Top Health Care Stocks

JNJ +0.60%

PFE +1.02%

ABT +0.56%

MRK +0.66%

AMGN +1.61%

Health care stocks were extending their morning advance with the NYSE Health Care Sector Index recently gaining about 0.5% and shares of health care companies in the S&P 500 ahead about 0.9% as a group.

In company news, Tianying Pharmaceutical ( TPI ) was sharply higher Friday afternoon after saying it is in talks with an unnamed pharmaceutical firm to form a strategic alliance and build a nationwide platform for traditional Chinese medicine.

The new alliance would integrate sales network of the two firms in order to reach over 10,000 nationwide hospitals, TPI said. It's current network has around 1,000 member hospitals.

Separately, the company late Wednesday reported lower fiscal Q1 earnings and revenue compared with year-ago levels.

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Health Care Sector Update for 12/26/2014: TPI,GILD,NVS