Shares of UnitedHealth Group are surging before the market open Friday as Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway disclosed that it recently purchased shares of the beleaguered insurer.

Key Takeaways UnitedHealth Group shares surged Friday after Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway revealed a stake in the embattled healthcare giant.After bottoming at the start of August, the stock has continued to gain momentum,

Year to date, the stock has fallen by nearly 45%, which is by no means normal for the healthcare stock. In fact, this is the worst it has performed since the Great Recession, when it tumbled by more than 54% in 2008.

UnitedHealth's yield is typically less than 2%, but nowadays, it's well over 3%. The stock experienced a steep decline in value this year as its financials underwhelmed investors. Rising costs, utilization rates,

The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened at its first all-time high of the year on Friday as shares of health care giant UnitedHealth Group soared.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and other major stock indexes traded sharply mixed Friday as Wall Street reacted to the U.S. retail sales report. Meanwhile, UnitedHealth GroupUNH soared on the stock market today after famed investor Warren Buffett disclosed a new position.

UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH) shares climbed Friday after high-profile investors Michael Burry and Warren Buffett took positions in the insurance giant, offering some relief to a stock that has tumbled about 41% year-to-date.

U.S. equities were mixed at midday following the release of the July retail sales report, which came in as expected.