Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) is hoping to obtain Food and Drug Administration approval to market its top-selling cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor over the counter, according to the Wall Street Journal. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) stock opened at $31.52 in last session, and closed at $31.98, while the day range of stock is $31.52 – $32.14. The stock showed a negative weekly performance of -0.03%.
Analysts at Leerink Swann upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) from $49.00 to $57.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, American Banking and Market Newsreports. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) stock opened at $56.10, in last session and closed at $56.42, by losing -1.00%. The 52 week range of the stock is $42.33 – $57.46. Company’s market capitalization is $165.91 billion.
The Dow component that led the way higher was Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), which sported a 76-cent gain (+0.8%) bringing the stock to $92.12. This single gain lifted the Dow Jones Industrial Average by 5.75 points or roughly accounting for 11.7% of the Dow’s overall gain. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) stock decreased -0.61% and finished the last session at $91.56. The EPS of the stock remained 4.81. Company’s market capitalization is $259.01 billion.
AAbbVie Inc (NYSE:ABBV)’s combination hepatitis C therapy cured almost all patients in a late-stage study, moving the company closer to marketing a treatment that will compete with Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD:US) and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.(BMY:US). AbbVie Inc (NYSE:ABBV) stock opened the session at $50.34, and closed the session at $50.09. The 52 week range of the stock remained $36.55 – $54.78 and the day range was $49.79 – $50.86.