Merck

Pfizer Spins Off Zoetis, Biggest IPO Since Facebook, Shares Soar

Pfizer's animal health business Zoetis has raised about $2.2 billion in its initial public offering of 86.1 million shares, and the stock is expected to begin trading Friday. Merck & Co.'s fourth-quarter profit fell 7 percent as generic competition slashed sales of its blockbuster allergy drug Singulair.

Dow Rises Despite Europe's Woes

On Friday, it looked like this week would be ugly. Standard & Poor's had just downgraded the credit ratings of France and several other E.U. countries, the latest domino to fall in Europe's slow-motion economic train wreck. But at least in the U.S., the stock market has shrugged off that news.

A Simple Strategy to Boost Your Returns

Options: It's a word that makes you shiver with fear or salivate at opportunity. In fact, there's one options strategy that's almost certain to add some extra money to your portfolio over time, without adding lots of risk. It's the technique known as writing covered calls, and it's perfect for times like this.

Which Comes First: Jobs or Profits?

Lots of companies are laying off workers, trying to cut costs and improve their profit margins. But how should investors view the news of job cuts at a company? As a sign of deep trouble and worse to come, or as proof of committed management and better times ahead? Here's how to read the pink slips.

Overcoming Your Retirement Doubts

With the majority of workers convinced that they will not receive Social Security and will be unable to retire, the market may be the best option for the future. Here's some ways to make stocks work for your retirement.

Celgene: A Promising Stock

With an attractive balance sheet, healthy revenue growth and a solid return on equity, biotech company Celgene looks like a promising stock buy.

The Millionaire Class: Most New U.S. Senators are Rich

Approximately 60% of first-year U.S. senators and 40% of House of Representatives freshmen are worth at least $1 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That makes them far richer than most of the Americans they represent: Just 1% of the country's population has reached the $1 million mark.

Top-Selling Drugs About to Lose Patent Protection

The pharmaceutical industry is ready to fall off a cliff -- a "patent cliff." Over the next few years, some of the world's most popular and lucrative medicines will go off patent, and generic competition will siphon an estimated quarter of a trillion dollars from drugmakers' bottom lines.

Big Pharma Looks Beyond Drugs to Smartphone Apps

Pharmaceutical companies looking for fresh sources of profit are increasingly investing in a range of health care innovations that aren't drugs at all, from smartphone apps and educational websites to social media platforms and wireless devices, reports Ernst & Young.

Two Reasons for Clinical Data Shares to Soar Again

From October 2010 to February 2011, biotech Clinical Data's stock doubled, mostly thanks to FDA approval of its novel antidepressant. But also pushing the stock up -- and making it likely to perhaps double again -- is speculation that a Big Pharma will buy Clinical Data.

As Diabetes Explodes, Big Pharma Is Gearing Up

Diabetes is a growing global scourge, but for Big Pharma it's more of a lifesaver -- and many drugmakers are cranking up their research efforts. After all, many existing drugs will soon be losing their patents, and diabetes could be a $55 billion market by 2019.

Confirmed: Why Merck Halted Its Stroke-Victim Study

When Merck halted a late-stage study of its potential clot-preventing drug vorapaxar in stroke victims last week, it didn't explain why. Now, the company has confirmed it stopped the study after concerns that the drug increased the risk of bleeding in some patients.