Novartis (NVS.US) Q2 performance exceeded expectations, but the impact of underperforming drugs and changes in CFO position overshadowed the strength of new drug combinations.

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis (NVS.US) saw its stock price fluctuate before the U.S. stock market opening on Thursday, dropping by 1.3% at one point, further narrowing the cumulative increase this year. The previously released financial report showed that the sales performance of the core product Cosentyx did not meet expectations, and Harry Kirsch, who had been the company's financial helmsman for over a decade, announced his retirement, adding uncertainty to the previously slightly raised performance expectations.