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Sector Update: Health Care Stocks Fall Late Afternoon

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-- Health care stocks declined late Wednesday afternoon, with the NYSE Health Care Index down 0.6% and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) shedding 0.9%.

The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) fell 1.5%.

In corporate news, Boston Scientific (BSX) shares fell 3.3% after Daiwa Securities downgraded the stock to neutral from outperform, and lowered its price target to $60 per share from $83 earlier.

AbbVie (ABBV) raised its full-year outlook on Wednesday as the biopharmaceutical company recorded better-than-expected Q1 results, driven by robust revenue growth from its Skyrizi and Rinvoq immunology drugs. Its shares rose 3.7%.

AstraZeneca (AZN) will invest 300 million pounds ($404.9 million) in the UK, focusing on its sites in Cambridge and Macclesfield, in a move aimed at boosting the country's life sciences sector, Bloomberg reported. AstraZeneca shares were down 1.1%.

KalVista Pharmaceuticals (KALV) and Chiesi Group said Wednesday they have signed an agreement through which Chiesi will buy KalVista for $27 per share in cash, or about $1.9 billion. KalVista shares surged 38%.

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Commodities

US Oil Update: Futures Drop as Iran Proposes Peace Framework via Pakistan

Crude oil futures slipped in midday trading on Friday as Iran delivered a fresh proposal for peace talks to the US through Pakistani mediators, fueling hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough that could eventually reopen the Strait of Hormuz.Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude futures dropped by 2.94% to $101.96 per barrel, while Brent futures were down by 2.04% to $108.12/bbl."With Hormuz remaining largely shut, oil prices have surged more than 25% over the past two weeks, driven by tightening supply and heightened geopolitical risk," Soojin Kim, research analyst at MUFG, said.Tensions between the US and Iran remain elevated despite a ceasefire. President Trump expressed displeasure with the current state of peace talks with Iran on Friday, blaming the country's disjointed leadership for preventing a deal to end the conflict that has roiled global energy markets.Iran sent its latest proposal for negotiations with the US to Pakistani mediators on Thursday, according to media reports, as Trump threatens to maintain the blockade of Iranian ports amid behind-the-scenes diplomacy to end the Middle East conflict.US envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly sent a list of amendments on Monday to reinsert the nuclear issue into the agreement under discussion, with one of the amendments demanding that Iran commit to not attempting to move any enriched uranium.On Friday, the US Department of the Treasury said it could sanction vessels that pay tolls to Iran for safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, even if those payments are made as charitable donations to Iranian NGOs.The Department said Iranian demands for toll payments may include fiat currency, digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or charitable donations made to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, Bonyad Mostazafan, or Iranian embassy accounts.Traffic through the Hormuz was cut by half on Apr. 30 to seven crossings from the previous day, with traffic split between four commercial and three non-commercial movements, according to Kpler.OPEC+ is expected to agree at the group's meeting over the weekend on another symbolic production increase of 188,000 barrels per day for June, following the UAE's surprise departure.Rystad analysts said the departure removes one of the few producers in the alliance with meaningful spare capacity and a strong compliance record, undermining OPEC+'s role as a coordinated supply manager.

International

Cargo Traffic to Los Angeles Port Expected to Rise in Week Ending May 16

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Australia

L3Harris Technologies' 2026 Outlook 'Incrementally Conservative' After Strong Q1, RBC Says

L3Harris Technologies' (LHX) 2026 outlook seems "incrementally conservative," given the strong Q1, with the company expected to raise guidance with its Q2 results, RBC Capital Markets said in a note emailed Friday.For 2026, the company raised its earnings outlook to a range of $11.40 to $11.60 per share from $11.30 to $11.50. It continues to expect full-year revenue of $23 billion to $23.5 billion.L3Harris' management sounded confident in the full-year revenue outlook and suggested the strong current momentum could lead to a 2026 guidance update with Q2 results, RBC analysts said. The company also indicated that the new chief financial officer's short tenure contributed to the decision not to raise guidance after the strong Q1, they added."We believe investors will continue to view the guide as conservative even after raising the revenue guide for 2026 after the Q4 2025 results," the analysts said.The analysts said the company could benefit from mid-single-digit organic growth, while a stronger focus on execution should help support confidence in its 2026 margin targets. Improved capital allocation, including debt reduction, may also act as a positive catalyst, they said.RBC maintained its sector perform rating and $365 price target on L3Harris.Price: $314.10, Change: $-6.45, Percent Change: -2.01%

$LHX