03:41 PM EDT, 10/31/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks were mixed late Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Health Care Index down 0.1% and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) fractionally higher.

The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) rose 1.3%.

In corporate news, Pfizer ( PFE ) could leverage its White House connections to counter Novo Nordisk's ( NVO ) bid for obesity biotech company Metsera ( MTSR ) , Reuters reported. Pfizer ( PFE ) shares were up 1.4%, Novo was falling 1.9%, and Metsera ( MTSR ) was down 1.8%.