US stocks mixed after inflation data, Merck announcement - NewsBreak

Wall Street stocks were mixed early Friday following a promising announcement from Merck on a therapeutic for Covid-19 as US data showed another rise in inflation. Analysts cheered news from Merck and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics that a clinical trial of their oral antiviral prospect showed about  a 50 percent reduction in the risk of hospitalization or death from Covid-19. LBBW Bank's Karl Haeling said the Merck announcement had the potential to be a "game changer" in the pandemic. But the good news from Merck was offset by inflation data.