Shares of Merck and Walgreens Boots are posting strong returns Thursday afternoon, lifting the Dow Jones Industrial Average into positive territory.
The Dow DJIA, +0.25% is trading 53 points (0.2%) higher, as shares of Merck MRK, +2.15% and Walgreens Boots WBA, +1.81% are contributing to the blue-chip gauge’s intraday rally. Merck’s shares are up $1.92 (2.3%) while those of Walgreens Boots are up $0.70, or 1.6%, combining for an approximately 17-point boost for the Dow. Walmart WMT, +1.00%, Home Depot HD, +1.41%, and Procter & Gamble PG, +1.29% are also contributing significantly to the gain. A $1 move in any of the benchmark’s 30 components equates to a 6.59-point swing.