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.
8. Liberty Energy Inc. (NYSE:LBRT)
Liberty Energy extended its rally for a fifth straight day on Thursday, adding 5.69 percent to finish at $12.08 apiece as investors cheered the company’s beat of estimates for the first quarter of the year.
In its latest earnings results, LBRT reported revenues of $977 million, as compared with a forecast of $956.66 million. Revenues dropped by 8.9 percent from $1.07 billion.
Net income plunged by 75 percent to $20.11 million from $81.89 million year-on-year. Earnings per share ended at $0.04 as against the $0.0575 forecast by analysts.
“Our early-year results demonstrate a positive rebound from the fourth quarter of 2024, a trend that has continued into the second quarter,” said LBRT CEO Ron Gusek.
“In recent months, tariff announcements and a more aggressive OPEC+ production strategy have sent ripples across the energy sector. Today, we have excess demand for Liberty services as our customers align themselves with top-tier providers in a clear industry ‘flight to quality,’” he added.
7. Under Armour Inc. (NYSE:UAA)
Under Armour rallied by 4.86 percent on Thursday to close at $5.83 apiece as investors began repositioning portfolios ahead of the release of its next quarterly earnings performance.
Based on its historical earnings release, UAA is expected to announce its fourth quarter and full year 2024 earnings performance between the first and second weeks of May 2025.
In particular, what buoyed investor interest was UAA’s history of earnings beats, having posted better-than-expected performance during the past two quarters.
According to analysts, UAA is in a good position to maintain the trend in its next report.
In recent news, UAA announced the addition of three members of the board: Dawn N. Fitzpatrick, Eugene D. Smith, and Robert J. Sweeney.
“Dawn and Rob’s extensive financial and operational expertise, combined with Gene’s deep knowledge of intercollegiate sports management, make them exceptional additions to our board,” said UAA Board Chairman Mohamed A. El-Erian.
“As we pursue our strategy to create greater value for Under Armour’s athletes, customers, shareholders, and teammates, their unique talents, insights, and passion for the brand will be invaluable for navigating our next chapter,” he added.
6. Wayfair Inc. (NYSE:W)
Wayfair Inc. saw its share prices rise by 5.85 percent to finish at $26.61 apiece as investors continued to buy shares after earning an upgraded rating from an investment firm.
Earlier this week, UBS gave Wayfair a Buy rating despite reducing its price target by 8.3 percent to $55 from $60 previously.
UBS underscored Wayfair’s risks in the ongoing global trade war due to its significant reliance on suppliers from China, Vietnam, and other countries.
In other related news, Wayfair also earned a lower price target of $46 from Piper Sandler, from $58 previously. However, the investment firm maintained its overweight rating for the company.
According to Piper Sandler, the rating was based on the company’s collaboration with the Home Furnishings Association on a study that showed a modest slowdown in furniture demand from the previous quarter.
According to the survey, recorded sales in the first quarter decreased by 1 percent, with March being the strongest in terms of demand.
5. Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ:DLTR)
Dollar Tree saw its share prices grow by 8.10 percent on Thursday—a second straight day—to close at $79.14 apiece following news that its chief finance officer increased his stake in the company.
In recent news, DLTR CFO Stewart Glendinning acquired 17,000 new shares at an average price of $72.83 apiece for approximately $1.24 million. The acquisition raised his direct ownership to 49,353 shares, reflecting strong confidence in the company’s future performance.
In recent news, DLTR divested its struggling business, Family Dollar, for $1 billion, an 88-percent discount from the $8.5 billion it allocated in 2015 to acquire the business.
According to the company, it inked an agreement with Brigade Capital Management and Macellum Capital Management for the sale of Family Dollar to unlock value for its shareholders and position Family Dollar for future success.
4. Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (NYSE:FIS)
Fidelity National grew its share prices by 8.65 percent on Thursday to close at $74.58 apiece as investors cheered news of its proposed acquisition of Global Payments Inc.’s (NYSE:GPN) Issuer Solutions business for $13.5 billion.
According to the company, the acquisition will expand FIS’s payment product suite and deepen its relationships with financial institutions and corporate clients.
“Issuer Solutions’ globally scaled credit processing capabilities are highly complementary to FIS’s established debit processing capabilities, strengthening our broader banking and capital markets offering,” said FIS President and CEO Stephanie Ferris.
FIS will fund the acquisition through a combination of $8 billion of new debt and the value from the sale of its minority stake in Worldpay.
Concurrently, FIS entered into a definitive agreement to sell its stake in Worldpay to Global Payments for $6.6 billion. The transaction accelerates the monetization of its minority stake in Worldpay.
3. Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. (NASDAQ:DJT)
Trump Media & Technology Group saw its share prices jump by 11.65 percent to close at $22.04 apiece as investors bought up on a short seller’s recent buying surge in the company.
Earlier this week, short seller Qube Research & Technologies disclosed a net buying position of around $105 million in DJT, prompting the latter to ask the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate the shorting, claiming “potential manipulation.”
In a memo released on Thursday, DJT asked the SEC to “immediately investigate this suspicious trading and report your findings back” to the company.
In its defense, Qube said its short-selling positions were based on its quantitative model and not on the company’s fundamentals.
Earlier this week, DJT joined forces with two investment firms to launch Truth Social-branded Separately Managed Accounts, expected to “offer investors access to curated, thematic investment strategies rooted in American values and priorities.”
According to DJT, the lineup of portfolios will include strategies based on the themes of faith and values, liberty and security, energy independence, and made in America.
2. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)
Eli Lilly jumped by 14.30 percent on Thursday to end at $839.96 each as investor sentiment was buoyed by announcements that its new GLP-1 weight loss pill, orforglipron, demonstrated positive results in the first of seven phase 3 clinical studies.
According to LLY, orforglipron is “the first oral small molecule glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, taken without food and water restrictions, to successfully complete a Phase 3 trial.”
Investors snapped up shares in the company, especially after Pfizer’s recent announcement that it dropped the development of its oral obesity medication, danuglipron, amid safety concerns.
According to PFE, the decision came after a patient experienced a potential liver injury linked to the drug.
The scrapping of plans became good news for the company, with PFE now out of the competition.
1. Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ)
Hertz Global soared by 44.31 percent on Thursday to a new all-time high after a hedge fund manager raised his stake in the company to 19.8 percent.
HTZ touched an all-time high of $8.74 during the intra-day trading before ending the day up by only 44.31 percent to close at $8.24 apiece.
Through Pershing Square, billionaire and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman increased his ownership in HTZ through a combination of direct share purchase and total return swaps.
According to Ackman, HTZ, once troubled by operational challenges linked to its acquisition of Tesla vehicles, is now positioned for improvement due to several strategic changes to enhance profit margins by rotating its fleet, boosting unit revenues, and cutting operating costs.
The company has also begun transitioning from high-cost vehicles in a bid to reduce depreciation expenses significantly.
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