US stocks hold steadier even as the Dow is dragged down by a slump in UnitedHealth Group

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are mostly higher in the final day of trading for their holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 was 0.3% higher in early trading Thursday, and a recovery for tech stocks following their sell-off the day before helped push the Nasdaq composite up 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slumped 507 points, or 1.3%, but that was mostly because of one company, UnitedHealth Group, which reeled following a weaker-than-expected profit report. The U.S. bond market also held steadier, as it has for much of this week following last week's scary swerves. U.S. markets will be closed…