03:39 PM EDT, 08/20/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks were advancing late Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Health Care Index rising 0.5% and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) up 0.4%.

The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) eased 0.1%.

In corporate news, Asensus Surgical ( ASXC ) shares jumped nearly 16% after the company said its shareholders approved the planned merger with Karl Storz Endoscopy-America, a unit of Karl Storz SE & Co.