PFE, MRK, LLY & Other Drug Stocks Down Amid Tariff Jitters

Group 1 - Pharmaceutical stocks declined due to uncertainty surrounding proposed tariffs on imported pharmaceutical products, with a potential tariff of 25% expected to be implemented from April 2 [1][2] - Companies heavily reliant on overseas manufacturing, such as Pfizer (PFE), Merck (MRK), Eli Lilly (LLY), and AbbVie (ABBV), experienced significant stock declines of 3.2%, 2.9%, 2.5%, and 1.6% respectively [2] - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) saw a notable drop of 7.6% after a Texas district court rejected its bankruptcy plan related to talc lawsuits [2] Group 2 - Drugmakers are increasing investments in U.S. manufacturing to counteract the shift to lower-cost markets abroad [3] - Johnson & Johnson announced plans to invest over $55 billion in the U.S. over the next four years, while Eli Lilly plans to invest$27 billion in new manufacturing sites by 2025, totaling over $50 billion in commitments since 2020 [4] - Pfizer is also considering moving some overseas manufacturing back to the U.S. in light of tariff threats [4] Group 3 - The cost of drug production in the U.S. is high, which may lead to increased drug prices for consumers and affect profit margins for drugmakers, particularly those producing generic and biosimilar products [5] - Some countries exporting drugs or active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to the U.S. may withdraw from the market, potentially causing supply shortages and disrupting the global supply chain [5] Group 4 - Biotech stocks are under pressure following the resignation of a key FDA official, Dr. Peter Marks, amid concerns regarding potential tariffs on pharmaceutical imports [6] - Companies like PFE, MRK, ABBV, LLY, and JNJ currently hold a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [7]