New York, February 15, 2026, 13:24 (EST) — Market closed.
- The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) rose about 1.1% on Friday, helped by sharp gains in Dexcom and Moderna.
- Earnings and guidance drove the moves, while investors kept one eye on policy and litigation headlines in healthcare.
- U.S. markets are shut on Monday for Presidents Day, setting up a shorter trading week.
The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) ended Friday up about 1.1% at $157.67, as Dexcom jumped 7.6% and Moderna gained 5.3% after earnings updates.
The timing matters. A bruising bout of “AI disruption” anxiety has been spilling out of software and into other industries, and it has investors hunting for steadier places to park money. Barclays equity strategist Emmanual Cau said fear had investors in “sell first think later” mode. (Reuters)
Friday’s cooler-than-expected U.S. inflation data pushed Treasury yields lower and left the S&P 500 barely higher, while the Nasdaq slipped as heavyweight technology and communications services shares lost ground. Michael James, managing director at Rosenblatt Securities, said large-cap tech “continue to be an anchor on the market.” (Reuters)
Dexcom beat Wall Street estimates for fourth-quarter results, leaning on demand for its continuous glucose monitoring systems — wearable sensors that track glucose without routine finger-prick tests. The company reiterated its 2026 revenue forecast of $5.16 billion to $5.25 billion, while CEO Jake Leach pointed to the launch of its G7 15 Day system and said the company planned to build on that momentum in 2026. (Reuters)
Moderna, meanwhile, said it was looking for growth overseas after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration refused to review its experimental flu shot, citing flaws in trial design. CEO Stephane Bancel warned that “sustained regulatory uncertainty” could mean U.S.-developed therapies reach patients abroad before becoming available in the United States, as the company forecast up to 10% revenue growth in 2026 driven largely by international sales. (Reuters)
Legal risk also stayed in view. A Pennsylvania jury awarded $250,000 to the family of a woman who said Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based baby powder caused her ovarian cancer; the company said it would appeal and called the verdict “token.” (Reuters)
In the broader group on Friday, Merck rose 1.8% and AbbVie added 1.8%, while UnitedHealth gained 3.1% and Humana climbed 3.0%. Johnson & Johnson slipped 0.5%. Medical devices were firmer — the iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF rose about 1.0% — while biotech was slightly lower, with the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF down about 0.3%.
But the sector’s bid isn’t a straight line. Guidance can matter more than beats, and Washington and the courts can throw surprises that land on single names rather than the whole group.
The next catalyst is simply the calendar: U.S. exchanges are closed on Monday, February 16, for Presidents Day, with trading resuming Tuesday, February 17, when investors will look for follow-through from the latest earnings and any fresh policy headlines tied to healthcare and vaccines. (nasdaq.com)
