We’re all hoping the swine flu scare is just that — a scare — and not an enormous outbreak around the world and in this country. The economy responds to every scenario and, as this Herald-Sun story reports, pharmaceutical company stocks are up.

London-based GlaxoSmithKline stocks opened Monday at $30.88, up from Friday’s $29.34 close. By day’s end, Glaxo stocks had settled at $31.56 a share.

GSK, of course, has its U.S. headquarters in Research Triangle Park.