Healthcare stocks outperformed the broader market on Friday, with Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson and AbbVie among the major names hitting fresh 52-week highs. The sector has quietly become one of the market's stronger performers in recent weeks, with healthcare stocks in the S&P 500 gaining roughly 3% this year and outperforming the broader index as investors rotate toward defensive sectors. Big Pharma names including Lilly, J&J, AbbVie and Merck have all approached or reached new highs, while the VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF extended its winning streak after reports that the Trump administration had narrowed its shortlist for the next FDA commissioner. Biotech stocks also participated in the rally, with Moderna, Biogen and Incyte reaching 52-week highs as the SPDR Biotech ETF posted a seventh straight session of gains amid renewed healthcare M&A activity.
AbbVie Inc
Biogen Inc
Incyte Corporation
Johnson & Johnson
Eli Lilly and Company
Merck & Company Inc
Moderna Inc
Merck KGaA