# S&P 500 Health Care Sector Rises 3% as CVS Gains 7.2% By Enna Lee Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/investing/34376 Published: 2026-10-18T13:20:56.000Z Updated: 2026-10-18T13:20:56.000Z Section: Investing > Idexx Laboratories rose 8.18% to lead the listed gainers. UnitedHealth Group and Johnson & Johnson also lifted their full-year earnings outlooks after third-quarter results beat expectations. Health care shares in the S&P 500 climbed 3% over the past week. Idexx Laboratories rose 8.18%, and CVS Health added 7.2%, placing them among the group's top gainers. Medtronic, Cigna and McKesson also ranked among the five leading stocks. Johnson & Johnson was among the five biggest decliners, alongside Illumina, Humana, Moderna and Vertex. In a separate earnings development, UnitedHealth Group and Johnson & Johnson each posted third-quarter results above expectations and lifted their full-year earnings outlooks. UnitedHealth had previously raised its 2026 adjusted earnings-per-share guidance to at least $20.50, as detailed in [an earlier report](). ## Links in this article - [an earlier report](https://www.tokenpost.com/news/business/31393)