Ten stocks capped off the trading week delivering strong gains, as investors took heart from a flurry of positive corporate developments that bolstered buying appetite. Of the 10, four surged to new record highs.
Notably, the companies bucked a broader market pessimism, with Wall Street’s three major indices finishing in the red, led by Nasdaq losing 1.69 percent, followed by the S&P 500, which declined by 1.07 percent, and the Dow Jones, which dropped by 0.51 percent.
Indices aside, we name the top performers in Friday’s trading and break down the reasons behind their gains.
To come up with the list, we focused on the stocks with a $2 billion market capitalization and 5 million shares in trading volume.
The New York Stock Exchange building. Photo by Дмитрий Трепольский on Pexels
10. GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE)
GE Aerospace rallied for a second day on Friday, jumping 3.95 percent to close at $299.81 apiece as investor sentiment was fueled by Citigroup’s bullish stance in its first coverage about its stock.
In a market report, Citigroup gave GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE) a “buy” recommendation with a price target of $386, marking a 28.75 percent upside potential from its latest closing price.
The coverage reflected the investment firm’s confidence in GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE) in becoming a trillion-dollar company in as little as five years amid a number of megatrends and opportunities across the commercial aerospace, defense, shipbuilding, and space sectors.
In other news, GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE) said that its Marine Engines & Systems unit recently secured eight orders of LM2500 marine gas turbine engines for two of the US Navy’s Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers.
The destroyers—USS Intrepid (DDG 145) and USS Robert Kerrey (DDG 146)—are both powered by four LM2500 engines, providing the proven propulsion power that has made the Arleigh Burke class the backbone of the US Navy’s surface fleet for over three decades.
“The LM2500 has been the engine of choice for the US Navy’s destroyer fleet for decades, and we’re proud to continue that legacy as the Navy builds toward its 390-ship goal,” said GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE) Vice President for Sales and Marketing Mark Musheno.
“GE Aerospace is committed to ramping up production capacity to meet the Navy’s expanding fleet requirements while maintaining the quality and reliability that have made the LM2500 the most trusted marine gas turbine in naval service worldwide,” he added.
9. The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS)
The Mosaic Company extended gains to a second day on Friday, adding 4.05 percent to finish at $26.21 apiece as investors resorted to bargain-hunting following a drop earlier in the week, dampened by an analyst’s price target downgrade for its stock.
On Wednesday, RBC issued a new price target of $27 for The Mosaic Company’s (NYSE:MOS) stock, lower than the $30 previously, on expectations of a weaker fertilizer supply next year.
Additionally, RBC said that softer prices and lower input costs are set to challenge the phosphate business segment, which The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS) is currently implementing improvements in.
For its part, Zacks Research upgraded The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS) to “hold” from a “strong sell’ previously.
In other news, common shareholders as of the December 4 record date are set to receive $0.22 cash dividends on December 18. This followed the results of its earnings performance in the third quarter of the year, where it expanded its net income by 237 percent to $411 million from only $122 million in the same period last year, on the back of a $308 million mark-to-market unrealized gain on the value of Ma’aden shares worth approximately $1.9 billion.
Net sales also increased by 25 percent to $3.5 billion from $2.8 billion year-on-year, on the back of higher sales across its fertilizer, phosphate, and potash segments.
8. Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL)
Planet Labs extended gains to a third day on Friday to hit another all-time high as investors took path from an investment firm’s higher price target for its stock, alongside an upbeat outlook for its business.
At intra-day trading, Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL) surged to its highest price of $19.10 before trimming gains to finish the day just up by 4.41 percent at $18.24 apiece.
In a market report, Morgan Stanley issued a price target of $20 for the company, marking a 344 percent jump from its previous target of $4.50. The new figure marked a 9.7 percent upside potential from its latest closing price.
The investment firm also maintained an “equal weight” rating for the stock.
According to Morgan Stanley, the revision reflected Planet Labs PBC’s (NYSE:PL) earnings performance in the third quarter of the year, during which revenues jumped by 32.4 percent to $81.2 million from $61.3 million in the same period last year, beating its earlier guidance of $71 million to $74 million.
“We delivered a strong third quarter, marked by continued momentum in the business, accelerated revenue growth, and excellent progress on our profitability goals,” said Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL) Chairman and CEO Will Marshall.
However, net loss nearly tripled to $59 million from $20 million in the same comparable period.
Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL) remained upbeat about its outlook for the full fiscal year, having raised its revenue forecast to a range of $297 million to $301 million, versus the $281 million to $289 million forecast earlier.
It also expects to swing to a positive adjusted EBITDA of $6 million to $8 million, versus an earlier adjusted EBITDA loss outlook of up to $7 million.
7. Oscar Health Inc. (NYSE:OSCR)
Oscar Health rallied for a second day on Friday, jumping 4.79 percent to finish at $16.63 apiece after receiving a higher price target from investment firm, Stephens & Co.
In its initial coverage on the stock, Stephens & Co. gave Oscar Health Inc. (NYSE:OSCR) a price target of $17 alongside an “equal weight” rating. The new figure marked a 2.2 percent upside potential from its latest closing price.
In other developments, Oscar Health Inc. (NYSE:OSCR) is set to welcome Broward Health as one of its in-network providers for 2026.
Oscar Health Inc. (NYSE:OSCR) said that beginning January 1, 2026, its members in South Florida could start gaining access to Broward Health’s providers and facilities across primary, specialty, and emergency care, as well as behavioral health and other services.
“Broward County residents deserve an insurance plan that gives them the personalized health coverage they need with the doctors and specialists they want at a cost they can afford,” said Matt Choffin, president at Oscar Florida.
“We are proud to welcome Broward Health into our network, delivering on our promise to make healthcare simpler and more accessible for our members and show our strong commitment to the South Florida community.”
Patients are encouraged to review their coverage options during the current Open Enrollment Period.
Families and individuals must enroll in a marketplace insurance plan by December 15 for January 1, 2026, coverage or by January 15, 2026, for February 1, 2026, coverage.
6. CCC Intelligent Solutions Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CCC)
CCC Intelligent Solutions jumped by 6.37 percent on Friday to close at $7.68 apiece after announcing plans to buy back more of its shares for a total of $500 million.
In a statement, CCC Intelligent Solutions Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CCC) said that its Board of Directors approved the second round of the share repurchase program after successfully completing the first round approved in December last year amounting to $300 million.
In line with the plan, CCC Intelligent Solutions Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CCC) entered into an accelerated share repurchase (ASR) program with the Bank of America for the buy back of $300 million worth of its shares, which it would fund through new term loans under its existing credit agreement.
The listed firm will receive approximately 33.2 million shares from the ASR, representing approximately 80 percent of the total number of shares expected to be repurchased. Closing of the transaction is expected by the end of the second quarter of 2026.
Meanwhile, the remaining $200 million may be spent through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions, or another round of ASR, depending on market conditions and cash availability.
“This new authorization and accelerated share repurchase underscore our confidence in CCC’s long-term growth trajectory, robust free cash flow and disciplined approach to capital allocation,” said CCC Intelligent Solutions Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CCC) Chairman and CEO Githesh Ramamurthy.
”Our strong balance sheet gives us the flexibility to continue to innovate for our customers and invest in the business while also delivering returns to shareholders,” he added.
5. Amicus Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:FOLD)
Amicus jumped to a new 52-week high on Friday, as investors took heart from an investment firm’s optimistic coverage and bullish rating for its stock.
At intra-day trading, the stock climbed to its highest price of $10.85 before trimming a few cents to finish the session just up by 6.57 percent at $10.55 apiece.
In a market report, Zacks Research issued a “strong buy” recommendation for Amicus Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:FOLD), saying that there could be plenty of upside left in the stock, with the consensus price target of $15.90 implying a potential upside of 50.7 percent from its latest closing price.
Additionally, Zacks highlighted several analysts’ higher EPS targets for the stock, boosted by optimism about Amicus Therapeutics, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:FOLD) ability to report better-than-expected earnings.
Amicus Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:FOLD) is a global biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing, and delivering novel, high-quality medicines for people living with rare diseases.
In the third quarter of the year, it swung to a net income attributable to shareholders of $17.3 million from a $6.7 million net loss in the same period last year.
Net product sales jumped by 20 percent to $169 million from $141 million year-on-year, on the back of strong revenues from Galafold and Pombiliti + Opfolda.
Galafold alone recorded $138 million in sales, higher by 15 percent than the $120.38 million in the same period last year, while Pombiliti + Opfolda sales surged by 45 percent to $30.7 million from $21 million.
4. ImmunityBio Inc. (NASDAQ:IBRX)
ImmunityBio jumped by 7.76 percent on Friday to close at $2.36 apiece after securing the green light of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to sell its bladder cancer treatment Anktiva in Europe.
In a statement, ImmunityBio Inc. (NASDAQ:IBRX) said that the EMA officially authorized Anktiva, in combination with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) carcinoma in situ, allowing the company to expand its sales and operations across Europe.
The therapy stands to benefit bladder cancer patients whose disease does not respond to BCG. At present, there are no current options to treat the disease type, except for a surgical removal of the bladder.
Unlike the US, where only one BCG substrain is approved, ImmunityBio Inc. (NASDAQ:IBRX) said that Europe recognizes approximately six major BCG substrains, making standard-of-care therapy broadly available across the region.
“Anktiva represents an important evolution in the treatment of NMIBC CIS, strengthening the immune response and improving the durability of BCG,” said ImmunityBio Inc. (NASDAQ:IBRX) Executive Chairman Patrick Soon-Shiong.
“Hundreds of patients in the US are already experiencing the benefits of this therapy, and our goal is to make it available to patients in Europe and other parts of the world as quickly and responsibly as possible, to ensure avoidance of a radical cystectomy,” he added.
“We are pleased that the EMA issued this positive recommendation based on our single-arm trial and through a regulatory process that allows earlier access to Anktiva, as stated in the EMA announcement, the benefit of a medicine’s immediate availability to patients outweighs the inherent risks.”
3. Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:LULU)
Lululemon jumped by 9.60 percent on Friday to close at $204.97 apiece as investors cheered a flurry of developments, including an upbeat outlook, buyback program, and key leadership changes in the company.
In its earnings call on the same day, Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) said that it expects revenues for the full year to be in the range of $10.962 billion to $11.047 billion, or an implied growth of 4 to 6 percent year-on-year.
It also projects diluted earnings per share to be at $12.92 to $13.02.
For the fourth quarter alone, revenues are targeted at $3.5 billion to $3.585 billion, with diluted EPS of $4.66 to $4.76.
The outlook followed Lululemon Athletica Inc.’s (NASDAQ:LULU) earnings performance in the third quarter of the year, where it narrowed its net income by 12.8 percent to $306.8 million from $351.87 million in the same period last year.
Net revenues, on the other hand, increased by 7 percent to $2.56 billion from $2.4 billion year-on-year.
In other developments, Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) said that it is currently in search for the next CEO after Calvin McDonald announced plans to step down from his post and as a member of the Board of Directors effective January 31, 2026.
In the meantime, incumbent Chief Finance Officer Meghan Frank and Chief Commercial Officer André Maestrini would serve as co-CEOs.
The company also expanded the role of Marti Morfitt as the new executive chairman, in addition to being the chairman of the board, effective immediately.
Also on Friday, the listed firm announced plans to repurchase $1 billion worth of its shares in a bid to provide greater value to its shareholders.
2. Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN)
Rivian Automotive saw its share prices jump to a new 52-week high as investors took heart from its artificial intelligence and automation ambitions.
At intra-day trading, the stock soared to as high as $19.60 before paring gains to end the day just up by 12.11 percent at $18.42 apiece, marking a recovery from the two previous days’ losses.
This followed announcements from its “Autonomy and AI Day” on Thursday that it would expand its AI and automation initiatives, as well as internally developed silicon chips called the Rivian Autonomy Processor, in a bid to keep up with the rapidly growing industry.
The chips will be produced by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
Following the news, investment firm Needham & Company raised its price target to $23 per share, noting that Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN) signaled a shift from being an autonomous automaker to leveraging AI to build end-to-end autonomy. The price target marked a 25 percent upside potential from Rivian Automotive, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:RIVN) latest closing price.
Meanwhile, BNP Paribas said that the automaker “exceeded our expectations and cements our view for Rivian to become the number 2 North America EV player, even leapfrogging Tesla right now in certain AI-integration areas.”
1. Clear Secure Inc. (NYSE:YOU)
Clear Secure surged to a new four-year high on Friday, after bagging a contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to support the modernization of identity verification for Medicare beneficiaries and providers.
At intra-day trading, the stock climbed to its highest price of $42.07 before paring gains to end the day just up by 13.29 percent at $41.08 apiece.
In a statement earlier in the week, Clear Secure Inc. (NYSE:YOU) said that the CMS will integrate its secure identity platform, CLEAR1, for account creation, account recovery, and access to healthcare information, beginning early 2026.
CLEAR1 aims to address the growing challenges of identity risk in healthcare by replacing legacy checks with multi-layered verification, in a bid to reduce identity-related fraud, minimize misuse of sensitive data, and restore trust in digital access to care.
The initiative also aims to support priorities outlined in CMS’ nationwide Health Technology Ecosystem initiative announced at the White House earlier this year, which aims to create a more connected, patient-centered, and interoperable healthcare system.
“CLEAR’s mission is to make experiences safer and easier by securely connecting people to their true identity,” said Clear Secure Inc. (NYSE:YOU) CEO Caryn Seidman Becker.
“We have spent more than 15 years building public-private partnerships grounded in the belief that identity is foundational to trust. Bringing CLEAR1 to Medicare.gov builds on that work and reflects our long-standing commitment to improving access to care. We are proud to support efforts that help protect beneficiaries, reduce fraud, and strengthen secure digital identity across U.S. healthcare.”
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