01:01 PM EDT, 08/04/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Healthcare stocks were mixed Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Healthcare Index easing 0.2% and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) fractionally higher.

The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) climbed 1.8%.

In corporate news, Merck ( MRK ) and Pfizer ( PFE ) raised their respective full-year sales outlooks on Tuesday, as both pharmaceutical giants logged better-than-expected sales for Q2. Merck ( MRK ) shares rose 1.2%, and Pfizer ( PFE ) added 1.8%.