Stocks slip amid uneven earnings

U.S. stocks closed slightly lower Thursday after spending much of the day wavering between small gains and losses.

Several companies reported earnings and outlooks that offered a mixed picture of the economy for investors.

Healthcare stocks were among the biggest decliners, dragged down after UnitedHealth Group cut its fullyear earnings forecast.

The nation’s largest health insurer raised doubts about whether it will continue to participate in a key piece of the Affordable Care Act.

In the absence of major economic news, investors focused on the uneven company earnings and outlooks.

“That’s why we are largely without a lot of vigor in either direction today,” said Eric Wiegand, senior portfolio manager at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 4.41 points, or 0.02%, to 17,732.75. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index slipped 2.34 points, or 0.1%, to 2,081.24. The Nasdaq composite lost 1.56 points, or 0.03%, to 5,073.64.

Best Buy dropped 2.1% after releasing disappointing sales and a cautious outlook for the holiday shopping season. The stock slipped 66 cents to $30.67.

UnitedHealth Group fell 5.6% after it cut its 2015 earnings forecast and said it would pull back on the marketing of its exchange business a few weeks after open enrollment for that coverage began nationwide. The stock lost $6.62 to $110.63. Tenet Healthcare also fell, sliding $2.65, or 8%, to $30.40.

Healthcare stocks fell the most among the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 index, sliding 1.6%. The sector remains up 3.4% for the year.

Single-serve coffee brewing systems maker Keurig Green Mountain and customer-management software developer Salesforce.com each rose sharply after reporting better-than-expected earnings and revenue.

Keurig jumped $7.38, or 18.2%, to $47.88. Salesforce.com climbed $3.29, or 4.3%, to $80.64.

Traders also bid up shares in J.M. Smucker, which delivered earnings that beat Wall Street’s expectations. The food products company jumped $7.90, or 7%, to $121.28.

Square and Match Group made big splashes in their market debuts. Square, known for its white, cube-shaped credit and debit card readers that plug into smartphones, gained $4.07, or 45.2%, to $13.07.

Match, owner of online dating portals Tinder, Match.com and OKCupid, rose $2.74, or 22.8%, to $14.74.