-- Health care stocks were mixed late Wednesday afternoon, with the NYSE Health Care Index down 0.1% and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) adding 0.1%.
The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) eased 0.1%.
In corporate news, Biogen (BIIB) shares rose 2.2% after UBS upgraded the biotechnology company's stock to buy from neutral and boosted its price target to $225 per share from $185.
Boston Scientific (BSX) shares jumped 8.3% after the company reported Q1 results exceeded Wall Street's estimates.
Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) shares climbed 7% after the company lifted the full-year procedure growth outlook of its Da Vinci robotic surgery system and reported better-than-expected Q1 results.
Merck (MRK), Germany's Merck KGaA and Japan's Ono Pharmaceutical expressed interest in Inhibrx Biosciences' (INBX) experimental cancer medicine that may be valued at more than $8 billion, Reuters reported. Merck shares rose 0.4%, and Inhibrx surged 35%.