Healthcare Stocks Shine with McKesson Up 16.6%
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 07 2026
0mins
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Healthcare Sector Performance: In Thursday's trading, healthcare stocks emerged as the best-performing sector, rising by 0.2%, with McKesson Corp (MCK) leading the charge with a 16.6% gain, indicating strong market demand that could attract more investor interest in the sector.
- Cardinal Health's Gains: Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) also performed well, with a 9.0% increase, suggesting a solid position in the healthcare supply chain that may further enhance its market share and investor confidence.
- ETF Trends: Despite the overall positive performance in healthcare, the Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) fell by 0.5%, indicating a preference for individual stocks over ETFs, which may lead to a shift in capital towards more promising equities.
- Utilities Sector Stability: The utilities sector showed relative stability, with CMS Energy Corp (CMS) up 2.4% and PPL Corp (PPL) up 1.4%, reflecting investor preference for stable returns, which may attract more capital into this sector in the future.
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Analyst Views on MCK
Wall Street analysts forecast MCK stock price to fall
14 Analyst Rating
12 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 987.370
Low
880.00
Averages
942.83
High
1000.00
Current: 987.370
Low
880.00
Averages
942.83
High
1000.00
About MCK
McKesson Corporation is a diversified healthcare services company, which focuses on advancing health outcomes for patients everywhere. Its U.S. Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded, generic, specialty, biosimilar and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs, and other healthcare-related products in the United States (U.S.). The Prescription Technology Solutions (RxTS) segment helps solve medication access, affordability and adherence challenges for patients by working across healthcare to connect patients, pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers, health plans, and biopharma companies. The Medical-Surgical Solutions provides medical-surgical supply distribution, logistics, and other services to healthcare providers, including physician offices, hospital reference labs, and home healthcare agencies. The International segment provides distribution and services to wholesale, institutional, and retail customers in Canada and Norway. It also offers oncology and specialty solutions.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Long-Term Growth Potential: Cardinal Health plays a crucial role in the U.S. healthcare sector, generating 99% of its revenue domestically, and the ongoing increase in the aging population in the U.S. is expected to provide significant long-term growth tailwinds over the next three decades.
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- Increased Transparency: Makary emphasized that OTC sales would bypass insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, potentially lowering drug prices and increasing transparency, with cash prices for OTC medications possibly being lower than patients' copays for prescription drugs, thereby alleviating financial burdens on patients.
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