Market Overview - Wall Street is experiencing volatility with mixed profit reports from major companies, leading to a slight rise in the S&P 500 by 0.5% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 288 points or 0.6% [1] - The Nasdaq composite increased by 1% [1] Company Performance - UnitedHealth Group's stock dropped by 19.1% despite reporting a profit that exceeded analysts' expectations, primarily due to a disappointing revenue forecast for the upcoming year [2] - Other healthcare companies, including Humana, Elevance Health, and CVS Health, also faced significant declines of 20.2%, 13%, and 12.9% respectively, influenced by a projected rate increase for Medicare Advantage that did not meet investor expectations [3] - Corning's stock rose by 15.5% after announcing a $6 billion deal with Meta Platforms to supply optical fiber and cable for data centers [4] - General Motors and HCA Healthcare saw stock increases of 9% and 11.1% respectively, both reporting profits that surpassed Wall Street's expectations and initiating stock buyback programs [5] - UPS's stock rose by 4.4% following a stronger profit report and a positive revenue forecast for 2026, while American Airlines' stock fell by 4.2% due to a profit that fell short of expectations [6] Market Sentiment and Economic Indicators - There is increasing pressure on companies to deliver strong profit growth following record stock price increases, as stock prices typically align with corporate profits over the long term [7] - Anticipation surrounds upcoming earnings reports from major tech companies, including Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Tesla, and Apple [7] - Big Tech stocks contributed positively to the S&P 500, with Apple and Microsoft gaining 2.2% and 2% respectively [8] - The Federal Reserve is expected to maintain its main interest rate steady, with inflation remaining above the 2% target [9] - Consumer confidence in the U.S. has weakened, dropping to its lowest level since 2014, which could impact market sentiment [10]