-- Merck & Co (MRK) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $132.13, according to analysts polled by FactSet.
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Price: $112.64, Change: $+3.46, Percent Change: +3.17%
Health care stocks fell Friday afternoon with the NYSE Health Care Index easing 0.1% and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) decreasing 0.3%.The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) shed 0.7%.In corporate news, Moderna (MRNA) affirmed its 2026 revenue growth outlook and reported better-than-expected Q1 results amid higher COVID vaccine sales. The stock still declined 2.9%.Amgen's (AMGN) Q1 EPS beat was primarily driven by lower administrative costs and taxes, Morgan Stanley said. Amgen shares fell 5.6%.Novo Nordisk (NVO) rebranded its oral semaglutide medication for type 2 diabetes as Ozempic. It was formerly marketed as Rybelsus. Novo shares gained 3.2%.
(Updates prices.)Gold edged higher midafternoon Friday but remained rangebound, even as the dollar and treasury yields rose while traders turn to bonds and also while the Iran War pushes up oil prices and boosts inflation and threatens higher interest rates.Gold for June delivery was last seen up US$12.80 to US$4,642.40 per ounce.The precious metal has traded within a narrow range over the past month as the Iran war remains deadlocked. Against this backdrop, U.S. data on Thursday showed the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure rose by 3.5% annualized in March, up from a 2.8% pace in February.While the Fed's policy committee declined to raise interest rates at the Wednesday end to its two-day policy meeting, it issued a hawkish outlook, with rates likely to rise to combat higher prices, keeping gold, which offers no interest, in check."Gold ended April little changed despite a late oil-driven wobble sparked by inflation and rate-hike concerns," Saxo Bank noted.The dollar rose, with the ICE dollar index last seen up 0.07 points to 98.13. Treasury yields rose, with the yield on the U.S. two-year note last seen up 1.5 basis points to 3.888%, while the 10-year note last seen paying 4.38%, up 0.5 points.
Energy stocks were lower Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index decreasing 1.5% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) shedding 1.4%.The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index fell 0.9%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index decreased 0.4%.Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil declined 3.3% to $101.62 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract dropped 2.1% to $108.09 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures was steady at $2.77 per 1 million BTU.In corporate news, Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX) reported year-over-year declines in their Q1 earnings on Friday amid supply disruptions due to the Middle East war, but the figures came in ahead of Wall Street's estimates. Exxon shares were down 1.1%, and Chevron fell 1.5%.BP (BP) is considering exiting part or all of its operations in the UK North Sea in order to strip assets and pay down debt, Bloomberg reported. BP's upstream operations in the UK could fetch about $2.7 billion from a full divestment, the report said. BP shares were down 2.2%.Occidental Petroleum (OXY) said Friday its board has appointed Chief Operating Officer Richard Jackson to succeed Vicki Hollub as president and chief executive, starting June 1. Occidental shares declined 3.4%.