Ten stocks raked in significant gains on Thursday, mirroring an overall market optimism, as US consumer inflation unexpectedly slowed in November.
On Wall Street, the tech-heavy Nasdaq led the charge with 1.38 percent gains, followed by the S&P 500, up 0.79 percent, and the Dow Jones, rising 0.14 percent.
Indices aside, this article focuses on the 10 big names with the best performance on Thursday, alongside 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.
Source: Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels
10. Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN)
Sunrun grew its share prices by 6.21 percent to close at $18.14 apiece as investors took heart from an investment firm’s bullish outlook for next year despite headwinds from government policies.
In a market report, RBC Capital reaffirmed its “outperform” rating and $22 price target on Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN) on the belief that the latter is set to benefit from the expiration of the section 25D tax credits by the end of the year. The figure marked a 21 percent upside potential from its latest closing price.
According to RBC Capital, Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN) is poised to benefit from third-party ownership (TPO) or unit leasing systems, which its business is heavily focused on, as the tax credit expiration would drive more customers towards the adoption of its model.
At present, Sunrun Inc.’s (NASDAQ:RUN) non-TPO models, or those buying their units instead, only represent around 5 percent of the company’s customer additions, as compared with the 43 percent in the broader industry.
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law in July this year, homeowners have until December 31 to have their solar installations completed to qualify for the 30 percent 25D tax credits from the government. Installations completed after the deadline would no longer be eligible for the subsidy.
9. Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX)
Lam Research snapped a two-day losing streak on Thursday, jumping 6.27 percent to close at $164.70 apiece as investor sentiment was boosted by bullish ratings and price target upgrades for the stock.
In separate market reports on the same day, investment firm Mizuho and B. Riley raised their price targets for the company to $200 and $195, respectively.
The said figures represented a 21.4 percent and 18 percent upside from its latest closing price.
Mizuho also issued an “outperform” rating while B. Riley maintained its “buy” recommendation.
For Mizuho, the price target upgrade reflected its confidence about further upside for Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) in 2026, especially with a generally positive outlook for the overall wafer fab equipment.
Meanwhile, B. Riley said that its recommendation reflected its confidence about Lam Research Corporation’s (NASDAQ:LRCX) superior memory exposure and leadership in the etching tools, coupled with customers’ higher spending on memory chips.
Earlier this week, Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) also maintained its “buy” recommendation from investment firm Jefferies, alongside a price target of $200.
Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) is a global supplier of advanced WFE and services for the semiconductor industry. In the third quarter of the year, it grew its net income by 40 percent to $1.57 billion from $1.12 billion in the same period last year.
Revenues increased by 27 percent to $5.3 billion from $4.17 billion year-on-year.
8. AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS)
AST SpaceMobile rebounded by 6.58 percent on Thursday to close at $65.93 apiece as investors repositioned their portfolios ahead of the upcoming launch of its next-generation satellite.
On Sunday, December 21, AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) is set to launch its BlueBird 6 satellite, its next-generation model, which aims to enable ubiquitous cellular broadband coverage from space directly to mobile phones.
The BlueBird 6 was originally scheduled on December 15 but was later pushed back due to a technical glitch.
Compared with the earlier generations, AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) said that the BlueBird 6 would feature the largest commercial phased array in low Earth orbit at nearly 2,400 square feet, representing a 3.5 times increase in size over the first to fifth generations, and supports 10 times the data capacity.
The company is also planning to ramp up the production of the next-generation satellite, with the expansion of its manufacturing sites in Florida and Texas.
Sunday’s launch would mark the first of six planned launches until March 2026.
7. Almonty Industries Inc. (NASDAQ:ALM)
Almonty Industries jumped by 6.64 percent on Thursday to close at $8.35 apiece as investors loaded portfolios ahead of the looming start of commercial operations of its mine site in South Korea.
In a statement earlier this week, Almonty Industries Inc. (NASDAQ:ALM) said that it has successfully delivered the first truckload of ore to the Run-of-Mine pad at the Sangdong Tungsten Mine, which is the final step before the official start of commercial operations.
“This first ore placement represents a strategic inflection point in advancing Almonty’s mission to strengthen the global tungsten supply chain. Sangdong plays a critical role in efforts by the United States, the European Union, and Korea to diversify away from the China-dominated market, which currently supplies more than 80% of the world’s tungsten,” Almonty Industries Inc. (NASDAQ:ALM) President and CEO Lewis Black said.
“The resumption of production at the Sangdong Mine forms the foundation for securing reliable, non-China tungsten supply to key sectors such as defense, semiconductors, AI hardware, aerospace, and other high-technology industries,” he added.
Almonty Industries Inc. (NASDAQ:ALM) acquired the Sangdong mine when the US halted its mining operations in 2015. Since then, it has been working on bringing the site back into production.
According to Processing Operations General Manager Arif Priyambodo, the company has completed all key preparatory works, such as geological assessment, ground stabilization, load testing, and equipment installation, to advance the project.
6. Core Scientific Inc. (NASDAQ:CORZ)
Core Scientific snapped a four-day losing streak on Thursday, jumping 7.30 percent to close at $14.56 apiece as investors took heart from an investment firm’s “buy” recommendation for its stock.
In a market report, investment firm Citizens issued a $30 price target for Core Scientific Inc. (NASDAQ:CORZ) while raising its rating to “outperform” from “market perform” previously.
The price target marked a 106 percent upside potential from its latest closing price.
The upgrade reflected Citizens’ confidence in robust growth prospects for the company in 2026, saying that Core Scientific Inc.’s (NASDAQ:CORZ) pipeline provides a solid foundation to bag more high-performance computing (HPC) leasing agreements with customers other than CoreWeave.
Core Scientific Inc. (NASDAQ:CORZ) and CoreWeave were supposed to merge earlier this year, but later terminated the proposal after failing to secure the minimum number of votes necessary to approve the merger.
In the third quarter of the year, Core Scientific Inc. (NASDAQ:CORZ) trimmed its net loss by 68 percent to $146.66 million from $455 million in the same period last year.
Revenues also declined by 15 percent to $81.1 million from $95.4 million year-on-year.
5. Applied Digital Corp. (NASDAQ:APLD)
Applied Digital bounced back by 8.64 percent on Thursday to close at $23.90 apiece as investors cheered its successful raising of $100 million in fresh funds from a loan facility.
In a statement, Applied Digital Corp. (NASDAQ:APLD) said that its wholly owned subsidiary APLD DevCo LLC entered into a loan facility with Macquarie Group’s Commodities and Global Markets business to raise the total amount, proceeds of which will be used for the pre-lease development of new data center projects.
In line with the loan facility, Applied Digital Corp. (NASDAQ:APLD) is currently in advanced negotiations with another investment-grade hyperscaler for the potential lease of multiple campuses
“This development facility strengthens our ability to move quickly on high-quality sites while maintaining capital flexibility,” said Applied Digital Corp. (NASDAQ:APLD) Chairman and CEO Wes Cummins.
“As demand for AI-optimized data center infrastructure continues to accelerate, this financing is intended to support our strategy of developing purpose-built campuses for hyperscale customers,” he added.
In other news, Applied Digital Corp. (NASDAQ:APLD) announced that it is set to release the results of its second quarter earnings performance for the fiscal year 2026 after market close on January 7, 2026. An investor call will be held to discuss the results.
4. Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU)
Micron Technology snapped a five-day losing streak on Thursday, jumping 10.12 percent to close at $248.55 apiece as investors took heart from its stellar earnings performance in the third quarter of the year, with profits more than doubling during the period, alongside a robust outlook in the current quarter.
In an updated report, Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) said that net income jumped by 180 percent to $5.24 billion from $1.87 billion in the same period last year, while revenues rose by 56 percent to $13.6 billion from $8.7 billion year-on-year.
“Micron delivered record revenue and significant margin expansion at the company level and also in each of our business units,” Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) Chairman, President, and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said, adding that it projects the second quarter of the year to hit new records.
For the current quarter, revenues are targeted at $18.7 billion, plus or minus $400 million, while diluted earnings per share are pegged at $8.19, plus or minus $0.20.
“Our Q2 outlook reflects substantial records across revenue, gross margin, EPS, and free cash flow, and we anticipate our business performance to continue strengthening through fiscal 2026. Micron’s technology leadership, differentiated product portfolio, and strong operational execution position us as an essential AI enabler, and we are investing to support our customers’ growing need for memory and storage,” he added.
3. Rocket Lab Corp. (NASDAQ:RKLB)
Rocket Lab soared by 11.05 percent on Thursday to close at $59.92 apiece as investors took path from its successful launch of four DiskSats five months ahead of schedule.
At 12:03 AM EST on the same day, Rocket Lab Corp. (NASDAQ:RKLB) successfully launched the “Don’t Be Such a Square” program from its Launch Complex 2 on Wallops Island, Virginia, in support of the Space Test Program (STP)-S30 mission for the US Space Force’s Space Systems Command.
STP-30, with funding help from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, will operate the DiskSats—a new type of spacecraft with the size of a manhole, developed by The Aerospace Corporation.
Rocket Lab Corp. (NASDAQ:RKLB) bagged the STP-S30 in April 2024 under the Orbital Services Program (OSP-4) contract.
“Rocket Lab’s speed, streamlined operations, and reliability were on full display with this flawless Electron launch for STP-S30, and we’re proud to be strengthening the nation’s space capabilities. We’re meeting the space access demands of the U.S. Space Force with our consistent execution, and this launch is another proud moment in Rocket Lab’s long history of successful missions for defense, national security, and commercial space users,” said Rocket Lab Corp. (NASDAQ:RKLB) founder and CEO Peter Beck.
2. Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN)
Rivian Automotive ended two days of losses on Thursday to hit a new 52-week high as investors took path from an investment firm’s bullish rating and price target upgrade for the stock.
At intra-day trading, Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN) soared to its highest price of $20.33 before paring gains to finish the session just up by 15.03 percent at $20.28 apiece.
This followed a market report from investment firm Baird after upgrading the company to “buy” from “hold” as well as its price target to $25 from $14 previously.
The new price target marked a 23.27 percent upside potential from its latest closing price.
“2026 is the year of R2,” Bair said in its report, referring to the company’s second electric vehicle platform, adding that the new vehicle series could be a boost to the company’s brand and product demand.
Additionally, Baird said that Rivian Automotive, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:RIVN) work on autonomous driving, such as custom-designed microchips, is generally positive for the company’s competitiveness.
Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN) is an American company engaged in the production of electric adventure vehicles, including trucks and SUVs.
In the third quarter of the year, the company widened its net loss by 6.4 percent to $1.17 billion from $1.1 billion in the same period last year.
Revenues, on the other hand, surged by 78 percent to $1.5 billion from $874 million year-on-year.
1. Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. (NASDAQ:DJT)
Trump Media soared by 41.93 percent on Thursday to close at $14.86 apiece as investors repositioned portfolios following news that it was set to merge with TAE Technologies, Inc. for $6 billion.
In a statement, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. (NASDAQ:DJT) said that it officially signed a definitive merger agreement with TAE Technologies to combine in an all-stock transaction, which is viewed to create one of the world’s first publicly traded fusion companies.
As part of the agreement, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. (NASDAQ:DJT) would provide TAE with $200 million in cash at the signing date, and an additional $100 million upon the initial filing of Form S4 on mergers, acquisitions, and exchange offers to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
After a successful merger, the combined company would immediately begin next year the construction of the world’s first utility-scale fusion power plant, capable of powering 50 MWe.
Thereafter, it would ramp up the expansion of fusion power plants with capacities ranging from 350 to 500 MWe.
“Fusion power plants are expected to provide economic, abundant, and dependable electricity that would help America win the AI revolution and maintain its global economic dominance,” Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. (NASDAQ:DJT) said.
Upon the completion of the transaction, shareholders of each party would own an equal 50 percent stake in the combined firm.
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