Sector Update: Healthcare

01:16 PM EDT, 10/19/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Healthcare stocks were lower Monday afternoon, with the NYSE Healthcare Index decreasing 0.7% and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) down 0.6%. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) rose 1.2%. In corporate news, Silence Therapeutics (SLN) shares surged 125% after it said Monday it has agreed to be acquired by Merck KGaA in Darmstadt, Germany, in an all-cash deal with an enterprise value of $1.1 billion and an equity value of about $1.3 billion.