Health-care companies rose, gaining back some recent losses as the sector returned to favor due to mixed economic data.

Shares of Novo Nordisk rallied, recouping some of the losses associated with the disappointing performance of its CagriSema trial of a new obesity-drug compound.

The knee-jerk slump in Novo Nordisk's stock was an overreaction to the tepid data, said Abhishek Raval, an analyst at research firm AlphaValue, in a note to clients.

Health insurers such as UnitedHealth Group and Cigna also recovered some of their recent losses following public controversy about industry practices in the wake of the assassination of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson.

Write to Rob Curran at rob.curran@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

12-23-24 1740ET