Market sentiment has improved thanks to strong pharmaceutical sales and stable dividend yields, often seen as defensive plays during broader market volatility. Citi analyst Andrew Hollenhorst said the economic drag from the shutdown should be limited, but would become more significant if the shutdown lasts more than two weeks or if a larger number of federal workers are permanently laid off. Much of this extremely robust performance stemmed from GSK’s Specialty Medicines division. This saw a 15% increase in sales in Q2 to £3.327bn, while in H1 it rose 16% to £16.26bn. Oncology was the main driver in the division, with a 42% leap in sales in Q2, making a 47% increase over H1. In the latest trading week, the "gsk stock price forecast" adjusted slightly upward due to GBP/USD currency impacts on ADR performance. Currency stability adds confidence to delivering predictable quarterly results.