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XLV

Health Care Select Sect SPDR ETF

6/18/2013, 6:30 PM ET

Quote & Headlines Market Currents StockTalk

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Monday, June 17, 2:47 PM Stocks give up more than half of their earlier gains 75 minutes before the bell, the S&P 500 (SPY +0.4%). It's those interest rates again. Quiet for most of the day, rates began turning higher (TLT -0.4%) just after lunch, and the 10-year yield is now up 4 bps to 2.17%. Favorites of the dividend players, health care (XLV) and utilities (XLU) underperform - just flat on the session. 3 Comments
Monday, June 17, 12:56 PM More from Zulauf at Barron's: Taking issue with the gathering consensus of a stronger economy and the Fed pulling back, Zulauf suggests bond yields (TLT, TBT) may have stopped rising and could be set to fall. In conjunction with that view, noncyclical names (XLU, XLV) could be set for a comeback at the expense of cyclical sectors (XLV, XLB, XLE). Comment! [Quick Ideas]
Friday, May 31, 2:49 PM Stocks turn lower (DIA -0.5%) 90 minutes ahead of the bell as Treasury prices tumble anew (TLT -1.2%), the 10-year yield gaining another 9 bps to 2.20%. The levered Treasury short ETF (TBT +2.5%) hits a 52-week high. Again hardest hit are the previously hot defensive sectors whose yields no longer stand so tall over Treasurys. Health care (XLV -1.1%), Consumer staples (XLP -1.1%). Utilities (XLU +0.1%) however, get a respite from an ugly month. 6 Comments
Wednesday, May 29, 11:15 AM Stocks tumble to session lows in late-morning trade, the DJIA (DIA -1%) off 168 points. Gravity continues to take hold of the previously-leading defensive sectors as their dividends are starting to face competition from Treasurys - Healthcare (XLV -1.7%), Utilities (XLU -1.9%), Consumer staples (XLP -1.8%). Residing in tech, but favored for its high dividend, Verizon (VZ -2.9%) is off about 5% from its gap open yesterday. 3 Comments
Friday, May 17, 8:13 AM Thomas Lee lifts his year-end S&P 500 (SPY) forecast to 1,715 from 1,580 as the bull has already outrun his expectations. His team sees clues economic performance is picking up, including the outperformance of semiconductors (XSD) vs. transports (IYT), and the steepening of the 10 year/30 year Treasury curve. Risk/reward is particularly appealing in tech (XLK), healthcare (XLV), and financials (XLF). Comment!
Thursday, May 16, 11:42 AM The Dow and S&P 500 are flat, but the Nasdaq gains 0.4% late morning behind a 12.5% jump in Cisco post-earnings and Apple bouncing from the last 2 days' drubbing, up 1.5%. Dragging the Dow is a 2.1% decline in Wal-Mart post-earnings. The notably weak sector today is the year's hottest, healthcare (XLV -0.8%). 1 Comment
Monday, May 6, 1:36 PM Merck (MRK -1.3%) gets no love today from the FDA's approval of Liptruxet late Friday, as the stock is likely dragged down with the rest of the big pharma names on the back of a CNBC report that criticizes their earnings so far. The article points to the fact that pharmaceutical companies have seen a 4.7% contraction in earnings, and a 3.2% drop in revenue this quarter. Why? Morningstar's Damien Cover says there are two primary reasons: FX impact, especially from the yen, and intensified generic competition from patent losses. Comment! [Healthcare, On the Move]
Monday, May 6, 7:27 AM The S&P 500 (SPY) is fairly valued, says Goldman, but opportunity lies in cyclicals (XLY, XLE, XLI, XLB) which are more undervalued vs. defensives (XLU, XLP, XLV, XTL) than at any time in the last 15 years. "Given the 4 P/E multiple point head start, even a slight valuation normalization should translate into outperformance of cyclicals over defensives during the next 12 months." 1 Comment
Friday, May 3, 12:54 PM Stocks remain sharply higher midday (SPY +1.2%), with the year's leaders - healthcare (XLV +0.7%), utilities (XLU +0.2%), and staples (XLP +0.7%) - lagging, and the year's laggers - industrials (XLI +2.1%), tech (XLK +1.1%), and energy (XLE +1.9%) - leading. Treasurys (TLT -2.1%) are suffering one of their worst days of the year, and broader fixed income (AGG -0.3%). 1 Comment
Friday, April 26, 8:34 AM The beginning of a bigger move? Two of the year's three strongest performing sectors - healthcare (XLV) and consumer staples (XLP) - are down on the week as the three weakest sectors - energy (XLE), materials (XLB), and tech (XLK) - post gains of 3%-4.5%. 2 Comments
Wednesday, April 24, 12:44 PM Stocks take more of a negative tone at midday, the DJIA (DIA) -0.3%, led by 5% declines in both AT&T and Procter & Gamble. Also notably in the red is the healthcare (XLV -1.2%) sector, but financials (XLF +0.5%), energy (XLE +1.4%), and materials (XLB +1.2%) are posting gains. The Nasdaq -0.4%, led by the aforementioned AT&T, Cisco, and Apple. 1 Comment
Monday, April 15, 5:53 AM The Supreme Court is due to hear arguments today on whether it's possible to patent isolated human genes in a debate that encompasses the concept that IP can't cover "laws of nature." The case involves Myriad Genetics (MYGN), which holds two patents that allow it to genetically screen those at risk of breast or ovarian cancer. The impact of any ruling on the human-gene field will probably be limited, although it could have ramifications for the wider pharmaceuticals sector, agriculture, industrial microbiology and alternative fuels. 1 Comment [Healthcare, Top Stories]
Thursday, April 11, 2:08 PM Healthcare and biotech ETFs continue to churn higher again today, hitting new 52-week highs across the board: Health Care SPDR (XLV +1%), Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT +0.9%), iShares Dow Jones US Healthcare (IYH +0.9%),. Biotech ETF iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (IBB +1.3%). 1 Comment [Healthcare, On the Move]
Wednesday, April 10, 8:06 AM The $500M jury award against UnitedHealth (UNH) following a doctor's shoddy procedures is "groundbreaking," says lawyer John Beisner. "It opens the door to putting insurance companies consistently on the line for the actions of any physician who they compensate for services." However, Harvard Law School's Glenn Cohen reckons the award will be reduced on appeal. 1 Comment [Healthcare]
Friday, April 5, 5:00 AM St. Jude Medical (STJ) has been hit with lawsuits in California that allege that defects with the manufacturing and oversight of its now recalled Riata heart defibrillator "leads" injured or killed over 30 patients. The suits could have a wider impact, as they seek to get round a 2008 Supreme Court ruling that protected medical-device companies from product-liability claims as long as they complied with FDA standards. Comment! [Healthcare]
Thursday, April 4, 4:45 AM The cost of caring for people with dementia is $157-215B a year and could double by 2040, a study from RAND Corp. estimates. The cost of dementia treatment is $109B - above the $102B spent on heart disease and the $77B on cancer - with the other dementia expenses used for long-term day-to-day care. Companies that develop drugs for Alzheimer's disease and other conditions include Pfizer (PFE), Eli Lilly (LLY), J&J (JNJ) and Merck (MRK). 5 Comments [Healthcare]