Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 11:28AM |  54°
MENU
Advertisement
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Stocks are opening broadly lower on Wall Street, led by declines in health care stocks and banks. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
7
MORE

Stocks slide as drugmakers fall on price worries

Richard Drew

Stocks slide as drugmakers fall on price worries

US stocks are mostly lower as drug companies fall following President Donald Trump's comments about reducing drug prices

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes are lower Tuesday as Drugmakers fall after President Donald Trump said he wants to bring drug prices down. Technology companies are making small gains. Stock indexes are continuing to slip further away from the record highs they set last week.

KEEPING SCORE: The Standard & Poor’s 500 index lost 5 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,370 as of 2:20 p.m. Eastern time. The index hasn’t had a two-day losing streak since the end of January. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 20 points, or 0.1 percent, to 20,934. The Nasdaq composite sagged 6 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,842. Two stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange.

The market is headed for its third loss in the last four trading days after setting all-time highs as recently as last Wednesday. On Thursday the current bull market will turn eight years old. It has lasted longer than any other bull market since World War II except for the decade-long run that ended in early 2000.

Advertisement

HEALTH CARE HAMMERED: Health care companies fell after House Republicans introduced legislation to replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act. The legislation would provide tax credits for people buying their own insurance and would scale back the government’s role in helping people afford coverage. It would likely leave more Americans uninsured and would also overhaul Medicaid. It’s not clear if the bill will gain enough support to pass the Senate, as several Republicans have already criticized the proposal.

Health insurance companies traded higher, however. Les Funtleyder, health care portfolio manager for E Squared Asset Management, said the bill would help reduce the losses health insurers are taking on plans offered to people who don’t get their insurance through an employer or the government.

“They’re talking about stabilizing the individual market,” he said.

Humana added $5.58, or 2.6 percent, to $218.32 and Anthem rose 55 cents to $166.39.

Advertisement

DRUGMAKERS DOWN: Drug companies fell after President Donald Trump said in a tweet that he intends to bring down drug prices. Trump has talked about reducing drug prices before, but hasn’t discussed details. Funtleyder said the task might be harder than it sounds.

“There’s no government mechanism at the moment to control costs directly,” he said.

Companies that make costly drugs took some of the largest losses. Mallinckrodt, which has faced criticism over the price tag of its HP Acthar gel, gave up $1.21, or 2.4 percent, to $50.05. Biotechnology company Alexion Pharmaceuticals shed $3.18, or 2.4 percent, to $130.15. Alexion makes Soliris, a high-priced drug that treats two rare genetic disorders.

Meanwhile generic drug companies also struggled. Those included Perrigo and Mylan, which are among several generic drugmakers facing scrutiny over possible price-fixing, retreated $1.28, or 1.8 percent, to $70.31 and Mylan fell 53 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $43.51.

Prescription drug distributors also fell. Express Scripts lost $2.15, or 3.1 percent, to $67.90.

AND HOW IS THE WEATHER: Oilfield services company Weatherford International soared after it named a new CEO. The company is hiring Halliburton Chief Financial Officer Mark McCollum as its new president and CEO. McCollum will join the company in late April. Weatherford stock surged 72 cents, or 12.2 percent, to $6.61. The stock is down almost 50 percent over the last two years.

LOGGING ON: Technology companies did better than the rest of the market. Chipmaker Texas Instruments gained 96 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $79.27 while video game maker Electronic Arts rose $1.06, or 1.2 percent, to $88.20. Data storage company Nimble Storage soared after it agreed to be bought by Hewlett Packard Enterprise for about $1 billion. The stock rose $3.91, or 45.5 percent, to $12.51, one cent above the price of the deal.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude held steady at $53.20 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, lost 3 cents to $55.98 a barrel in London. Energy companies continued to lag the market, however, which continued a pattern that’s persisted since late last year. Hess lost $1.32, or 2.6 percent, to $49.71 and Exxon Mobil skidded 32 cents to $82. 51 while natural gas companies like Southwestern Energy fell with the price of that fuel.

FOUL BALL: Dick’s Sporting Goods slumped after the retailer gave a weak forecast for the year and its profit projections for the first quarter fell short of Wall Street forecasts. The stock tumbled $4.66, or 8.9 percent, to $47.95.

BONDS: Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.51 percent from 2.50 percent.

CURRENCIES: The dollar bounced back to 114.03 yen from 113.92 yen. The euro fell to $1.0566 from $1.0588.

METALS: Gold dropped $9.40 to $1,216.10 an ounce. Silver lost 24 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $17.54 an ounce. Copper fell 3 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $2.62 a pound.

OVERSEAS: The CAC 40 in France traded 0.3 percent lower. Germany’s DAX rose 0.1 percent and the FTSE 100 index in Britain slid 0.2 percent. The Nikkei 225 stock index in Tokyo edged 0.2 percent lower. The Hang Seng gained 0.4 percent and South Kore’s Kospi gained 0.6 percent.

AP Markets Writer Marley Jay can be reached at http://twitter.com/MarleyJayAP His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/journalist/marley-jay

First Published: January 1, 2001, 12:00 a.m.
Updated: March 7, 2017, 7:34 p.m.

RELATED
SHOW COMMENTS (0)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
Mary Lou Retton poses at "Dancing with the Stars" Season 27 at CBS Televison City on Sept. 24, 2018, in Los Angeles, California.
1
news
Olympic gymnastics legend Mary Lou Retton charged with DUI in West Virginia
Bryan Reynolds celebrates with Isiah Kiner-Falefa of the Pittsburgh Pirates after hitting a three run home run during the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 27, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona.
2
sports
3 takeaways: Unlikely heroes fuel improbable comeback win
Former NFL Player and NFL Sunday co-host Terry Bradshaw speaks to the media during FOX Sports Media Day at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on February 06, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
3
sports
Terry Bradshaw rips Steelers' QB situation as 'a joke' and 'failure'
Head coach Pat Narduzzi of the Pittsburgh Panthers leads the Panthers onto the field before the game against the Wofford Terriers at Acrisure Stadium on September 2, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
4
sports
Analysis: What to make of Pitt football's 2025 win total projections
The Steel Curtain rollercoaster at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Herschend, the world’s largest family-run theme park operator, announced on Tuesday that it has completed its acquisition of several U.S. amusement parks, including Kennywood Park.
5
business
Kennywood officially changing hands as part of massive theme park acquisition
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Stocks are opening broadly lower on Wall Street, led by declines in health care stocks and banks. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)  (Richard Drew)
Traders Edward McCarthy, left, and Daniel Leporin, right, work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Stocks are opening broadly lower on Wall Street, led by declines in health care stocks and banks. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)  (Richard Drew)
Specialist Stephen Naughton, left, and trader Fred Demarco, center, work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Stocks are opening broadly lower on Wall Street, led by declines in health care stocks and banks. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)  (Richard Drew)
Traders Richard Newman, left, Robert Arciero, center, and John Panin, right, work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Stocks are opening broadly lower on Wall Street, led by declines in health care stocks and banks. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)  (Richard Drew)
Trader Michael Conlon, center, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Stocks are opening broadly lower on Wall Street, led by declines in health care stocks and banks. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)  (Richard Drew)
Trader Gregory Rowe works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Stocks are opening broadly lower on Wall Street, led by declines in health care stocks and banks. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)  (Richard Drew)
Specialist Mark Fitzgerald, left, works with trader Michael Smyth, center, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Stocks are opening broadly lower on Wall Street, led by declines in health care stocks and banks. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)  (Richard Drew)
Richard Drew
Advertisement
LATEST business
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story