Closing Bell Overtime: Cancer vaccine from Moderna, Merck shows promise in late-stage trial; both stocks soar 8/19/26

Elizabeth Burton, Chief Strategist at Fortress Investment Group, assesses the broader investment landscape and where she sees opportunity as investors balance growth against emerging risks. Health care takes center stage as Courtney Breen of Bernstein breaks down developments involving Moderna and Merck and what they mean for biotech and pharmaceutical investors as both stocks soar following promising results in a late-stage trial. Moderna jumped nearly 200%. Lo Toney of Plexo Capital tackles a key question in the AI race: is OpenAI losing momentum? Our Eunice Yoon reports on a Chinese humanoid robotics company going public and what the deal reveals about China’s ambitions in robotics and AI. Finally, Kate McShane of Goldman Sachs analyzes the latest retail movers, reacts to Target and previews Walmart earnings as investors search for fresh signals on the health of the consumer.