Market Extra: These are the companies that had the biggest impact on the Dow’s historic winning streak

Still, the streak has left many on Wall Street astonished. But what companies helped propel the Dow higher?

An analysis from Dow Jones Market Data shows UnitedHealth Group Inc.
UNH,
-0.46%,
the most heavily weighted company in the Dow, contributed the most points to the Dow during the streak, adding 281.16 points to the blue-chip average on a net basis through noon Eastern Time on Thursday. A strong earnings report earlier this month helped drive UnitedHealth’s shares higher.

See: UnitedHealth’s shares on track for biggest gain in over two years after earnings beat expectations

Unlike the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, which are weighted by market capitalization, the more old-fashioned Dow is weighted by share price. UnitedHealth’s shares closed at $508 on Wednesday, according to FactSet data.

Goldman Sachs Group
GS,
-0.87%
and Home Depot Inc.
HD,
+0.01%
were the second- and third-biggest contributors before the Dow turned lower Thursday afternoon.

It’s notable that Apple Inc.
AAPL,
-0.72%
and Microsoft Corp.
MSFT,
-2.04%,
the only two members of the so-called “Magnificent Seven” group of megacap technology stocks included in the Dow, contributed surprisingly little to the streak. Microsoft shares actually weighed on the index, while Apple kicked in just 36.11 points through Wednesday’s close.

See: Amazon is the cheapest of the Magnificent Seven stocks by this important measure

See the complete breakdown below::

After trading higher for most of Thursday’s session, the Dow
DJIA,
-0.65%
tumbled into the red in afternoon trading following reports that the Bank of Japan might tweak its policy of yield curve control at its policy meeting, which concludes Friday in Tokyo. The blue-chip gauge was off by 145 points, or 0.4%, at 35,377 in recent trade.