdown resolution [3]. - Health insurance stocks, including Centene (CE), Molina Healthcare (MOH), Humana (HUM), and Elevance Health (ELV), experienced declines due to President Trump's comments on healthcare subsidies, with Centene dropping nearly 9% [7][9]. Industry Trends - The data analytics sector, particularly companies like Palantir, is poised for growth if the government resumes normal operations, as they rely heavily on federal contracts [4][8]. - The healthcare sector is facing challenges due to potential changes in subsidy distribution, which could impact the profitability of health insurers [7][9].