This week, which stocks lagged or dragged? Weekly Winners column keeps up with market trends, helping Tigers sort out the week's hottest sectors, stock winners and important news.

Below are top 10 S&P 500 stock gainers for the week ended June 26:

Germany's Merck Boosts Life Sciences Business with $11 Billion Bet on Bio-Techne

German drugmaker Merck KGaA said on Thursday ‌it would buy U.S. firm Bio-Techne for $11.3 billion, its biggest deal in more than a decade, betting on demand for complex drug research and manufacturing tools to grow its life sciences unit.

Shares of Bio-Techne jumped 22.5% this week after Merck's offer of $73 per share, implying a 24% ​premium to Bio-Techne's close on Wednesday.

While Merck shares jumped 13% this week.

Bio-Techne supplies research reagents, proteins, antibodies, analytical instruments and other tools that ​are widely used by scientists and drug developers.

AbbVie Sharpens Immunology Focus with $10.9 Billion Apogee Deal

AbbVie shares jumped 17% this week. The comapny said on Monday it would buy Apogee Therapeutics for $10.9 billion, the company's largest buyout in ​more than five years, as it seeks to bolster its treatment pipeline for inflammatory ‌diseases like atopic dermatitis and asthma.

The acquisition, one of the largest biotech deals of the year, underscores the surge in pharmaceutical dealmaking, as companies race to build their portfolios ahead of looming patent expirations on blockbuster treatments.

AbbVie has bet ​on acquisitions to counter declining demand for former top-selling drug Humira following biosimilar competition while ​bracing for patent expirations of immunology blockbusters Skyrizi and Rinvoq.

Incyte Stock Jumps on Positive EU Review for Eczema Cream

Incyte Corporation shares jumped 15.8% this week as the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency issued a positive opinion recommending approval of Opzelura (ruxolitinib) cream for treating moderate atopic dermatitis in adults.

The recommendation applies to adult patients for whom topical corticosteroids and topical calcineurin inhibitors are inadequate or inappropriate. If approved by the European Commission, Opzelura would become the first steroid-free, topical JAK treatment option in the European Union for this indication.

United Airlines Jumps as Lower Oil Prices and Bullish Analyst Sentiment Lift Airline Stocks

United Airlines shares jumped 15% this week. Here is some analysis on what might have caused this price movement.

The most likely driver is a sharp drop in crude oil prices, which improved the profit outlook for airline stocks because fuel is one of their biggest costs. The move also appears to have been helped by fresh optimism from an analyst price-target increase and by investors revisiting United’s earlier 2026 earnings framework, which pointed to stronger revenue and margin recovery if fuel pressure eased.

Corning Surges Amid AI Physical Infrastructure Tailwinds

Corning stock surged 13.4% this week. The upward movement follows accelerating optimism regarding artificial intelligence (AI) physical infrastructure expansion, a broader sector-wide relief rally and a newly declared corporate dividend.

On Monday, Truist Securities maintained its Hold rating on Corning but raised its price forecast from $149 to $205. Further supporting shareholder value, the Corning Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of 28 cents per share. The dividend is payable on September 29, to shareholders of record as of August 31.

Corning is capturing significant demand for its optical fiber and connectivity solutions through major technology partnerships. According to an Amazon announcement on June 8, the two companies entered a multiyear, multibillion-dollar agreement to supply optical fiber and cable for Amazon’s expanding U.S. data center infrastructure.