01:56 PM EDT, 04/07/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks were higher Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Health Care Index up 0.3% and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) gaining 0.4%.

The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) shed 0.3%.

In corporate news, Gilead Sciences ( GILD ) has agreed to acquire Germany-based Tubulis for up to $5 billion to expand its oncology pipeline. Gilead shares were down 0.6%.

Health insurance stocks were advancing after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced a larger-than-expected increase to Medicare Advantage payments for 2027. Humana (HUM) shares jumped past 9%, UnitedHealth ( UNH ) surged 10%, and CVS Health ( CVS ) gained 7.1%.

Novo Nordisk ( NVO ) said Tuesday it has launched Wegovy HD, an injectable 7.2 milligram version of its popular weight-loss drug, in the US. Novo shares rose 0.6%.