Dow Futures Experience Sharp Decline

In a dramatic turn of events, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures tumbled more than 600 points during Thursday's premarket trading. This significant drop was primarily driven by a steep sell-off in UnitedHealth Group shares, which plummeted over 20% following disappointing quarterly earnings and a downgraded full-year outlook.

Market Reactions and Performance

By 7:40 am ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had fallen by 1.52%, or 607 points. In contrast, the Nasdaq 100 showed resilience, gaining 0.73% by 7:42 am ET, while the S&P 500 also edged up by 0.50% at the same time.

UnitedHealth's unexpected earnings miss and revised forecast have not only marked its worst trading day since 1998 but also rattled investor confidence, contributing to a broader market downturn.