10 Firms End Stronger, Buck Muted Broader Market Trading

The stock market ended the shortened trading week mixed, with two of the major indices clocking in just modest movements, as investors parked funds for now while continuing to digest President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.

Among the major indices, only the S&P 500 registered gains, up 0.13 percent. In contrast, the Dow Jones fell by 1.33 percent, and the Nasdaq dropped by 0.13 percent.

Ten firms, on the other hand, ended the week strong, on the back of a flurry of catalysts that sparked buying appetite. In this article, we have detailed the reasons behind their gains.

To come up with the list, we only considered the stocks with a $2 billion market capitalization and a $5 million trading volume.

A man in long sleeves is looking at stock market data. Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

10. Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL)

Halliburton grew its share prices by 5.16 percent on Thursday to close at $22.53 apiece as investors continued to buy shares in the company ahead of the release of its first quarter earnings results on Tuesday, April 22.

The oil drilling giant is expected to post a decline in year-on-year revenues, but whether it misses or beats earnings expectations will be crucial in the performance of its stock.

Earlier this week, HAL earned a lower price target of $28 from RBC Capital, down from $34 previously. The new target represented a 24-percent upside from the company’s latest closing price. However, RBC Capital maintained its Sector Perform rating for HAL.

According to RBC, the lower adjustment was part of its wider analysis on the oil and gas equipment and services sector which is currently under pressures over tariff policies and broader economic issues.

9. Transocean Ltd. (NYSE:RIG)

Transocean Ltd. grew its share prices by 5.55 percent on Thursday to close at $2.28 apiece following the release of its backlog and offshore drilling fleet status.

In its report, RIG said it has a total contract backlog of approximately $7.9 billion and 34 mobile offshore drilling units, underscoring the company’s foothold in deepwater and harsh environment drilling sectors.

RIG is expected to announce its first quarter earnings performance on Tuesday, April 29.

Zacks Research estimated RIG’s first quarter of 2026 EPS at $0.01, $0.05 in the second quarter, and $0.21 for the full year 2027 period.

RIG, a leading international provider of offshore contract drilling services for oil and gas wells, stands to largely benefit from the US government’s plan to bolster energy supply to unlock the country’s full energy potential. It secured several contracts in the US Gulf of Mexico, including the Deepwater Conqueror, Atlas, and Asgard.