Why AbbVie (ABBV) Stock Is Trading Up Today

What Happened?

Shares of pharmaceutical company AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) jumped 5.2% in the afternoon session after the company submitted a biologics license application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its drug candidate pivekimab sunirine. The company is developing the molecule as a potential treatment for blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN), a rare and highly aggressive blood cancer, as well as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Investor optimism was further bolstered by AbbVie's announcement of a $70 million expansion of its Bioresearch Center in Massachusetts to increase its U.S. biologics manufacturing and R&D capabilities. This move is part of a larger investment to strengthen domestic operations, potentially shielding the company from pharmaceutical tariffs. The positive news, which followed the stock reaching an all-time high on the previous day, appeared to outweigh a downgrade from HSBC to 'Hold' from 'Buy'.

The shares closed the day at $244.38, up 5.6% from previous close.

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What Is The Market Telling Us

AbbVie’s shares are not very volatile and have only had 5 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful, although it might not be something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 1 day ago when the stock gained 3.9% on the news that reports revealed a potential drug-pricing agreement between the White House and the pharmaceutical industry. The Trump administration is advancing its “Most Favored Nation” initiative, which aims to lower prescription drug costs for Americans. This policy would tie the prices of medications in the U.S. to the lowest costs paid by other wealthy nations. As part of this push, Pfizer has reportedly entered into an agreement to voluntarily sell its medications through Medicaid at these reduced prices. The move comes as the administration intensifies pressure on drugmakers to make prices more affordable. While pricing controls can often be a headwind, the market's positive reaction suggests that investors may see this voluntary agreement as a way to resolve regulatory uncertainty, providing a clearer path forward for the industry.

AbbVie is up 36.3% since the beginning of the year, and at $244.50 per share, has set a new 52-week high. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of AbbVie’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $2,806.

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