• The S&P 500 rose 0.7% on Friday, May 16, 2025, and earned its fifth straight day this week even as the survey showed consumer sentiment was sagging.

• UnitedHealth shares recovered some of the losses after a criminal investigation into the insurer's Medicare Advantage business.

• The slowdown in China's sales led to revenue misses in applied materials and the chip gear maker's stock fell.

The index of major U.S. stocks rose higher on Friday, shaking a report indicating unexpected decline in consumer sentiment to end a positive week of trading and supported by signs of melting in U.S.-China trade relations.

The S&P 500 rose 0.7%, ending for the fifth straight day. The Dow Jones Index rose 0.8%, while the Nasdaq rose 0.5%. read Investopedia's Complete coverage of today's deals here.

UnitedHealth Group(Unh) Stocks soared 6.4%, recording the S&P 500's highest daily performance. The stock, which released some huge losses at the previous session, was reportedly withdrawn from reports of UnitedHealth’s Medicare Advantage business as the subject of crime investigations. The news for the investigation comes as the insurance giant withdraws its full-year guidance and announces its CEO's departure. Analysts believe the company could face expensive legal settlements and may need to adjust its Medicare Advantage strategy.

Modern (mRNA) announced that it has performed its first dose in a phase 1 trial of experimental cancer treatment, a step towards biotech's oncology portfolio. Moderna shares rose by 5.1%.

Stocks of financial technology company Fiservfi) also had a partial recovery on Friday, bounced 4.7% after sinking on Thursday. Fiserv CFO after providing a bland growth forecast for the company's point-of-sale platform.

Semiconductor equipment manufacturers applied materials (Very) reported that its fiscal revenue in the second quarter was lower than expected revenue, which was due to pressure from the decline in sales in China, which fell year-on-year for the third consecutive quarter. Although net income exceeded estimates for the period, Applied Materials stock fell 5.3%, the biggest loss of all S&P 500 stocks on Friday.

The first solar energy (FSLR) Stocks fell 4.2%, reversing a portion of earnings from the stock release this week as Congress proposals include extensions of certain solar tax credits. First Solar Stocks were lifted by analysts at Wolf Research, who upgraded their stocks to "outperform the market" before the sell-off ended this week, citing a more pronounced outlook for the tax credit.