Summary
NEW YORK - Wall Street closed out a dismal third quarter with a mixed performance Thursday after Merck & Co. said it would be forced to remove its best-selling Vioxx arthritis drug from the market. Merck's unexpected bad news left blue chips with a loss for the day, while high-tech stocks got a lift from bargain hunters.
Merck's troubles - Vioxx was found to carry an increased risk of heart attack and stroke - were magnified because the company is part of the Dow Jones industrials. Analysts said the Dow likely would have been flat to slightly higher without Merck's announcement.See the full content of this document
Extract
Drug Maker's Woes Hurt Stocks
Bad economic news also weighed on stocks as the Labor Department r...
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