Health Care Higher on Earnings Sentiment -- Health Care Roundup

Shares of health-care companies rose as traders bet the sector would fare well during earnings season.

Anthem joined Aetna and Cigna -- all companies who said they are reviewing participation in state health-insurance exchanges -- in making preliminary filings indicating it will offer plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces in Virginia next year. UnitedHealth, the largest insurer by enrollees, has already said it won't participate in the Virginia exchange. Anthem also filed the necessary paperwork to participate in the Kentucky exchange in 2018.

AbbVie shares were flat after one of its experimental cancer drugs failed to improve survival rates in two clinical trials.

Rob Curran, rob.curran@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 20, 2017 17:24 ET (21:24 GMT)