Market Performance - U.S. stocks showed positive movement with the Dow Jones index increasing by 0.22% to 48,469.41, the NASDAQ rising by 0.40% to 23,521.69, and the S&P 500 gaining 0.34% to 6,901.90 [1] - European shares were mostly higher, with the eurozone's STOXX 600 gaining 0.39%, Spain's IBEX 35 Index rising 0.16%, and London's FTSE 100 increasing by 0.29% [6] - Asian markets closed mixed, with Japan's Nikkei 225 gaining 0.02% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng falling by 0.11% [7] Economic Indicators - U.S. durable goods orders declined by 2.2% month-over-month to $307.4 billion in October, contrasting with a revised growth of 0.7% in September and exceeding market estimates of a 1.5% decline [2][10] - U.S. GDP grew at an annualized rate of 4.3% in the third quarter, marking the highest growth in two years and surpassing market expectations of 3.3% [8] Commodity Prices - Oil prices increased by 0.1% to $58.09, while gold rose by 0.2% to $4,477.10 [5] - Silver saw a significant increase of 2.4% to $70.230, and copper rose by 0.9% to $5.5580 [5] Company News - Novo Nordisk A/S shares surged by 9% to $52.30 following FDA approval of its Wegovy pill [9] - Highway Holdings Ltd shares jumped by 107% to $1.72 after announcing a nonbinding letter of intent to acquire a 51% stake in Germany-based Regent-Feinbau Adermann GmbH [9] - Trinity Biotech PLC shares increased by 56% to $1.39 after receiving an order for 9 million TrinScreen HIV tests [9] - Reviva Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc shares dropped by 50% to $0.30 following a regulatory update regarding brilaroxazine [9] - Starfighters Space Inc shares fell by 42% to $18.27 after a significant rally the previous day [9] - Argo Blockchain PLC shares decreased by 13% to $4.00 [9]

On Friday, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ:BMRN) agreed to acquire Amicus Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:FOLD) for a total equity value of about $4.8 billion."Immediately upon close, this transaction is expected to accelerate BioMarin's revenue growth and strengthen our financial outlook, delivering significant value to patients, employees, and stockholders. The transaction is expected to be accretive to Non-GAAP Diluted EPS in the first 12 months following close," said Alexander Hardy, President and Chief ...

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:REGN).And retail traders should know.We noticed this today when the positions showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with REGN, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 13 options trades for Regene ...

Canadians face a longer-than-expected wait for cheaper versions of Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug Ozempic after two of the biggest generics makers were hit with additional requests from the health regulator https://t.co/3Et2j0wEIi ...

Key Takeaways High-yield dividend stocks offer predictable income and help cushion portfolios amid market volatility.Reinvesting dividends can enhance long-term wealth through compounding while retaining equity exposure.Strong cash flow, disciplined payouts and steady business models aid sustainable dividends across cycles.In 2025, the U.S. economy showed modest growth amid mixed signals. After a weak start to the year, real GDP rebounded sharply in the second quarter, expanding 3.8%, according to the U.S. ...

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ:LEXX) on Tuesday provided an update on its Phase 1b, 12-week chronic study GLP-1-H24-4, recently completed in Australia, focusing on 4 DehydraTECH ( DHT) study arms relative to the Novo Nordisk A/S‘ (NYSE:NVO) Rybelsus (semaglutide) control study arm.“We are extremely pleased to not only have successfully achieved our primary endpoint,” stated Richard Christopher, CEO of Lexaria, “but to have also demonstrated obvious superiority in reducing unwanted side effects by as much ...

This is really going to be super exciting for the millions of patients that have been waiting to get their hands on a GLP-1 pill. Um, and for the first time, we are having a pill that has an efficacy of some 17% if you take the pill regularly. And one in three people are going to actually reduce up to 20% weight loss.I think that data speaks for itself and we are super excited of course to be the first to the market and um and we're going to go all in. We're of course going to sell this through our own webs ...

Core Insights - AbbVie (ABBV) and AstraZeneca (AZN) are both leading global healthcare companies with diverse drug portfolios, excelling in immunology and oncology, with AbbVie also focusing on neuroscience and aesthetics, while AstraZeneca emphasizes rare diseases and vaccines [1][2] AbbVie Overview - AbbVie has achieved significant success in immunology with three blockbuster drugs: Skyrizi, Rinvoq, and Humira, which together contribute nearly 50% of its revenue [3] - Despite losing U.S. exclusivity for Humira in 2023, AbbVie has returned to strong growth, with Skyrizi and Rinvoq sales increasing by 53% year-over-year to $18.5 billion, and projected to exceed $25 billion by 2025 [4] - The oncology segment generated approximately $5 billion in revenue in the first nine months of 2025, up nearly 3% year-over-year, while neuroscience drug sales rose over 20% to nearly $7.8 billion [5] - AbbVie has pursued an aggressive acquisition strategy, completing over 30 M&A transactions since early 2024, including acquiring Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals for a drug in mid-stage development for major depressive disorder [6] - AbbVie faces near-term challenges, including biosimilar competition for Humira, pressure on Imbruvica sales, and a decline in its aesthetics franchise, which saw a 7% drop in sales in the first nine months of 2025 [7] AstraZeneca Overview - AstraZeneca has a diversified geographical presence and a portfolio of blockbuster drugs, including Imfinzi, Lynparza, Farxiga, Ultomiris, and Tagrisso, which are driving revenue growth [8][9] - The company aims for $80 billion in total revenues by 2030, supported by the launch of 20 new medicines, with nine already launched or approved [10] - AstraZeneca has also expanded its pipeline through acquisitions, including EsoBiotec, a biotech specializing in cell therapies [11] - Challenges for AstraZeneca include the impact of U.S. policy changes on oncology sales, ongoing investigations in China, and competition from generics and biosimilars affecting key drugs [12][13] Financial Estimates and Performance - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AbbVie indicates an 8.2% increase in 2025 sales and a 5.1% increase in EPS, with recent EPS estimates declining from $11.04 to $10.64 [14] - For AstraZeneca, the 2025 sales and EPS estimates suggest a 9% and 11.9% increase, respectively, with EPS estimates rising from $4.56 to $4.60 [16] - Year-to-date, AbbVie shares have increased by 28%, while AstraZeneca shares have risen by 40%, outperforming the industry average of 17% [17] - AbbVie has a lower P/E ratio of 15.90 compared to AstraZeneca's 17.81, making AbbVie appear more attractive from a valuation perspective [18] - AbbVie offers a higher dividend yield of 2.88% compared to AstraZeneca's 1.10% [22] Comparative Analysis - Both companies hold a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold), indicating a challenging decision for investors [24] - AbbVie's recovery post-Humira is notable, driven by Skyrizi and Rinvoq, but its reliance on acquisitions may weigh on near-term earnings [25] - AstraZeneca's growth profile is more balanced, with a diverse range of blockbuster products reducing reliance on any single drug [27]

Core Insights - Gilead Sciences has exercised its option to exclusively license Assembly Biosciences' herpes simplex virus helicase-primase inhibitor programs, marking the first advancement under their collaboration [1][2] Licensing Agreement - Gilead entered a 12-year partnership with Assembly Biosciences in 2023 to develop novel antiviral therapies, with Assembly Bio receiving a $35 million payment upon Gilead's exercise of its option [2] - Gilead will obtain exclusive rights to ABI-5366 and ABI-1179, taking full responsibility for their clinical development and commercialization [2] Financial Milestones - Assembly Biosciences is eligible for up to $330 million in regulatory and commercial milestones, along with tiered royalties on net sales [3][7] Product Development - ABI-1179 and ABI-5366 are long-acting helicase-primase inhibitors showing strong antiviral activity and significant reduction in virus-positive lesions in interim data from early-stage studies [8][9] - Over four million people in the U.S. and some European countries suffer from recurrent genital herpes, indicating a substantial market opportunity for these new therapies [9][10] Market Context - No new HSV therapies have been approved in the U.S. or Europe in over 25 years, highlighting the potential impact of ABI-5366 and ABI-1179 if successfully developed [9][10] Gilead's HIV Portfolio - Gilead has a leading HIV franchise, with products like Biktarvy and Descovy driving top-line growth [11] - The recent FDA approval of lenacapavir for HIV prevention enhances Gilead's portfolio, especially as Truvada faces generic competition [12]

Key Takeaways Novo Nordisk shares soared Tuesday after the company said the Food and Drug Administration approved an oral version of its popular Wegovy weight-loss drug.The Danish drugmaker said it hopes to launch the pill in the U.S. in early January. Could a new weight-loss pill be just what Novo Nordisk (NVO) needs to revive its stock? U.S.-listed shares of the Danish drugmaker surged 9% in recent trading after the company said it received Food and Drug Administration approval for an oral version of ...