09:16 AM EDT, 05/09/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Health care stocks were steady pre-bell Thursday with the iShares Biotechnology ETF ( IBB ) being inactive and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLV ) was slightly higher recently.

Stevanato Group (STVN) was down more than 10% after it reported lower Q1 adjusted earnings and revenue. The company also lowered its full-year outlook for adjusted EPS and revenue.

Takeda Pharmaceutical ( TAK ) was down 0.8% after it reported fiscal Q4 core earnings of 72 yen ($0.46) per basic share, down from 102 yen a year earlier.

Merck ( MRK ) was 0.1% lower after saying a late-stage trial assessing its cancer drug Keytruda plus chemotherapy as adjuvant treatment, with or without radiotherapy, did not meet its primary endpoint of disease-free survival, or DFS, for the treatment of high-risk endometrial cancer post-surgery.