S&P 500 Gains & Losses Today: Johnson & Johnson Stock Jumps; Universal Health Services Shares Slide

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Key Takeaways

• The S&P 500 ticked 0.3% higher on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, as President Trump addressed concerns that a dismissal of Fed Chair Jerome Powell could be imminent.

• Johnson & Johnson shares pushed higher after the health care giant reported better-than-expected quarterly results.

• Shares of Universal Health Services fell after BofA analysts downgraded the stock, citing headwinds related to recent health care legislation.
  

Major U.S. equities indexes ticked higher Wednesday as President Donald Trump refuted reports that he is planning the immediate dismissal of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and questions about his legal ability to do so.

The S&P 500 added 0.3% in the midweek trading session. The Nasdaq also gained 0.3%, notching a record closing high for a third straight day. The Dow was up 0.5%.  Read Investopedia's full coverage of today's trading here.

Shares of Global Payments (GPN) surged 6.5%, the most of any S&P 500 stock, following reports that activist investor Elliott Management has accumulated a significant stake in the financial technology firm. Global Payments shares took a hit in April when the company agreed to acquire payment processor Worldpay in a cash-and-stock deal worth more than $24 billion.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) shares jumped 6.2%. The medical device and drug maker topped sales and profit forecasts with its second-quarter results and boosted its full-year guidance. CEO Joaquin Duato said Johnson & Johnson is positioned for growth in the second half of 2025, highlighting approvals and expected submissions across various medical areas.

U.S.-based asset manager Apollo Global Management (APO) is reportedly in discussions about a potential investment in Spanish soccer club Atletico Madrid. Although Apollo's initial meetings with the club were focused on financing Atletico's 800-million-euro development project surrounding Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium, the firm is now reportedly interested in acquiring a stake in the team's majority owner. Apollo Global Management shares gained 4.8%.

Shares of engineering and design software firm Ansys (ANSS) fell 4.7%, posting the benchmark index's weakest daily performance. Wednesday's downturn gave back some of the gains posted by the stock earlier in the week after regulators in China granted conditional approval for the $35 billion buyout of Ansys by fellow software provider Synopsys (SNPS). S&P Dow Jones Indices said Tuesday that Ansys stock will exit the S&P 500 later this week following the closure of the deal, to be replaced by digital advertising firm The Trade Desk (TDD).

Bank of America analysts downgraded Universal Health Services (UHS) stock to "underperform" from "neutral" and lowered their price target. Shares of the hospital operator fell 3.8%. Analysts cited concerns about health care legislation, including cuts to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act, or ACA, exchanges, which they believe could pressure patient volumes and increase hospitals' exposure to bad debt. BofA indicated that UHS is highly vulnerable to changes in state directed payments.

Shares of memory chipmaker Micron Technology (MU) sank 3.1% after Goldman Sachs initiated coverage of the stock with a "neutral" rating. Although Goldman analysts said Micron could benefit from an eventual rebound in the NAND flash memory market heading into 2026, they maintain a cautious stance on the overall semiconductor space, revenues for which it expects will remain relatively stable through next year.

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