Surgeon General Nominee Agrees to Divest Tobacco and Fast Food Stocks

Dr. Vivek Murthy's nominee for Surgeon General, Dr. Leana Wen, has agreed to divest holdings in over 200 companies within 90 days of her confirmation.

The list includes tobacco makers Altria Group Inc., British American Tobacco PLC, and Philip Morris, as well as fast food and beverage companies McDonald's Corp., Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc., Monster Beverage Corp., Starbucks Corp., and Yum Brands Inc.

Dr. Wen also has holdings in major pharmaceutical and healthcare names such as Eli Lilly & Co., Merck & Co., AbbVie Inc., UnitedHealth Group Inc., and CVS Health Corp.

The divestment of these holdings is part of an ethics agreement disclosed Thursday, and Dr. Wen's confirmation hearing before the Senate is set for September 16.