Gains for Tech Help US Stocks Higher, but Insurers Skid<br />Health insurers and hospital operators skidded after President Donald Trump said he<br />will stop government payments to insurance companies under the Affordable Care Act.<br />The White House said late Thursday that it is stopping subsidy payments to insurers under the 2010 health care law.<br />Citi Investment Research analyst Praful Mehta said the company lost $2.2 billion in value Thursday alone,<br />and even if PG&E were found responsible and grossly negligent for the fires, he says it probably wouldn’t be fined much more than that.<br />U. S. Steel climbed $1.80, or 7 percent, to $27.36 and AK Steel added 31 cents, or 5.6 percent, to $5.80.<br />NEW YORK — U. S. stocks finished mostly higher Friday to wrap up a subdued week, and technology companies did most of the heavy lifting.<br />The Commerce Department said retail sales grew 1.6 percent in September after a small decline in August.
