XLV Gains May 10, Trades above Its 20-Day Moving Average

On May 10, 2016, markets gained more than 1% due to Chinese stimulus news and the rise in oil prices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) rose by 1.4% and 1.2%, respectively. Biotech ETFs also gained for the second consecutive day. The Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) gained 0.8% for the day. With today’s gain, XLV surpassed the 20-day moving average price of $70.5. On April 11, 2016, XLV’s 20-day moving average price was $68.1. This indicates an upward trend for the ETF.

The above table provides information on the current prices, returns at different time intervals, and moving average prices of XLV, SPY, and a few XLV holdings as of May 10, 2016. XLV closed at $70.56. It was trading above the 20-day and 100-day moving average. Year-to-date, XLV is down by 2%. However, in the past three months, XLV has given a return of 9.3%

On May 10, 2016, the top gainers of XLV were Allergan (AGN) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN). They rose by 5.3% and 2.8%, respectively. Allergan moved up on strong 1Q16 earning results. Regeneron rose following the Market trend. Allergan has a weight of 3.2% and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has a weight of 1.2% in XLV’s portfolio.

The top losers within XLV were Centene (CNC) and Zoetis (ZTS). They fell by 2.5% and 2%, respectively. Centene fell due to profit-booking. Zoetis fell due to selling pressure. There were talks that Bill Ackman sold $800 million worth of Zoetis. Centene and Zoetis have a weight of 0.4% and 0.8%, respectively.