Healthcare Scan
Healthcare Scan
Healthcare held while tech broke: $XLV gained 3.45% over 7D to RSI 66.0, 19 of 24 names rose, and only 6 sit below their 20-day average (11 a week ago). Pharma and managed care led ($LLY +6.59%, $UNH +5.83%, $CVS +7.20% over 7D, $PFE at RSI 69.7), and medtech kept repairing ($MDT +7.09%, $ABT back above its 200-day). What failed: Friday itself was weak (only 7 of 24 rose), $MRNA fell 7.82% on the day, $GH slid to RSI 39.6 and $HROW (RSI 27.1) stays broken. $ITGR (0.08% under its high) and $VEEV are extended.
Data as of the 2026-10-16 settled close; 24 tickers, all carrying a 2026-10-16 bar.
Quick Snapshot
| Signal | Reading |
|---|---|
| Overall | 🟢 Sector bid in a week the Nasdaq-100 fell: $XLV is 12.2% above its 200-day on a +24.16% 1Y and 1.20% under its high; 18 of 24 names are intact (above the 200-day, positive year) |
| Leaders | $LLY ($1,257.03, 2.76% under its high, +53.41% 1Y), $PFE (RSI 69.7, 1.00% under its high), $UNH and $CVS (both intact), $MDT (+7.09% 7D, a repair); extended: $ITGR (RSI 73.8) and $VEEV (RSI 71.2) |
| Laggards | $HROW (RSI 27.1, broken), $GH (-5.30% 7D, a pullback inside a +135.07% 1Y), $MRNA (-7.82% Friday), $JNJ (-2.25% 7D) |
| Key insight | The medtech repair has reached the 200-day line: $ABT moved from broken to under test (2.0% above its 200-day on a -17.82% 1Y), $MDT sits 7.3% above on a -0.31% 1Y, $ISRG is 2.9% under its 200-day ($439.63) ahead of its October 20 report, and $SYK is still 9.8% under |
| Caveat | Causes were not checked for most movers. A MarketWatch headline dated October 15 frames big-pharma strength as investors moving toward safer bets during the tech selloff; The one Friday capture on file for these names is an Endpoints News item on EU committee backing for Lilly's oral GLP-1 pill ($LLY +0.43% that day). News for $MRNA and $ZTS was last pulled October 9, $ISRG October 9, $HROW October 3 and $GH September 19, so none covers Friday |
What's Going On
The sector fund extended its repair. $XLV closed at $176.71 (-0.27% Friday), 3.9% above its 20-day ($170.14) and 12.2% above its 200-day ($157.51), up from RSI 57.0 a week ago. The Nasdaq-100 fund QQQ was -5.52% over 7D in the October 16 market conditions read. Pharma carried it: $LLY RSI 68.6 (54.2 a week ago), $PFE +4.60% over 7D, $AMGN +4.25%, $GILD +3.32%, $BIIB +3.07%, all above their 20-day and 200-day averages on positive years. $UNH reported October 13 (EPS $4.69 against $4.14 in the yfinance record; CNBC reported a raised full-year outlook) and is +5.83% over 7D; $JNJ reported the same day ($2.59 against $2.52) and is -2.25% over 7D, 2.2% under its 20-day and 4.7% above its 200-day ($244.12).
Medtech bounced into its long-trend lines. $MDT ($94.75, RSI 64.1) is 7.3% above its 200-day ($88.30) on a -0.31% 1Y; $ABT (+5.31% 7D) is 2.0% above its 200-day ($102.81) on a -17.82% 1Y, so it moved from broken to under test; $SYK (+6.25% 7D) is 9.8% under its 200-day ($326.64) on a -20.20% 1Y; $ISRG (+0.65% 7D, RSI 64.7) is 2.9% under its 200-day on a -1.82% 1Y, closer than a week ago (4.4%), and reports October 20 after the close (scheduled). $ZTS gained 6.11% to RSI 69.4 but stays 17.2% under its 200-day on a -44.59% 1Y.
The top of the board is stretched and the bottom is thin. $ITGR closed at $126.70, 0.08% under its high and 0.2% above its 20-day, flat on the week (+0.07%); it has no news file. $VEEV gained 4.81% over 7D to RSI 71.2, 51.5% above its 200-day, and its year turned positive (+6.02%), which moves it from under test to intact. $MRNA closed at $218.01 after -7.82% on Friday (RSI 61.7 from 72.1), still 181.7% above its 200-day; the October 12 market brief tied its October 9 pop to its Nasdaq-100 addition (StockAnalysis), and Friday's drop has no item on file. $HROW closed at $27.28 (-5.11% Friday, RSI 27.1), 30.8% under its 200-day ($39.41) on a -28.06% 1Y and 50.26% under its high; its newest news item is dated September 10 and gives no cause. $GH is 7.8% under its 20-day after -5.30% over 7D, still 24.6% above its 200-day ($127.26).
What Changed Since Prior Scan (2026-10-09)
- Oversold band: 2 of 24 under RSI 40 ($HROW at 27.1, $GH at 39.6), from 2 ($HROW 24.3, $CVS); none under RSI 25, where $HROW was a week ago.
- Extended band: 2 of 24 at RSI 70 or higher ($ITGR, $VEEV), from 2 ($ITGR, $MRNA); $PFE (69.7) and $ZTS (69.4) sit just under the line.
- Breadth: below the 20-day, 6 of 24 (11 a week ago); below the 200-day, 4 of 24 (6); negative year, 6 of 24 (7); up over 7D, 19 of 24 (20); up on Friday, 7 of 24.
- Long-trend changes: $ABT moved from broken to under test; $CVS and $VEEV moved from under test to intact. No name lost its 200-day.
- Universe unchanged: the same 24 tickers as the October 9 edition.
How To Read The Board
RSI under 30 is oversold, 70 and over extended. The one-year return and the distance to the 200-day separate a pullback from a breakdown: above the 200-day on a positive year is intact; one test failed is under test or a repair; both failed is broken. $JNJ, $VRTX, $DXCM, $ATRC and $GH are below their 20-day averages inside intact trends. $HROW, $SYK, $ISRG and $ZTS are below their 200-day averages on negative years; $ABT and $MDT are above theirs on negative years. The board carries price and RSI only; a low RSI is screen evidence, not a recommendation.
Price Table
Tape figures below are live-bound to the desk summaries; the as-of date is shown per row.
| Stock | Price ($) | RSI | SMA20 ($) | vs SMA20 (%) | 1D (%) | 7D (%) | 30D (%) | 1Y (%) | vs SMA200 (%) | As of | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HROW | 27.28 | 27.1 | 30.75 | -11.3 | -5.11 | -7.08 | -20.26 | -28.06 | -30.8 | 2026-10-16 | 🔴 Long trend broken |
| GH | 158.6 | 39.6 | 171.93 | -7.8 | -4.39 | -5.3 | -9.32 | 135.07 | 24.6 | 2026-10-16 | 🟡 Pullback, trend intact |
| JNJ | 255.56 | 43.7 | 261.39 | -2.2 | 0.9 | -2.25 | -4.38 | 33.02 | 4.7 | 2026-10-16 | 🟢 Healthy, below 20-day |
| VRTX | 499.74 | 43.8 | 510.16 | -2 | -1.77 | -2.03 | -2.63 | 22.3 | 5 | 2026-10-16 | 🟢 Healthy, below 20-day |
| DXCM | 86.04 | 50.3 | 86.15 | -0.1 | -1.9 | 2.29 | -1.49 | 29.72 | 16.3 | 2026-10-16 | 🟢 Healthy, below 20-day |
| MRK | 145.95 | 51.9 | 145.74 | 0.1 | 0.52 | 0.24 | 0.72 | 73.92 | 16.9 | 2026-10-16 | 🟢 Healthy trend |
| ATRC | 56.07 | 53.1 | 56.75 | -1.2 | -2.96 | 0.47 | -1.87 | 50.56 | 51.2 | 2026-10-16 | 🟢 Healthy, below 20-day |
| CVS | 92.36 | 58.2 | 87.65 | 5.4 | -0.24 | 7.2 | 0.7 | 13.51 | 4.7 | 2026-10-16 | 🟢 Healthy trend |
| SYK | 294.66 | 58.7 | 278.52 | 5.8 | 0.49 | 6.25 | 3.48 | -20.2 | -9.8 | 2026-10-16 | 🔴 Bounce, long trend broken |
| ABT | 104.89 | 59 | 100.98 | 3.9 | 0.2 | 5.31 | 2.47 | -17.82 | 2 | 2026-10-16 | 🟡 Mixed long trend |
| BIIB | 232.65 | 61.5 | 226.11 | 2.9 | -1.15 | 3.07 | 7.7 | 63.54 | 17.6 | 2026-10-16 | 🟢 Healthy trend |
| MRNA | 218.01 | 61.7 | 201.18 | 8.4 | -7.82 | -3.11 | 49.71 | 703.28 | 181.7 | 2026-10-16 | 🟢 Healthy trend |
| AMGN | 432.49 | 62.5 | 413.39 | 4.6 | -0.35 | 4.25 | 14.92 | 46.21 | 17.2 | 2026-10-16 | 🟢 Healthy trend |
| UNH | 401.43 | 63 | 378.57 | 6 | -1.29 | 5.83 | 6.97 | 12.55 | 11.8 | 2026-10-16 | 🟢 Healthy trend |
| GILD | 156.19 | 63.4 | 149.97 | 4.1 | -0.75 | 3.32 | 5.76 | 32.53 | 13.2 | 2026-10-16 | 🟢 Healthy trend |
| TMO | 690 | 64 | 668.35 | 3.2 | -0.93 | 4.86 | 6.41 | 28.54 | 26.1 | 2026-10-16 | 🟢 Healthy trend |
| MDT | 94.75 | 64.1 | 89.54 | 5.8 | -0.73 | 7.09 | 2.32 | -0.31 | 7.3 | 2026-10-16 | 🟡 Mixed long trend |
| ISRGE | 426.7 | 64.7 | 411.16 | 3.8 | -0.27 | 0.65 | 11.62 | -1.82 | -2.9 | 2026-10-16 | 🔴 Bounce, long trend broken |
| XLV | 176.71 | 66 | 170.14 | 3.9 | -0.27 | 3.45 | 5.33 | 24.16 | 12.2 | 2026-10-16 | 🟢 Healthy trend |
| LLY | 1257.03 | 68.6 | 1178.76 | 6.6 | 0.43 | 6.59 | 10.48 | 53.41 | 16.4 | 2026-10-16 | 🟢 Healthy trend |
| ZTS | 79.38 | 69.4 | 72.63 | 9.3 | 1.22 | 6.11 | 8.74 | -44.59 | -17.2 | 2026-10-16 | 🔴 Bounce, long trend broken |
| PFE | 29.58 | 69.7 | 28.34 | 4.4 | 0.48 | 4.6 | 7.72 | 22.08 | 11.4 | 2026-10-16 | 🟢 Healthy trend |
| VEEV | 310.36 | 71.2 | 284.82 | 9 | -0.85 | 4.81 | 17.16 | 6.02 | 51.5 | 2026-10-16 | 🟠 Extended |
| ITGR | 126.7 | 73.8 | 126.47 | 0.2 | -0.02 | 0.07 | 0.47 | 22.87 | 28.6 | 2026-10-16 | 🟠 Extended |
Tier Analysis
Capitulation (RSI under 25)
None this week.
Oversold (RSI 25 to 40)
Long-trend status: intact (above the 200-day, positive year) $GH; under test or repairing (one long test failed) none; broken (below the 200-day, negative year) $HROW.
Neutral to strong (RSI 40 and up)
$JNJ, $VRTX, $DXCM, $MRK, $ATRC, $CVS, $SYK, $ABT, $BIIB, $MRNA, $AMGN, $UNH, $GILD, $TMO, $MDT, $ISRG, $XLV, $LLY, $ZTS, $PFE, $VEEV, $ITGR
Entry Zones
Zones are conditions (a level plus a confirmation), not orders. Levels are live-bound to the desk summaries.
| Stock | Zone ($) | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| GH | Up to 171.93 (20-day) | Oversold. Pullback inside an intact trend; confirmation is a close back above the 20-day, the 200-day (127.26) is the floor |
| JNJ | 246.92 (shelf) to 261.39 (20-day) | Pullback inside an intact trend; confirmation is a close back above the 20-day, a close under the shelf voids it |
| VRTX | 484.98 (shelf) to 510.16 (20-day) | Pullback inside an intact trend; confirmation is a close back above the 20-day, a close under the shelf voids it |
| DXCM | 74.15 (shelf) to 86.15 (20-day) | Pullback inside an intact trend; confirmation is a close back above the 20-day, a close under the shelf voids it |
| ATRC | Up to 56.75 (20-day) | Pullback inside an intact trend; confirmation is a close back above the 20-day, the 200-day (37.09) is the floor |
| VEEV | Wait for a pullback toward 284.82 (20-day) | RSI 70 or higher; wait for RSI to cool and for a rest toward the 20-day before treating it as an entry |
| ITGR | Wait for a pullback toward 126.47 (20-day) | RSI 70 or higher; wait for RSI to cool and for a rest toward the 20-day before treating it as an entry |
| HROW | No entry zone | Oversold with the long trend broken; watch items, not setups |
Action Matrix
| Action | Stocks | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 📈 ACCUMULATE | JNJ, VRTX, DXCM, ATRC | Above the 200-day with a positive year, below the 20-day, RSI 40 or higher: pullback zone, confirmation is a 20-day reclaim |
| 🔒 HOLD | MRK, CVS, BIIB, MRNA, AMGN, UNH, GILD, TMO, XLV, LLY, PFE | Above the 20-day and 200-day with a positive year |
| 🔍 WATCH: oversold pullback | GH | RSI under 40 inside an intact trend (above the 200-day, positive year): needs a floor and a 20-day reclaim |
| 🔍 WATCH: repair | ABT, MDT | Above the 200-day on a negative year: a repair, not yet an intact trend |
| ⚠️ DON'T CHASE | VEEV, ITGR | RSI 70 or higher, or more than 10% above the 20-day: wait for a rest toward the 20-day |
| ❌ AVOID | HROW, SYK, ISRG, ZTS | Below the 200-day with a negative year: no trend to ride until the 200-day is reclaimed |
What To Watch Next
- $ISRG reports October 20 after the close (scheduled): the close is 2.9% under the 200-day ($439.63), and a close above it would turn a bounce into a repair, though the 1Y is still -1.82%.
- $XLV: holding above its 20-day ($170.14) keeps the sector repair intact; the shelf ($157.78) sits near the 200-day ($157.51).
- $ABT and $MDT at their 200-day averages ($102.81 and $88.30): a close back under either undoes the repair. Abbott is estimated to report October 21.
- $ITGR and $VEEV at the top: the first close under the 20-day ($126.47 and $284.82) is the first crack. $ITGR is scheduled to report October 29.
- $GH (RSI 39.6, 24.6% above its 200-day): a reclaim of the 20-day ($171.93) is the confirmation; the shelf is $109.00, far below. Guardant is estimated to report November 5.
- $HROW: no shelf identified under the price; a broken trend with no floor is not a setup. $MRNA: the 20-day is $201.18.
- Reports ahead: $TMO October 21, $GILD, $LLY, $MRK, $SYK, $DXCM October 29 (all scheduled), $VRTX November 2, $AMGN and $PFE November 3.
Sources
- Tape data: pre-computed desk summary for the healthcare universe, as of the 2026-10-16 settled close (healthcare).
- Market conditions: 2026-10-16-market-conditions (QQQ 7D). Endpoints News, CHMP endorses Eli Lilly's GLP-1 pill (2026-10-16-endpointsnews-chmp-endorses-eli-lilly-s-glp-1-pill-and-three-other-new-dru-ts-news-p-595398). Headline: MarketWatch, Big pharma stocks close near all-time highs as tech selloff pushes investors toward safer bets (2026-10-15-marketwatch-big-pharma-stocks-close-near-all-time-highs-as-tech-selloff---mktw-0005289499).
- Earnings records: 2026-10-13-jnj-earnings and
2026-10-13-unh-earnings.md(yfinance, actual against analyst consensus); CNBC, UnitedHealth Q3 2026 earnings via the UNH news receipt. - News receipts: stocks<SYM>/news/latest.json` for UNH (fetched 2026-10-15), MRNA, ISRG and ZTS (2026-10-09; StockAnalysis, Moderna), HROW (2026-10-03), GH (2026-09-19), VEEV (2026-09-08); ITGR has no news file. None covers an October 16 move. Market brief: 2026-10-12-market-brief (Moderna's Nasdaq-100 addition).
- Event calendar:
research/stock-events/checked for 2026-10-12 to 2026-10-16 (no non-earnings entries for these names); scheduled or estimated dates from2026-10-20-isrg-earnings.md,2026-10-21-abt-earnings.md(estimated),2026-10-21-tmo-earnings.md,2026-10-29-itgr-earnings.md,2026-10-29-gild-earnings.md,2026-10-29-lly-earnings.md,2026-10-29-mrk-earnings.md,2026-10-29-syk-earnings.md,2026-10-29-dxcm-earnings.md,2026-11-02-vrtx-earnings.md,2026-11-03-amgn-earnings.md,2026-11-03-pfe-earnings.md,2026-11-05-gh-earnings.md(estimated). - Prior scan: 2026-10-09-healthcare-scan (structure, universe, and its October 9 readings cited as history).
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