Only five stocks in the S&P 500 managed to stay in the green as the benchmark index fell more than 12% to wipe out $5.8 trillion in market value in its worst four-day plunge since the early days of the COVID pandemic.
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that these stocks all share one thing in common: they're all members of the defensive healthcare sector.
But before we get into which stocks managed to stay afloat during the S&P 500's biggest absolute wipeout in market cap since the 1950s, let's recap how we got here.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The S&P 500, the main benchmark for U.S. equity performance, is still down about 14% from its February peak, hurt by uncertainty over tariffs. The market selloff accelerated between April 2 and April 8 as the White House rolled out and then paused parts of its new international trading regime.
Defensive sectors such as consumer staples, utilities and healthcare are supposed to hold up better when the market is selling off. Happily, that's what they did during those four sessions that shook the world. Be that as it may, these three sectors still suffered losses of about 7% to 8%, respectively.
That's better than the S&P 500's overall shellacking, but it still left traders' screens plastered in red.
Naturally, the Magnificent 7 stocks that did much of the bull market's heavy lifting had the farthest to fall, dragging the cap-weighted benchmarks with them. Interestingly, while the price-weighted Dow Jones Industrial Average was hardly spared damage, its most influential name actually generated the second best returns of any S&P 500 constituent during the market's historic selloff.
Have a look at the table below to see which five S&P 500 stocks managed to stay in the green as the market desperately searched for a bottom during the panic. Note that all these companies are defensive healthcare providers. And although Wall Street's recommendations on these stocks vary, UnitedHealth Group (UNH) routinely ranks among analysts' top S&P 500 stocks to buy.
Company | % price change (April 2-8) | Market cap | Average broker recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
Humana (HUM) | 6.1 | $34 billion | Hold |
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) | 5.7 | $506 billion | Strong Buy |
Centene (CNC) | 2.8 | $31 billion | Buy (mixed conviction) |
Molina Healthcare (MOH) | 0.7 | $18 billion | Buy (mixed conviction) |
Elevance Health (ELV) | 0.4 | $98 billion | Buy (strong conviction) |
Data as of April 9, 2025, courtesy of S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Related content
-
December Fed Meeting: Live Updates and CommentaryThe December Fed meeting is one of the last key economic events of 2025, with Wall Street closely watching what Chair Powell & Co. will do about interest rates.
-
This Is Why Investors Shouldn't Romanticize BitcoinInvestors should treat bitcoin as the high-risk asset it is. A look at the data indicates a small portfolio allocation for most investors would be the safest.
-
I'm a Federal Benefits Pro: I Answer These 2 Questions a LotMany federal employees ask about rolling a TSP into an IRA and parsing options for survivor benefits, both especially critical topics.
-
UNH Sparks a 408-Point Surge for the Dow: Stock Market TodayThe best available data right now confirm both a slowing employment market and a December rate cut, a tension reflected at the equity index level.
-
Stocks Hit Fresh Highs Ahead of the Fed As Earnings Pump Optimism: Stock Market TodaySHW and UNH were two of the best Dow Jones stocks Tuesday, thanks to solid earnings reports, and MSFT closed with a $4 trillion market cap.
-
Dow Adds 238 Points as UNH, CAT Pop: Stock Market TodayThe lack of a September jobs report didn't seem to worry market participants, with the data delayed due to the ongoing government shutdown.
-
Stocks Grind Up to New All-Time Highs: Stock Market TodayUnitedHealth stock led the Dow Jones Industrial Average amid increasing signs the labor market has not been well for months.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into UnitedHealth Group Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have TodayUNH stock was a massive market beater for ages — until it wasn't.
-
Dow Hits New Intraday High: Stock Market TodayValue-hunters with big stakes in a particular component kept one of the main U.S. equity indexes in positive territory.
-
Berkshire Buys the Dip on UnitedHealth Group Stock. Should You?
Buffett & Co. picked up UnitedHealth stock on the cheap, with the embattled blue chip one of the newest holdings in the Berkshire Hathaway equity portfolio.
-
Markets Weigh Earnings and Inflation: Stock Market TodayThe major U.S. indexes struggled Thursday amid a hot inflation reading and seasonal headwinds.
