Stock Market Update
19-Aug-26 12:00 ET
Health care sector outperforms
Dow +153.20
at 53496.60,
Nasdaq +109.88
at 26420.62,
S&P +35.22
at 7726.98
[BRIEFING.COM] The major averages continue to trade in a relatively stable range at midday.
The health care sector (+2.9%) remains today's top performer, with strong leadership from biotechnology sending the SPDR Biotech (XBI 165.81, +5.70, +3.56%) toward its record high from early 2021 (174.79) after Moderna's (MRNA 143.26, +80.30, +127.54%) reported positive late-stage trial results from a personalized mRNA melanoma therapy.
The sector's largest component, Eli Lilly (LLY 1271.37, +45.64, +3.72%), adds a solid gain of its own, while managed care names are relative underperformers.
