Bristol-Myers Squibb Option Alert: Jan 16 $55 Puts at the Bid: 1000 vs 2166 OI

Bristol-Myers Squibb Option Alert: Jan 16 $55 Puts at the Bid: 1000 @ $5.5 vs 2166 OI; Ref=$54.76

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) Azioni

BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB CO

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Bristol-Myers Squibb discovers, develops, and markets drugs for various therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular, cancer, and immune disorders. A key focus for Bristol is immuno-oncology, where the firm is a leader in drug development. Bristol derives close to 70% of total sales from the US, showing a higher dependence on the US market than most of its peer group.

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Dividends

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Pre-Market Outlook

Markets

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XRAY

In un mercato in continua evoluzione, i titoli a dividendo rappresentano un&#39;ancora di stabilità per molti investitori.

In cerca di dividendi? 3 azioni sanitarie dall&#39;elevato rendimento

CVS Health Corp. (CVS)

Guida ai migliori rendimenti: quali società del settore sanitario offrono dividendi stabili e promettenti? Parola a Wall Street.

3 titoli sanitari con ottimi dividendi: ecco cosa ne pensano gli analisti

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Dividendi da urlo nel settore sanitario! 3 titoli segnalati dagli esperti

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Common Stock

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co

BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB $2PR by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

Bristol-Myers Squibb's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>) short percent of float has risen 21.19% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 37.01 million shares sold short, which is 1.83% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 2.78 days to cover their short positions on average.
<h3>Why Short Interest Matters</h3>
Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-short-a-stock?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Short selling</a> is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises.
Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/short-interest?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">List of the most shorted stocks</a>
<h3>Bristol-Myers Squibb Short Interest Graph (3 Months)</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1743516921_0.png" alt="short_fig" />
As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Bristol-Myers Squibb has grown since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to fall in the near-term but traders should be aware that more shares are being shorted.
<h3>Comparing Bristol-Myers Squibb's Short Interest Against Its Peers</h3>
Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis.
According to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a>, Bristol-Myers Squibb's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 4.18%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers.
Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-make-money-on-a-short-squeeze?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it.</a>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor.

Short Sellers

Short Ideas

Is Bristol-Myers Squibb Gaining or Losing Market Support?

Dividend investing is back on investors' radar after taking a backseat during the AI-led bull run. With tariff uncertainties and fading momentum in AI stocks, investors are looking for stable dividend-paying companies to navigate the current market turbulence. But it's not easy to find quality dividend stocks as it requires assessing factors like yield, payout ratio, financial stability, and growth potential.&nbsp;
Let's turn to a dividend investing case study for ideas and inspiration.
Don't Miss:
<ul>
<li>Can you guess how many retire with a $5,000,000 nest egg? <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/5mil-nest-egg-adv">The percentage may shock you</a>.</li>
<li>Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die."<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/warren-buffet-make-money-when-you-sleep"> Here&#8217;s how you can earn passive income with just $100.</a></li>
</ul>
Last month, someone asked income investors on r/Dividends — a Reddit community with 690,000 members — whether it was realistic to live off dividends and how much investment is needed to reach at least $50,000 in annual dividend income. The question also asked Redditors to share how long it takes for the average investor to reach a dividend income that covers basic expenses.
The question received hundreds of comments, but one story caught our eye.
An investor said he was making $175,000 a year in dividends and retired two years ago at the age of 48.
"I'm still not touching them, especially now. I have a small passive business that generates enough to cover my expenses. I've recently gone about 1/3 short term government bonds because I'm VERY worried about a recession," he said.
Trending: BlackRock is calling 2025 the year of alternative assets. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/masterworks">One firm from NYC has quietly built a group of 60,000+ investors who have all joined in on an alt asset class previously exclusive to billionaires like Bezos and Gates.</a>
The investor, 50, said his total portfolio worth was about $3.7 million.
"I used to make $220k for about 11 years. Saved and invested it and retired at 48. Now I spend my money which comes from dividends on travel, cars and doing what the f— I want," he said in a separate comment on the social platform.
Let's discuss some of the top holdings of the investor.
Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF
The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SCHD#NYSE">SCHD</a>) tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index and provides exposure to some of the top dividend stocks trading in the U.S., including ConocoPhillips (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COP#NYSE">COP</a>), Chevron (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVX#NYSE">CVX</a>), Verizon Communications (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VZ#NYSE">VZ</a>) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>), among others.
NEOS S&amp;P 500 High Income ETF
NEOS S&amp;P 500 High Income ETF (CBOE: SPYI) is a high-yield covered call ETF that pays monthly dividend income. It invests in some of the top S&amp;P 500 companies and generates extra income by selling call options on stocks, generating extra premium income for shareholders. SPYI has a dividend yield of over 12%.
See Also: Have $200K saved?<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/have-200k-saved-heres-how-to-turn-it-into-lasting-wealth"> Here's how to turn it into lasting wealth</a>
iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF
iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SGOV#NYSE">SGOV</a>) tracks the performance of U.S. Treasury bonds with maturities of 0-3 months.&nbsp;
Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF
The Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VEA#NYSE">VEA</a>) provides investors exposure to companies trading in developed markets outside of the U.S., including Canada, Europe and the Pacific region. VEA pays quarterly dividends.&nbsp;
Janus Henderson AAA CLO ETF
The Janus Henderson AAA CLO ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JAAA#NYSE">JAAA</a>) invests in high-quality collateralized loan obligations and provides investors with exposure to asset classes with low risk and volatility. It yields over 6%.&nbsp;
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/gbr-savings-by-age">If You're Age 35, 50, or 60: Here&#8217;s How Much You Should Have Saved Vs. Invested By Now</a></li>
<li>Many are using retirement income calculators to check if they&#8217;re on pace —<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-do-i-calculate-my-retirement-income-adv"> here&#8217;s a breakdown on what&#8217;s behind this formula.</a></li>
</ul>

Personal Finance

JAAA

SCHD

SGOV

SPYI

50-Year-Old Early Retiree Making $175,000 in Dividends Shares Portfolio - 'Now I Spend on Travel, Cars and Doing What I Want'

Biotech

General

Bristol Myers Squibb Receives Positive CHMP Opinion For Subcutaneous Formulation Of Opdiv Across Multiple Solid Tumor Indications

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Exelixis Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EXEL#NASDAQ">EXEL</a>) Cabometyx (cabozantinib) for two indications in adult and pediatric patients with previously treated, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic, well-differentiated pancreatic and extra-<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/health-care" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NET)</a>.
NETs are heterogeneous tumors arising from the digestive tract&#8217;s neuroendocrine cells and other organs, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/03/b44493504/exelixis-announces-u-s-fda-approval-of-cabometyx-cabozantinib-for-patients-with-previously-treated" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">such as the lung and pancreas</a>.
The approval comes before the Prescription Drug User Fee Act action&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/01/b42896345/exelixis-provides-update-on-oncologic-drugs-advisory-committee-meeting-for-cabozantinib-cabometyx-" rel="noreferrer noopener">date of April 3</a>.
The FDA approval — adding to five previous approvals for Cabometyx — is based on the CABINET Phase 3 trial results.
Final progression-free survival results were&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fir.exelixis.com%2Fnews-releases%2Fnews-release-details%2Fexelixis-announces-final-results-phase-3-pivotal-cabinet-study&amp;esheet=54210567&amp;newsitemid=20250219147539&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=presented&amp;index=2&amp;md5=7b36ee82c7ce7195ef5a81ef129a2ad8" rel="noreferrer noopener">presented</a>&nbsp;at the 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology Congress and published in&nbsp;The New England Journal of Medicine.&nbsp;
In January 2025, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for Neuroendocrine and Adrenal Tumors were updated to include cabozantinib as a category 1 preferred regimen for the majority of well-differentiated advanced NET following specific treatments and as a category 2A preferred regimen for other forms of advanced NET, depending on tumor grade and different requirements for prior therapy.
In February, Exelixis announced the final results from the phase 3 CheckMate-9ER pivotal trial evaluating Cabometyx (cabozantinib) in combination with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.&#8217;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>) Opdivo (nivolumab) versus sunitinib for patients with previously untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
After more than five years of follow-up, the findings demonstrated that the efficacy benefits of Cabometyx&nbsp;in combination with Opdivo were sustained long-term.
At a median follow-up of 67.6 months, Cabometyx, in combination with Opdivo, improved progression-free survival and overall survival compared with&nbsp;Pfizer Inc&#8217;s&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PFE#NYSE">PFE</a>) Sutent (sunitinib) in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/02/b43756537/exelixis-announces-final-five-year-follow-up-results-from-checkmate-9er-trial-evaluating-cabometyx" rel="noreferrer noopener">intent-to-treat population</a>.
EXEL Price Action: EXEL stock is down 2.31% at $36.83 at publication on Wednesday.
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</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Health Care

EXEL

FDA Approves Exelixis' Lead Cancer Drug Cabometyx For Expanded Use In Neuroendocrine Tumors

During times of turbulence and uncertainty in the markets, many investors turn to dividend-yielding stocks. These are often companies that have high free cash flows and reward shareholders with a<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/yield-investments"> high dividend payout</a>.
Benzinga readers can review the latest analyst takes on their favorite stocks by visiting <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings">Analyst Stock Ratings</a> page. Traders can sort through Benzinga's extensive database of analyst ratings, including <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/22/09/28888638/exclusive-study-finds-benzinga-analyst-ratings-data-yields-market-beating-strategie">by analyst accuracy</a>.
Below are the ratings of the most accurate analysts for three high-yielding stocks in the health care sector.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XRAY#NASDAQ">XRAY</a>)</h3>
<ul>
<li>Dividend Yield: 4.11%</li>
<li>Mizuho analyst Steven Valiquette maintained a Neutral rating and cut the price target from $21 to $18 on March 13, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 60%.</li>
<li>Morgan Stanley analyst Erin Wright maintained an Overweight rating and cut the price target from $30 to $23 on Dec. 17, 2024. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 76%.</li>
<li>Recent News: On March 17, Dentsply Sirona named David Ferguson as Global Business Unit Leader.</li>
<li>Benzinga Pro&#8217;s real-time newsfeed alerted to latest <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/?utm_source=BZprocontent&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">XRAY news</a>. </li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/?utm_source=BZprocontent&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img decoding="async" src="blob:https://editorial.benzinga.com/6dde7dcc-8523-415e-8b9a-848a09b31f98" alt="" style="width:509px;height:auto" /></a></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>)</h3>
<ul>
<li>Dividend Yield: 4.06%</li>
<li>Wells Fargo analyst Mohit Bansal maintained an Equal-Weight rating and raised the price target from $60 to $62 on Feb. 7, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 73%.</li>
<li>Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Olivia Brayer maintained a Neutral rating and increased the price target from $50 to $55 on Feb. 4, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 63%.</li>
<li>Recent News: On March 14, the European Commission (EC) approved Bristol Myers Squibb's Breyanzi (lisocabtagene maraleucel; liso-cel), a CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, for adult patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) after two or more lines of systemic therapy..</li>
<li>Benzinga Pro's real-time newsfeed alerted to latest <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/?utm_source=BZprocontent&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">BMY news</a> </li>
</ul>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVS#NYSE">CVS</a>)</h3>
<ul>
<li>Dividend Yield: 3.97%</li>
<li>Truist Securities analyst David Macdonald maintained a Buy rating and raised the price target from $60 to $76 on Feb. 13, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 67%.</li>
<li>Leerink Partners analyst Michael Cherny upgraded the stock from Market Perform to Outperform and raised the price target from $55 to $75 on Feb. 13, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 79%.</li>
<li>Recent News: On March 20, CVS Health reported its board of directors has approved a quarterly dividend of 66.5 cents per share on the Common Stock of the Corporation.</li>
<li>Edge Stock Ratings: 62.89 Momentum score with Value at 40.46. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CCU" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a></li>
</ul>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="470" height="188" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/24060244/image-217.png" alt="" class="wp-image-838055" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/24060244/image-217.png 470w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/24060244/image-217-300x120.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 470px) 100vw, 470px" /></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="How to Find Dividend Stocks: Scan, Analyze, and Capture with Benzinga Pro" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pVF0O2lsEH4?start=1&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
</figure>
Want Edge Stock Rankings on this stock?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CELH" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Become an Edge subscriber here</a>
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</ul>

Wall Street's Most Accurate Analysts Give Their Take On 3 Health Care Stocks Delivering High-Dividend Yields

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders often look for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges away from its normal worth. Abnormal amounts of trading activity could push option prices to hyperbolic or underperforming levels. 
Below are some instances of options activity happening in the Health Care sector: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>PFE</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$24.00</td>
<td>$50.5K</td>
<td>2.0K</td>
<td>2.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>VKTX</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$30.00</td>
<td>$60.2K</td>
<td>2.8K</td>
<td>1.6K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMGN</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/28/25</td>
<td>$320.00</td>
<td>$473.7K</td>
<td>609</td>
<td>602</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HCA</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$320.00</td>
<td>$312.3K</td>
<td>43</td>
<td>502</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AKRO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$27.50</td>
<td>$35.0K</td>
<td>2.4K</td>
<td>469</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>GERN</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>10/17/25</td>
<td>$1.00</td>
<td>$33.7K</td>
<td>413</td>
<td>397</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>EWTX</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$30.00</td>
<td>$32.2K</td>
<td>5.4K</td>
<td>332</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ABBV</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$230.00</td>
<td>$53.6K</td>
<td>6.9K</td>
<td>295</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CAH</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$130.00</td>
<td>$44.2K</td>
<td>2.6K</td>
<td>188</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BMY</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$57.50</td>
<td>$64.9K</td>
<td>9.5K</td>
<td>167</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These itemized elaborations have been created using the accompanying table. 
• Regarding PFE (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PFE#NYSE">PFE</a>), we observe a call option sweep with neutral sentiment. It expires in 56 day(s) on May 16, 2025. Parties traded 200 contract(s) at a $24.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $50.5K, with a price of $253.0 per contract. There were 2012 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2073 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For VKTX (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VKTX#NASDAQ">VKTX</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be bearish, is expiring today. Parties traded 300 contract(s) at a $30.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $60.2K, with a price of $201.0 per contract. There were 2865 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1625 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding AMGN (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMGN#NASDAQ">AMGN</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 7 day(s) on March 28, 2025. Parties traded 600 contract(s) at a $320.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 57 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $473.7K, with a price of $779.0 per contract. There were 609 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 602 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding HCA (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HCA#NYSE">HCA</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 27 day(s) on April 17, 2025. Parties traded 474 contract(s) at a $320.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $312.3K, with a price of $660.0 per contract. There were 43 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 502 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For AKRO (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AKRO#NASDAQ">AKRO</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bearish, is expiring today. Parties traded 20 contract(s) at a $27.50 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $35.0K, with a price of $1750.0 per contract. There were 2499 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 469 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding GERN (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GERN#NASDAQ">GERN</a>), we observe a call option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 210 day(s) on October 17, 2025. Parties traded 397 contract(s) at a $1.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $33.7K, with a price of $85.0 per contract. There were 413 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 397 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding EWTX (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EWTX#NASDAQ">EWTX</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 27 day(s) on April 17, 2025. Parties traded 104 contract(s) at a $30.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 21 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $32.2K, with a price of $310.0 per contract. There were 5479 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 332 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For ABBV (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ABBV#NYSE">ABBV</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 91 day(s) on June 20, 2025. This event was a transfer of 198 contract(s) at a $230.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 35 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $53.6K, with a price of $271.0 per contract. There were 6965 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 295 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For CAH (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CAH#NYSE">CAH</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, is expiring today. Parties traded 137 contract(s) at a $130.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 14 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $44.2K, with a price of $325.0 per contract. There were 2600 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 188 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding BMY (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 91 day(s) on June 20, 2025. Parties traded 116 contract(s) at a $57.50 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 4 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $64.9K, with a price of $560.0 per contract. There were 9548 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 167 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more about unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Options

ABBV

AKRO

AMGN

EWTX

GERN

VKTX

10 Health Care Stocks Whale Activity In Today's Session

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) is urging ministers to address excessive levies on manufacturers to ensure the sector remains competitive globally.
The life sciences industry, a key pillar of the UK&#8217;s economic strategy, could struggle to attract investment unless payment rates are adjusted.
Last week, the government <a href="https://www.abpi.org.uk/media/news/2025/march/uk-set-to-demand-a-third-of-pharmaceutical-company-revenue-in-second-half-of-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">proposed</a> raising the Statutory Scheme payment rate for newer branded medicines from 15.5% to 32.2% of subject companies&#8217; National Health Service (NHS) sales in the second half of 2025.
The payment rate is the revenue companies must hand back to the government on their sales of branded medicines to the NHS. It is an additional charge to the taxes paid by companies.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44362710/uk-pharma-industry-trade-association-restores-wegovyozempic-maker-novo-nordisks-membership-after-two-years-of-suspension" rel="noreferrer noopener">UK Pharma Industry Trade Association Restores Wegovy/Ozempic Maker Novo Nordisk&#8217;s Membership After 2 Years Of Suspension</a>
UK pharmaceutical leaders from Amgen Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMGN#NASDAQ">AMGN</a>), AstraZeneca Plc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AZN#NASDAQ">AZN</a>), Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BIIB#NASDAQ">BIIB</a>), Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb &amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>), Daiichi Sankyo Ltd (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DSNKY#OTC">DSNKY</a>), Gilead Sciences Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GILD#NASDAQ">GILD</a>), Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>), Merck &amp; Co Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>), Novartis AG (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVS#NYSE">NVS</a>), Pfizer Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PFE#NYSE">PFE</a>), Roche Holdings AG (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RHHBY#OTC">RHHBY</a>), Sanofi SA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNY#NASDAQ">SNY</a>), Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TAK#NYSE">TAK</a>) and UCB SA (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UCBJY#OTC">UCBJY</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UCBJF#OTC">UCBJF</a>) point to the challenges to investing in the U.K.
The pharmaceutical sector <a target="_blank" href="https://www.abpi.org.uk/media/news/2025/march/medicine-levy-makes-the-uk-un-investable-say-pharma-leaders/" rel="noreferrer noopener">contributes</a> over 17.6 billion pounds ($22.76 billion) directly to the U.K. economy, with an additional 45 billion generated through research and development spillovers.
However, companies argue that growth is being stifled due to escalating mandatory payments. Under the current system, firms must pay between 23.5% and 35.6% of their branded medicine sales revenue to the NHS. This is significantly higher than other European nations, where comparable rates range from 5.7% to 9%, ABPI writes.
The ABPI report highlights that while the UK once led in medicine availability, it has slipped to ninth place in Europe over the past decade. One year after launch, medicine usage in England is only 52% of the average of comparable nations, rising to 62% after five years.
Additionally, the UK has dropped from fourth to tenth in global rankings for phase 3 clinical trials, lagging behind Spain, Germany and Italy.
Investment in UK pharmaceutical research has also declined, with the country&#8217;s share of global R&amp;D investment falling from 7.3% to 5.7% in just three years.
This marks the fastest decline of any European G7 nation. Meanwhile, NHS funding has grown by 33% in real terms over the past decade, but spending on branded medicines has been capped at annual growth rates between 1.1% and 2%, declining by 11% when adjusted for inflation.
The industry and government have long collaborated on agreements to ensure NHS access to medicines.
The latest, the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines, Pricing, Access, and Growth (VPAG), was intended to realign UK payment rates with international standards. While rates for newer medicines briefly dropped to 15.1% in 2024, they surged again in 2025 to 23.5% for newer medicines, with companies still paying 10.6%-35.6% for older products.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/03/44436766/is-freeport-mcmorans-us-based-footprint-an-advantage-analyst-upgrades-stock-amid-copper-import-tariff-risk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Is Freeport-McMoRan&#8217;s US-Based Footprint An Advantage? Analyst Upgrades Stock Amid Copper Import Tariff Risk</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Government

Large Cap

Eurozone

BIIB

DSNKY

GILD

RHHBY

UCBJF

UCBJY

Pharmaceutical Firms Say UK Investment Is 'Unlikely' Unless Payment Levy Is Adressed

On Friday, the European Commission (EC) approved Bristol Myers Squibb &amp; Co&#8216;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>) Breyanzi (lisocabtagene maraleucel; liso-cel), a CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, for adult patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) after two or more <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/health-care" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lines of systemic therapy</a>.
The decision is based on global Phase 2 TRANSCEND <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/03/b44325037/bristol-myers-squibb-receives-approval-from-the-european-commission-to-expand-use-of-car-t-cell-th" rel="noreferrer noopener">FL study results</a>.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/03/44249407/bristol-myers-squibb-scoops-up-its-blood-cancer-drug-partner-2seventy-bio-in-286-million-deal" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bristol Myers Squibb Scoops Up Its Blood Cancer Drug Partner 2seventy Bio In $286 Million Deal</a>
Among patients treated in the third-line plus setting, Breyanzi demonstrated a high overall response rate of 97.1% and a complete response (CR) rate of 94.2%, the study&#8217;s primary and key secondary endpoints, respectively.
Responses were rapid, durable, and demonstrated sustained efficacy, with a median time to first response of 0.95 months and 75.7% of patients still in response at 18 months.
Last March, the FDA granted accelerated approval to Breyanzi for relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia or <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/24/03/37754404/bristol-myers-breyanzi-scores-second-fda-approval-for-blood-cancers-therapy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">small lymphocytic lymphoma</a>.
In May, the FDA granted accelerated approval to Breyanzi for relapsed or <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/24/05/38877563/fda-approves-expanded-use-of-bristol-myers-squibbs-breyanzi-cancer-cell-therapy-for-previously-tr" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">refractory follicular lymphoma</a>. 
In November, Bristol Myers Squibb shared preliminary data from a Phase 1 study of CC-97540 (BMS-986353), a CD19-directed CAR T Cell Therapy Manufactured Using a Next-generation Process for severe, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/24/11/42045491/encouraging-early-data-from-next-gen-breyanzi-study-puts-bristol-myers-car-t-therapy-in-the-spotlight-for-autoimmune-diseases" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">refractory autoimmune diseases</a>.
Price Action: BMY stock is down 1.92% at $59.13 at the last check Friday.
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44317253/pricing-trends-for-consumer-goods-continue-to-normalize-easing-pressure-on-consumers-says-analyst" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JP Morgan Analyst Sees Inflation Easing, But Tougher Price Comparisons Loom For Key Categories</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Courtesy of Bristol Myers Squibb

Europe Approves Bristol Myers' Cell Therapy Breyanzi For Patients With Certain Type Of Blood Cancer

Bristol Myers Squibb Says European Commission Granted Approval To Breyanzi For Treatment Of Adult Patients With Relapsed Or Refractory Follicular Lymphoma

H.C. Wainwright &amp; Co. initiated coverage on Thursday for Perspective Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CATX#NASDAQ">CATX</a>), a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing &#8220;targeted radiotherapy agents&#8221; for cancer treatment.
Analyst Robert Burns initiated a Buy rating and a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CATX/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">price target of $10</a>.
The company&#8217;s pipeline comprises:
<ul>
<li>VMT01/02 for melanoma, which is being studied as both monotherapy and in combination with Opdivo (nivolumab).</li>
<li>VMT-α-NET for various neuroendocrine cancers and other SSTR2-expressing tumors.</li>
<li>PSV359 for multiple solid tumor types.</li>
<li>PSV40X for prostate cancer.</li>
</ul>
The company&#8217;s melanoma (VMT01) and neuroendocrine tumor (VMT-α-NET) programs have entered Phase 1/2a imaging and therapy trials for metastatic melanoma and neuroendocrine tumors.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/10/41634528/positive-outlook-for-novartis-as-company-capitalizes-on-growing-treatment-opportuni" rel="noreferrer noopener">Positive Outlook For Novartis As Company Capitalizes On Growing Treatment Opportunities, Analyst Highlights</a>
In January, Perspective Therapeutics&nbsp;revealed updated interim results from its ongoing Phase 1/2a trial of&nbsp;[212Pb]VMT-α-NET. Anti-tumor activities have been observed&nbsp;with a longer follow-up. As of the data cut-off date of Jan. 10, 2025, there were two unconfirmed responses and one confirmed response, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/01/43197970/perspective-therapeutics-touts-encouraging-updated-data-from-gastrointestinal-cancer-trial-stock-soars" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">as in Cohort 2</a>.
H.C. Wainwright &amp; Co. writes that from a safety perspective, 212Pb-VMT-α-NET appears to be relatively benign at the dose levels tested thus far.
The analyst writes that PSV359 and VMT01/02 constitute upside potential. Burns also notes that in preclinical experiments, VMT01/02 demonstrated high response rates in multiple tested models and &gt;70% complete and durable response when combined with PD1 immunotherapy in a model highly resistant to checkpoint inhibitors
Perspective Therapeutics disclosed initial preclinical results for its FAPtargeted asset, PSV359 and views the preclinical anti-tumor efficacy as encouraging. The analyst also writes it is difficult to benchmark it against 177LuFAP-2286 and PNT6555 because these experiments were performed in a completely different mouse model.
&#8220;Additionally, when we think about potential targets for targeted radioligand therapy (TRT), we believe that most of the targets being pursued by ADCs and/or cell therapy are viable targets for TRT. As such, we view the targeted radioligand space as analogous to where the ADC space was a few years ago,&#8221; Burns writes.
Here are some M&amp;A in the radiopharmaceutical therapeutics&nbsp;space:
<ul>
<li>In 2023, Bristol Myers Squibb &amp; Co&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>) acquired&nbsp;RayzeBio&nbsp;for $62.50 per share in cash, for a total equity value of approximately $4.1 billion, or $3.6 billion net of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/23/12/36382899/bristol-myers-squibb-takes-on-novartis-eli-lilly-with-rayzebio-4b-deal-in-radiopharmaceuticals" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimated cash acquired</a>.&nbsp;</li>
<li>In 2023, Eli Lilly And Co&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LLY#NYSE">LLY</a>) acquired&nbsp;POINT Biopharma Global for $12.50 per share in cash, an aggregate of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/23/10/35060421/why-is-cancer-treatment-focused-point-biopharma-stock-trading-higher-today" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">approximately $1.4 billion</a>.</li>
<li>In 2024, AstraZeneca Plc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AZN#NASDAQ">AZN</a>) acquired&nbsp;Fusion Pharmaceuticals for $21 per share in cash plus a non-transferable contingent value right of $3 per share in cash payable upon the achievement of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/24/03/37818128/astrazenecas-2-4b-fusion-pharmaceuticals-acquisition-signals-shift-in-efforts-from-traditional-re" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">specified regulatory milestone</a>.</li>
</ul>
CATX Price Action: Perspective Therapeutics stock is down 0.75% at $2.64 at publication Thursday.
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</ul>
Photo: S_fam photo via Shutterstock

Analyst Color

Initiation

CATX

Perspective Therapeutics' Cancer-Focused Radiotherapy Portfolio Has Upside Potentional, Says Analyst

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders will search for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges heavily from its normal worth. High amounts of trading activity could push option prices to exaggerated or underestimated levels. 
Below are some instances of options activity happening in the Health Care sector: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>VKTX</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$35.00</td>
<td>$43.0K</td>
<td>680</td>
<td>1.7K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>LLY</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>03/14/25</td>
<td>$815.00</td>
<td>$26.5K</td>
<td>38</td>
<td>268</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BMY</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/19/25</td>
<td>$62.50</td>
<td>$125.9K</td>
<td>90</td>
<td>253</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SYK</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$360.00</td>
<td>$119.2K</td>
<td>472</td>
<td>203</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ABBV</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>04/11/25</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$95.5K</td>
<td>290</td>
<td>193</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IQV</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>12/19/25</td>
<td>$180.00</td>
<td>$200.2K</td>
<td>31</td>
<td>111</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>UNH</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/19/25</td>
<td>$490.00</td>
<td>$99.7K</td>
<td>92</td>
<td>77</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>JNJ</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$165.00</td>
<td>$26.6K</td>
<td>6.1K</td>
<td>56</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CI</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/19/25</td>
<td>$330.00</td>
<td>$80.8K</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>29</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TMO</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>06/18/26</td>
<td>$600.00</td>
<td>$101.9K</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These itemized elaborations have been created using the accompanying table. 
• For VKTX (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VKTX#NASDAQ">VKTX</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 37 day(s) on April 17, 2025. This event was a transfer of 426 contract(s) at a $35.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $43.0K, with a price of $101.0 per contract. There were 680 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1750 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For LLY (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LLY#NYSE">LLY</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be neutral, expiring in 3 day(s) on March 14, 2025. This event was a transfer of 20 contract(s) at a $815.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $26.5K, with a price of $1325.0 per contract. There were 38 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 268 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For BMY (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 192 day(s) on September 19, 2025. This event was a transfer of 221 contract(s) at a $62.50 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 13 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $125.9K, with a price of $570.0 per contract. There were 90 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 253 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For SYK (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SYK#NYSE">SYK</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be bearish, expiring in 10 day(s) on March 21, 2025. This event was a transfer of 200 contract(s) at a $360.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $119.2K, with a price of $596.0 per contract. There were 472 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 203 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For ABBV (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ABBV#NYSE">ABBV</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 31 day(s) on April 11, 2025. This event was a transfer of 193 contract(s) at a $210.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 16 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $95.5K, with a price of $495.0 per contract. There were 290 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 193 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding IQV (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IQV#NYSE">IQV</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 283 day(s) on December 19, 2025. Parties traded 110 contract(s) at a $180.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 24 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $200.2K, with a price of $1820.0 per contract. There were 31 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 111 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For UNH (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNH#NYSE">UNH</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 192 day(s) on September 19, 2025. This event was a transfer of 23 contract(s) at a $490.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $99.7K, with a price of $4335.0 per contract. There were 92 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 77 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding JNJ (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>), we observe a call option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 101 day(s) on June 20, 2025. Parties traded 35 contract(s) at a $165.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $26.6K, with a price of $760.0 per contract. There were 6139 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 56 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For CI (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CI#NYSE">CI</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 192 day(s) on September 19, 2025. This event was a transfer of 26 contract(s) at a $330.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $80.8K, with a price of $3110.0 per contract. There were 14 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 29 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding TMO (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TMO#NYSE">TMO</a>), we observe a put option trade with neutral sentiment. It expires in 464 day(s) on June 18, 2026. Parties traded 10 contract(s) at a $600.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $101.9K, with a price of $10193.0 per contract. There were 0 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 10 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more about unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

On Monday, Bristol Myers Squibb&nbsp;&amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>) agreed to acquire 2seventy bio, Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSVT#NASDAQ">TSVT</a>) at $5.00 per share in an all-cash transaction for a total equity value of approximately $286 million, or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap" rel="noreferrer noopener">$102 million net of estimated cash</a>.
The deal, which represents an 88% premium to the closing price of $2.66 <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/03/b44239452/2seventy-bio-enters-into-definitive-agreement-to-be-acquired-by-bristol-myers-squibb" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">on March 7, 2025</a>, is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/02/43528698/bristol-myers-squibb-warns-near-term-impact-due-to-generics-on-2025-sales-forecast-outlines-2-billion-in-additional-cost-cuts" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bristol Myers Squibb Warns Near-Term Impact Due To Generics On 2025 Sales Forecast, Outlines $2 Billion In Additional Cost Cuts</a>
In September, the companies discontinued enrollment in its ongoing Phase 3 KarMMa-9 study of Abecma&nbsp;(idecabtagene vicleucel; ide-cel) with lenalidomide maintenance versus lenalidomide maintenance alone for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) who have suboptimal response to autologous&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/09/41028913/bristol-myers-2seventy-bio-halt-phase-3-trial-for-abecma-in-newly-diagnosed-myeloma" rel="noreferrer noopener">stem cell transplant</a>.
&#8220;Consistent with our focus on capital allocation and creating value for all stakeholders, we anticipate this decision will conserve over $80 million in near-term expenditures and accelerate our path to breakeven in 2025,&#8221; said Chip Baird, CEO of 2seventy bio.
In November 2021, 2seventy bio announced its official launch as an independent, publicly traded company from bluebird bio Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLUE#NASDAQ">BLUE</a>).
In February, Carlyle Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CG#NYSE">CG</a>) and SK Capital Partners agreed to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43880289/bluebird-bio-to-be-acquired-by-carlyle-group-sk-capital-former-mirati-therapeutics-ceo-set-to-lead-post-deal" rel="noreferrer noopener">acquire bluebird bio</a>.
In April 2024, the FDA approved&nbsp;Bristol-Myers and&nbsp;2seventy Bio's&nbsp;Abecma&nbsp;(idecabtagene vicleucel; ide-cel) for adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma after two or more&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/24/04/38114915/fda-approves-bristol-myers2seventy-bios-abecma-for-earlier-use-in-pretreated-blood-cancer-patient" rel="noreferrer noopener">prior lines of therapy</a>.
Price Action: TSVT stock is up 76.4% at $4.9, and BMY stock is down 1.04% at $62.45 during the premarket session at the last check Tuesday.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/03/44245475/eaton-strengthens-data-center-strategy-with-14-billion-fibrebond-acquisition" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eaton Strengthens Data Center Strategy With $1.4 Billion Fibrebond Acquisition</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Movers

BLUE

TSVT

Bristol Myers Squibb Scoops Up Its Blood Cancer Drug Partner 2seventy Bio In $286 Million Deal

U.S. stock futures rose on Tuesday following Monday&#8217;s heavy selloff. Futures of all four benchmark indices surged in premarket trading.
On Monday, the Nasdaq 100 index fell 12.56%, while the S&amp;P 500 dropped 8.67% from its previous high. While Nasdaq 100 had entered the correction zone last week, S&amp;P 500 was nearing the territory.
The selloff followed President Donald Trump&#8216;s comments from Sunday, where he didn&#8217;t rule out the possibility of a recession. He also said that the economy was undergoing "a period of transition,&#8221; as his tariff battle against major trading partners continued.
Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.20%, while the two-year yield was at 3.89%. According to the CME Group's FedWatch <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">tool</a>, there is a 95% chance that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged for the March meeting.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Futures</td>
<td>Change (+/-)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>0.41%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>0.27%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>0.20%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>0.93%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, rose in premarket on Tuesday. The SPY was up 0.37% to $562.63, and the QQQ also advanced 0.57% to $475.42, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.
Cues From The Last Session
On Monday, U.S. stock market saw significant losses, particularly in consumer discretionary, information technology, and communication services sectors.
In contrast, utilities and energy sectors saw gains. This sector-driven decline contributed to the Dow dipping 890 points.
Overall market weakness followed a tough week, with the S&amp;P 500 down 3.1%. Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) and Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) shares also experienced notable drops.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Index</td>
<td>Performance (+/-)</td>
<td>Value</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq Composite</td>
<td>-4.00%</td>
<td>17,468.32</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>-2.70%</td>
<td>5,614.56</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>-2.08%</td>
<td>41,911.71 </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>-2.72%</td>
<td>2,019.07</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Insights From Analysts
After entering correction territory last week, the Nasdaq 100 fell 3.81% on Monday, confirming a key trend highlighted by Jason Goepfert.
Historically, a 3.5%+ drop following a correction and a 200-day average breach has led to a bear market, according to Goepfert.
Goepfert reaffirmed his assumptions and said that a "bad scenario," had been triggered and it was "Not the best sign for bulls."
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Already triggered the bad scenario. Not the best sign for bulls. <a href="https://t.co/GMm8bv3sUr">https://t.co/GMm8bv3sUr</a>
&mdash; Jason Goepfert (@jasongoepfert) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasongoepfert/status/1899201625107153288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
However, not all analysts believed that the indices are headed toward a bear market.
Mona Mahajan, the investment strategist at Edward Jones, calmed the investors after Monday&#8217;s selloff and said that pullbacks are normal and the possibility of a bear market was not confirmed.
&#8220;Investors are understandably nervous – the economy seems to be softening as tariffs and government policy uncertainty remain elevated. But keep in mind that in any given year, one to three pullbacks are normal, in the 5% to 15% range, and historically these have led to buying opportunities. Especially because we don&#8217;t yet see a recession, the likelihood of a deep or prolonged bear market is not as high.&#8221;
Sentimentrader&#8217;s Jay Kaeppel said that the U.S. stock market is only &#8220;sorta, kinda&#8221; oversold, citing the McClellan Oscillator&#8217;s data for the S&amp;P 500.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">BTW, the U.S. stock market is only "sorta, kinda" oversold. Corrections tend to play out until an actual "washout" occurs. Sorry, I don't make the rules. <a href="https://twitter.com/sentimentrader?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sentimentrader</a> <a href="https://t.co/kg4bPq7Dvf">pic.twitter.com/kg4bPq7Dvf</a>
&mdash; Jay Kaeppel (@jaykaeppel) <a href="https://twitter.com/jaykaeppel/status/1899064152980591037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Charlie Bilello of Creative Planning shared a list of past S&amp;P 500 drops, noting each event &#8220;seemed like the end of the world&#8221; at the time.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The S&amp;P 500 has now fallen over 9% from its peak on February 19, the biggest pullback since last August. This is the 30th correction &gt;5% off of a high since the March 2009 low. They all seemed like the end of the world at the time. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24SPX&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$SPX</a> Video: <a href="https://t.co/bp8qymBdHZ">https://t.co/bp8qymBdHZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/gnv4F6E5li">pic.twitter.com/gnv4F6E5li</a>
&mdash; Charlie Bilello (@charliebilello) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliebilello/status/1899251053658247484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-trade-futures">How to Trade Futures </a>
Upcoming Economic Data
Here&#8217;s what investors will keep on Tuesday:
<ul>
<li>On Tuesday, February&#8217;s NFIB optimism index data will be released at 6:00 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>January&#8217;s job openings data will be out by 10:00 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
Stocks In Focus:
<ul>
<li>DICK&#8217;S Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DKS#NYSE">DKS</a>) was up 0.94% in premarket on Tuesday ahead of its earnings, which will be released before the opening bell. Analysts expect it to report earnings of $3.53 per share on revenue of $3.78 billion.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Ciena Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CIEN#NYSE">CIEN</a>) dropped 1.23% as Wall Street expects it to report quarterly earnings of 41 cents per share on revenue of $1.05 billion before the opening bell.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Kohl&#8217;s Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KSS#NYSE">KSS</a>) slipped 2.07% ahead of its earnings, which will be released before the opening bell. Analysts expect it to report earnings of 73 cents per share on revenue of $5.14 billion.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>United Natural Foods Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNFI#NYSE">UNFI</a>) advanced 0.07% as Wall Street expects it to report quarterly earnings of 19 cents per share on revenue of $7.96 billion before the opening bell.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Oracle Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>) was 1.08% lower after reporting third-quarter revenue of $14.13 billion, missing the consensus estimate of $14.39 billion. Also, adjusted earnings of $1.47 per share, missing analyst estimates of $1.49 per share.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>2Seventy Bio Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSVT#NASDAQ">TSVT</a>) surged 76.07% as Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>) said that it will acquire the company for $5.00 per share in an all-cash deal, an 88% premium, valuing the company at $286 million.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Tenon Medical Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TNON#NASDAQ">TNON</a>) zoomed 60% after it secured two European patents for its Catamaran SI Joint Fixation Device, strengthening its global portfolio and highlighting its innovation in SIJ disorder treatment.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>NET Power Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NPWR#NYSE">NPWR</a>) slumped 35.79% after reporting wider-than-expected fourth quarter loss.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Asana Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ASAN#NYSE">ASAN</a>) plummeted 27.34% after CEO Dustin Moskovitz announced retirement.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>LifeMD Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LFMD#NASDAQ">LFMD</a>) rose 23.65% after reporting better than expected revenue and EPS in the fourth quarter.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) jumped 3.09% after dropping over 41.43% on a year-to-date basis in 2025 as Trump reaffirmed his support for Elon Musk on Monday, praising him for &#8220;putting it on the line&#8221; for the nation. On Truth Social, Trump accused &#8220;left lunatics&#8221; of illegally colluding to boycott Tesla.</li>
</ul>
Commodities, Gold And Global Equity Markets:
Crude oil futures were trading higher in the early New York session by 0.73% to hover around $66.51 per barrel.
The gold spot index was up by 0.74% to $2,910.70 per ounce. Its last record high was at $2,956.37 per ounce. The Dollar Index was down 0.44% at the 103.444 level.
Asian markets closed mostly lower on Tuesday as Australia's ASX 200, Japan's Nikkei 225, South Korea's Kospi, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index declined. Whereas India's S&amp;P BSE Sensex, China's CSI 300 advanced. European markets were mostly higher in trade.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44240968/history-repeats-market-enters-correction-zone-in-the-same-week-when-dot-com-bubble-burst-25-years-ago-heres-what-experts-are-saying">History Repeats? Market Enters Correction Zone In The Same Week When Dot-Com Bubble Burst 25 Years Ago: Here&#8217;s What Experts Are Saying</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Earnings

Equities

Market Summary

Futures

Treasuries

Economics

ASAN

CIEN

LFMD

NPWR

ORCL

TNON

TSLA

UNFI

US Stocks Likely To Open Higher After Monday's Selloff: TSLA Stock Rebounds From Its Worst Fall In 5 Years After Trump Backs Musk, Analyst Says 'Pullbacks Are Normal'

Transaction Details and Path to Completion Under the terms of the agreement, BMS will promptly commence a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of 2seventy bio at a price of $5.00 per share in an all-cash transaction. 2seventy bio's Board of Directors unanimously recommends that 2seventy bio stockholders tender their shares in the tender offer.
The closing of the transaction is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2025 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including the tender of a majority of the outstanding shares of 2seventy bio's common stock and the expiration or termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976. Following the successful closing of the tender offer, BMS will acquire all remaining shares of 2seventy bio common stock that are not tendered in the tender offer through a second-step merger at the same price in the tender offer of $5.00 per share.

Reported Earlier, 2seventy bio Agrees To Be Acquired By Bristol Myers Squibb For $5.00 Per Share In 88% Premium Transaction Valued At $286M

On Saturday, Bristol Myers Squibb&nbsp;&amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>) revealed data from the pivotal Phase 3 POETYK PsA-2 trial (IM011-055) evaluating the efficacy and safety of&nbsp;Sotyktu&nbsp;(deucravacitinib) in adults with active <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/health-care" rel="noreferrer noopener">psoriatic arthritis (PsA)</a>.
The POETYK PsA-2 trial met its primary endpoint, with a significantly greater proportion of&nbsp;Sotyktu-treated patients&nbsp;achieving&nbsp;ACR20 response (at least a 20% improvement in signs and symptoms of disease) compared with placebo at Week 16 (54.2% versus 39.4%, respectively; p=0.0002).
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/03/44190384/bristol-myers-opdivo-plus-yervoy-combo-therapy-secures-european-approval-for-untreated-liver-cancer-patients" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bristol Myers&#8217; Opdivo Plus Yervoy Combo Therapy Secures European Approval For Untreated Liver Cancer Patients</a>
The overall safety profile of&nbsp;Sotyktu&nbsp;through 16 weeks of treatment was consistent with that established in a Phase 2 PsA clinical trial and Phase 3 moderate-to-severe plaque <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/03/b44209193/bristol-myers-squibb-presents-late-breaking-data-from-phase-3-poetyk-psa-2-trial-demonstrating-sup" rel="noreferrer noopener">psoriasis clinical trials</a>.
The new data, representing the first disclosure of data for the Phase 3 POETYK trials in PsA, were presented at the American Academy of Dermatology.
Additionally, treatment with&nbsp;Sotyktu&nbsp;met important secondary endpoints across PsA disease activity at Week 16, demonstrating improvement across clinical signs and symptoms, extra-articular manifestations, and patient-reported outcomes.
More&nbsp;Sotyktu-treated patients achieved a Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 75 response compared with placebo.
In the POETYK PsA-2 trial, no new safety signals were identified.
Bristol Myers Squibb will work with key investigators to present additional Phase 3 POETYK PsA program data at upcoming medical congresses this year.
Sotyktu&nbsp;is approved for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.
Price Action: BMY stock is up 2.82% at $62.82 at the last check Monday.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44224370/grab-teams-up-with-global-self-driving-giants-eyes-future-of-ride-hailing-in-southeast-asia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Grab Teams Up With Global Self-Driving Firms, Eyes Future of Ride-Hailing In Southeast Asia</a></li>
</ul>
Photo via Shutterstock

Bristol Myers Unveils Positive Phase 3 Results for Sotyktu in Psoriatic Arthritis

On Monday, Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PTGX#NASDAQ">PTGX</a>) announced topline results from ANTHEM-UC Phase 2b study of icotrokinra (JNJ-2113) in adults with moderately to severely active <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech" rel="noreferrer noopener">ulcerative colitis (UC)</a>.
The study conducted by Protagonist&#8217;s collaboration partner, Johnson &amp; Johnson, met its primary endpoint of clinical response&nbsp;in all icotrokinra dose groups evaluated.
Additionally, the study demonstrated clinically meaningful differences versus placebo in key secondary endpoints of clinical remission, symptomatic remission and endoscopic <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/03/ac44217207/protagonist-reports-positive-top-line-results-from-phase-2b-study-of-icotrokinra-showing-potentia" rel="noreferrer noopener">improvement at Week 12</a>.
<ul>
<li>All three doses of once daily icotrokinra met the primary endpoint of clinical response at Week 12.</li>
<li>At Week 12, patients treated with the highest dose of icotrokinra achieved a response rate of 63.5% versus 27.0% for placebo.</li>
<li>30.2% of patients treated with the highest dose of icotrokinra demonstrated clinical remission at Week 12, compared to 11.1% of patients who received placebo.</li>
<li>Clinical remission and response rates continued to improve through Week 28.</li>
</ul>
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/03/44084427/takeda-protagonist-therapeutics-partnered-investigational-drug-hits-primary-goal-in-late-stage-study-in-patients-with-type-of-blood-cancer" rel="noreferrer noopener">Takeda-Protagonist Therapeutics Partnered Investigational Drug Hits Primary Goal In Late-Stage Study In Patients With Type Of Blood Cancer</a>
On Saturday, Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>) released new icotrokinra data from its comprehensive Phase 3 program in adults and adolescents 12 years and older with moderate-to-severe <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/03/ac44209279/icotrokinra-clinical-study-results-demonstrate-its-potential-to-shift-treatment-paradigm-and-set-" rel="noreferrer noopener">plaque psoriasis&nbsp;(PsO)</a>.
Data from the Phase 3 ICONIC-LEADa&nbsp;study, presented at the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting, show once daily icotrokinra demonstrated significant skin clearance and a favorable safety profile.
In the ICONIC-LEAD study, nearly two-thirds (65%) of patients treated with once daily icotrokinra achieved an Investigator&#8217;s Global Assessment (IGA)b&nbsp;score of 0/1 (clear or almost clear skin) and 50% achieved a Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI)c&nbsp;90 response, compared to 8% and 4% receiving placebo, respectively (P&lt;0.001 for both endpoints) at Week 16.
Continued skin clearance improvement was reported at Week 24. Up to 74% of patients treated with icotrokinra achieved IGA 0/1 and 65% achieved PASI 90.
At Week 24, nearly half of the patients treated with icotrokinra achieved completely clear skin – 46% reached IGA 0, and 40% reached PASI 100.
Similar proportions of patients experienced adverse events (AEs) between icotrokinra (49%) and placebo groups (49%), with no new safety signals identified.
Additionally, topline results show that the Phase 3 ICONIC-ADVANCE 1&amp;2e&nbsp;studies met their co-primary endpoints of IGA 0/1 and PASI 90 versus placebo at Week 16.
Icotrokinra also met all key secondary endpoints at Weeks 16 and 24 that measured superiority to Bristol-Myers Squibb&nbsp;&amp; Co&#8217;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>) Sotyktu deucravacitinib in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque PsO.
Johnson &amp; Johnson is initiating the Phase 3 ICONIC-ASCENDg&nbsp;study, a head-to-head study of an oral pill, icotrokinra, compared to an injectable biologic, Stelars (ustekinumab).
Price Action: PTGX stock is up 35.9% at $52.42. JNJ stock is up 0.54% at $167.59 during the premarket session at the last check Monday.
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Contracts

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During times of turbulence and uncertainty in the markets, many investors turn to dividend-yielding stocks. These are often companies that have high free cash flows and reward shareholders with a<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/yield-investments"> high dividend payout</a>.
Benzinga readers can review the latest analyst takes on their favorite stocks by visiting <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings">Analyst Stock Ratings</a> page. Traders can sort through Benzinga's extensive database of analyst ratings, including <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/22/09/28888638/exclusive-study-finds-benzinga-analyst-ratings-data-yields-market-beating-strategie">by analyst accuracy</a>.
Below are the ratings of the most accurate analysts for three high-yielding stocks in the health care sector.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVS#NYSE">CVS</a>)</h3>
<ul>
<li>Dividend Yield: 4.01%</li>
<li>Truist Securities analyst David Macdonald maintained a Buy rating and raised the price target from $60 to $76 on Feb. 13, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 65%.</li>
<li>Leerink Partners analyst Michael Cherny upgraded the stock from Market Perform to Outperform and boosted the price target from $55 to $75 on Feb. 13, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 61%.</li>
<li>Recent News: On March 4, Wellvana and CVS Health disclosed that Wellvana has acquired the Medicare Shared Savings Program business of CVS Accountable Care&#x2122;, part of CVS Health, in an all-stock transaction.</li>
<li>Benzinga Pro&#8217;s real-time newsfeed alerted to latest <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent031025&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">CVS news</a>. </li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent031025&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img decoding="async" src="blob:https://editorial.benzinga.com/59c9cf91-f220-445e-9cc8-fb8e60e12227" alt="" style="width:620px;height:auto" /></a></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>)</h3>
<ul>
<li>Dividend Yield: 4.06%</li>
<li>Wells Fargo analyst Mohit Bansal maintained an Equal-Weight rating and raised the price target from $60 to $62 on Feb. 7, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 74%.</li>
<li>Citigroup analyst Andrew Baum maintained a Neutral rating and boosted the price target from $60 to $65 on Jan. 28, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 72%.</li>
<li>Recent News: On March 7, the European Commission (EC) approved Bristol Myers Squibb's Opdivo (nivolumab) plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable or advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a type of liver cancer.</li>
<li>Benzinga Pro's real-time newsfeed alerted to latest <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent031025&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">BMY news</a> </li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent031025&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="910" height="831" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/09221826/image-43.png" alt="" class="wp-image-815700" style="width:563px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/09221826/image-43.png 910w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/09221826/image-43-300x274.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/09221826/image-43-768x701.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px" /></a></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>)</h3>
<ul>
<li>Dividend Yield: 2.98%</li>
<li>Guggenheim analyst Vamil Divan maintained a Neutral rating and raised the price target from $162 to $166 on Feb. 3, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 76%.</li>
<li>Barclays analyst Matt Miksic maintained an Equal-Weight rating and increased the price target from $159 to $166 on Jan. 28, 2025. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 69%.</li>
<li>Recent News: On March 7, Johnson &amp; Johnson decided to discontinue the Phase 3 VENTURA development program evaluating aticaprant, a kappa opioid receptor (KOR) antagonist, as an adjunctive treatment for major depressive disorder (aMDD).</li>
<li>Benzinga Pro&#8217;s real-time newsfeed alerted to <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent031025&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">latest JNJ news</a> </li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent031025&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="905" height="827" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/09221911/image-44.png" alt="" class="wp-image-815702" style="width:570px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/09221911/image-44.png 905w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/09221911/image-44-300x274.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/09221911/image-44-768x702.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 905px) 100vw, 905px" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"> 
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<ul>
<li>Significantly more patients treated with Sotyktu achieved ACR and PASI response rates and had greater improvements in patient-reported quality of life compared with placebo at Week 16</li>
<li>Sotyktu was well-tolerated in comparison with placebo and apremilast, demonstrating safety consistent with its established clinical profile</li>
</ul>

Reported Saturday, Bristol Myers Squibb Presents Late-Breaking Phase 3 Data Showing Sotyktu Superior To Placebo In Psoriatic Arthritis

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>).
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with BMY, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
So how do we know what these investors just did? 
Today, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga</a>'s options scanner spotted 32 uncommon options trades for Bristol-Myers Squibb.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 37% bullish and 46%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 5 are puts, for a total amount of $768,961, and 27 are calls, for a total amount of $2,021,345.
<h3>What's The Price Target?</h3>
Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $25.0 to $70.0 for Bristol-Myers Squibb during the past quarter. 
<h3>Insights into Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock.
This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Bristol-Myers Squibb's options for a given strike price.
Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Bristol-Myers Squibb's whale activity within a strike price range from $25.0 to $70.0 in the last 30 days. 
<h3>Bristol-Myers Squibb Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1741378568_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Biggest Options Spotted:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>BMY</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$4.85</td>
<td>$4.65</td>
<td>$4.75</td>
<td>$60.00</td>
<td>$855.0K</td>
<td>12.4K</td>
<td>2.2K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BMY</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$1.25</td>
<td>$1.05</td>
<td>$1.2</td>
<td>$62.50</td>
<td>$240.0K</td>
<td>386</td>
<td>31</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BMY</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$9.2</td>
<td>$9.1</td>
<td>$9.2</td>
<td>$70.00</td>
<td>$227.2K</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>248</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BMY</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/15/27</td>
<td>$13.5</td>
<td>$11.5</td>
<td>$11.65</td>
<td>$67.50</td>
<td>$226.0K</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>194</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BMY</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>01/15/27</td>
<td>$15.5</td>
<td>$13.3</td>
<td>$14.22</td>
<td>$52.50</td>
<td>$123.7K</td>
<td>602</td>
<td>87</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Bristol-Myers Squibb</h3>
Bristol-Myers Squibb discovers, develops, and markets drugs for various therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular, cancer, and immune disorders. A key focus for Bristol is immuno-oncology, where the firm is a leader in drug development. Bristol derives close to 70% of total sales from the US, showing a higher dependence on the US market than most of its peer group.
After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding Bristol-Myers Squibb, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.
<h3>Current Position of Bristol-Myers Squibb</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a volume of 13,248,550, the price of BMY is up 1.71% at $61.21. </li>
<li>RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Next earnings are expected to be released in 48 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Expert Opinions on Bristol-Myers Squibb</h3>
Over the past month, 1 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $62.0.
Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days?
20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/options-moneyline-2/?t=Moop1arja3be22op14&amp;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=options-activity&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Wells Fargo keeps a Equal-Weight rating on Bristol-Myers Squibb with a target price of $62. 
Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.
If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Bristol-Myers Squibb, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a> gives you real-time options trades alerts.

Market Whales and Their Recent Bets on BMY Options

On Friday, the European Commission (EC) approved Bristol Myers Squibb &amp; Co&#8217;s&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>) Opdivo&nbsp;(nivolumab) plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable or advanced <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap" rel="noreferrer noopener">hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)</a>, a type of liver cancer.
The decision is based on results from the CheckMate -9DW study. Results showed that dual immunotherapy treatment with&nbsp;Opdivo&nbsp;plus&nbsp;Yervoy&nbsp;led to a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival (OS), the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/03/b44187439/bristol-myers-squibb-receives-european-commission-approval-for-opdivo-nivolumab-plus-yervoy-ipilim" rel="noreferrer noopener">trial&#8217;s primary endpoint</a>.
In the trial, 85% of patients in the comparator arm were treated with lenvatinib and 15% with sorafenib.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44148320/bristol-myers-acquired-myokardia-drops-fulcrum-agreement-ending-cardiomyopathy-research-deal" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bristol Myers Acquired MyoKardia Drops Fulcrum Agreement, Ending Cardiomyopathy Research Deal</a>
The median OS was 23.7 months for&nbsp;Opdivo&nbsp;plus&nbsp;Yervoy&nbsp;compared to 20.6 months with the investigator&#8217;s choice of lenvatinib or sorafenib.
The OS benefit was observed across clinically relevant patient subgroups. The trial also showed an overall response rate (ORR) of 36.1% compared to 13.2% of patients treated with lenvatinib or sorafenib and a deeper response with&nbsp;Opdivo&nbsp;plus&nbsp;Yervoy.
The safety profile for the combination of Opdivo plus Yervoy remained consistent with previously reported data and was manageable with established protocols, with no new safety signals identified.
In August 2024, the U.S. FDA <a target="_blank" href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.bms.com%2Fnews%2Fdetails%2F2024%2FBristol-Myers-Squibb-Receives-U.S.-Food-and-Drug-Administration-sBLA-Acceptance-for-First-Line-Treatment-of-Unresectable-Hepatocellular-Carcinoma%2Fdefault.aspx&amp;esheet=54220615&amp;newsitemid=20250306548758&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=accepted+the+Company%27s+supplemental+Biologics+License+Application&amp;index=3&amp;md5=2b15074d7f5cda1d8e3db3a5f1804863" rel="noreferrer noopener">accepted the company&#8217;s supplemental Biologics License Application</a> for Opdivo plus Yervoy as a potential first-line treatment option for adult patients with unresectable HCC and assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act goal date of April 21, 2025.
The combination of&nbsp;Opdivo&nbsp;plus&nbsp;Yervoy&nbsp;was granted accelerated approval by the U.S. FDA in 2020 as a second-line treatment for patients with advanced HCC based on Phase 2 CheckMate -040 trial results.
In February, the FDA accepted the supplemental biologics license application (sBLA) for&nbsp;Bristol Myers Squibb&#8217;s Opdivo plus&nbsp;Yervoy&nbsp;as a potential first-line treatment option for adult and pediatric patients (12 years and older) with unresectable or metastatic microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43919389/bristol-myers-opdivo-plus-yervoy-treatment-goes-under-priority-fda-review-for-colorectal-cancer" rel="noreferrer noopener">colorectal cancer (mCRC)</a>.
The FDA granted the application Breakthrough Therapy Designation and Priority Review status. It also assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act goal date of June 23, 2025.
Price Action: BMY stock is down 0.14% at $60.09 during the premarket session at the last check Friday.
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</ul>

Bristol Myers' Opdivo Plus Yervoy Combo Therapy Secures European Approval For Untreated Liver Cancer Patients

Press Releases

2seventy bio Enters into Definitive Agreement to be Acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb

ALERT: Rowley Law PLLC is Investigating Proposed Acquisition of 2seventy bio, Inc.

Bristol Myers Squibb to Report Results for First Quarter 2025 on April 24, 2025

Bristol Myers Squibb Receives Approval from the European Commission to Expand Use of CAR T Cell Therapy Breyanzi for Relapsed or Refractory Follicular Lymphoma

2SEVENTY INVESTOR ALERT by the Former Attorney General of Louisiana: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates Adequacy of Price and Process in Proposed Sale of 2seventy bio, Inc. - TSVT

Cardurion Pharmaceuticals Appoints Karen Lewis as Chief People Officer

Four New Studies Demonstrate that Viz.ai Finds New Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Earlier When Embedded into the Clinical Workflow

Global Radiotherapy Market Expected to Reach $9.62 Billion By 2030 Realizing Growth Due to Technological Advancements

Bristol Myers Squibb Receives Positive CHMP Opinion for the Subcutaneous Formulation of Opdivo® (nivolumab) Across Multiple Solid Tumor Indications

Bristol Myers Squibb Receives Positive CHMP Opinion for Perioperative Regimen of Neoadjuvant Opdivo® (nivolumab) and Chemotherapy Followed by Surgery and Adjuvant Opdivo for Resectable Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Patients with Tumor Cell PD-L1...

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