US stocks preserve gains
US stocks ended an uneasy week mostly higher today, as a jury verdict against drug giant Merck & Co over its painkiller Vioxx erased much of an earlier advance fuelled by bargain hunting.
Wall Street quickly pulled back late Friday after a Texas court found Merck liable for the death of a man who took Vioxx, and awarded his estate more than $250m (€205.6m) in damages.