Ten stocks soared higher on Thursday, mimicking the rally on Wall Street, with sentiment primarily bolstered by a flurry of strong corporate earnings.
Meanwhile, Wall Street’s three major indices all finished in the green, with the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 both clocking more than 1 percent gains. The Nasdaq, on the other hand, grew by 0.89 percent.
In this article, we identify the 10 top-performing stocks on Thursday and break down the reasons behind their gains.
To come up with the list, we only considered 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. The Magnum Ice Cream Company NV (NYSE:MICC)
Shares of The Magnum Ice Cream Company NV (NYSE:MICC) climbed by 14.32 percent on Thursday to close at $14.93 apiece, as investors cheered solid sales growth in the first quarter of the year and its reaffirmed outlook for the full-year period.
The Magnum Ice Cream Company NV (NYSE:MICC)—which was spun out of Unilever last year—reported organic sales growth of 4.5 percent in the first three months of 2026, much stronger than the 3.8 percent in the same period last year, thanks to a healthy volume growth across three regions.
Revenues stood at €1.77 billion, dipping by 1.2 percent from the €1.792 billion in the same comparable period, primarily dragged by a 5.5 percent negative impact on foreign exchange.
“We have had an encouraging start to 2026 and the ice cream category continues to grow. In Q1, organic sales grew across both volume and price, which is a testament to the breadth of our portfolio and our competitive execution,” The Magnum Ice Cream Company NV (NYSE:MICC) CEO Peter Ter Kulve said.
The company also reaffirmed its sales growth outlook for full-year 2026 at 3 to 5 percent, albeit remaining cautious over the uncertainties in the Middle East.
It said that mitigation measures are being implemented, albeit direct regional exposure remains limited.
Adjusted EBITDA margin is expected to grow by 40 to 60 basis points year-on-year, primarily due to the impact of the acquisition of the India business.
9. Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM)
Sprouts Farmers Market climbed by 15.07 percent on Thursday to close at $81.85 apiece, as investor sentiment was fueled by its strong sales performance in the first quarter of the year, coupled with a higher growth outlook for the full-year period.
In an updated report, Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM) said that net sales during the quarter climbed by 4.5 percent to $2.3 billion from the $2.2 billion in the same period last year.
Net income, on the other hand, declined by 9 percent to $163.7 million from the $180 million year-on-year.
Commenting on the performance, Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM) CEO Jack Sinclair said that the first quarter played out largely as they expected.
“We continue to focus on accelerating customer engagement, foraging and discovery, building an advantaged supply chain, and expanding access to healthy food. We remain confident in our long-term potential and expect sequential improvement in the business throughout 2026 as we reaccelerate growth. I want to thank our team members for their diligence in executing our strategy and for their dedication to serving our customers,” he noted.
Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. (NASDAQ:SFM) raised its growth outlook for full-year 2026, with diluted earnings per share now targeted at a range of $5.32 to $5.48, versus the $5.28 to $5.44 range as expected prior.
On the other hand, it maintained its net sales growth guidance of 4.5 percent to 6.5 percent, as well as its earnings before interest and taxes at $675 million to $695 million.
Comparable store sales were also projected to either dip or inch up by 1 percent.
8. Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAV)
Viavi Solutions surged by 15.09 percent on Thursday to close at $52.40 apiece, as investors took heart from its strong revenue performance for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, coupled with a highly optimistic outlook for the rest of the year.
In an updated report, Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAV) said that it grew its net revenues by 42.8 percent to $406.8 million from the $284.8 million in the same period last year, thanks to a strong demand from its core markets.
“VIAVI’s financial performance for the third quarter has exceeded our expectations, driven by strong growth in the data center and aerospace and defense end markets. We expect these end markets to continue to be strong drivers for the foreseeable future,” Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAV) President and CEO Oleg Khaykin said.
On a non-GAAP basis, net income stood at $67.6 million, or a 99.4 percent jump from the $13.1 million in the same period a year earlier. On the other hand, GAAP net income ended at $6.4 million, marking a 67 percent drop from the $19.5 million in the same period last year.
Looking ahead, Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAV) is targeting to grow it revenues by 47 to 50 percent in the fourth quarter of the year, at $427 million to $437 million, versus $290.5 million in the same quarter a year earlier. Earnings per share were also pegged at $0.29 to $0.31, versus $0.04 year-on-year.
7. Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM)
Qualcomm climbed by 15.12 percent on Thursday to finish at $179.58 apiece, as investors took heart from the company’s strong earnings performance in the second quarter of fiscal year 2026.
In an updated report, Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) said that its GAAP net income in the quarter ending March 2026 soared by 162 percent to $7.37 billion from $2.8 billion in the same period last year, despite revenues dipping by 3 percent to $10.6 billion from $10.98 billion year-on-year.
Diluted earnings per share ended at $6.88, or 173 percent higher than the $2.52 in the same period a year earlier.
“We are pleased to deliver results in line with our guidance, reflecting solid execution as we navigate a challenging memory environment,” Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) President and CEO Cristiano Amon said.
“We are in a period of profound industry transformation—the rise of AI agents is reshaping our roadmap across every platform we develop. We are equally excited by our entry into the data center, where a leading hyperscaler custom silicon engagement is on track for initial shipments later this calendar year,” he added.
Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) said that further details about its growth initiatives, including opportunities in data center and AI, are set to be released at its Investor Day on June 24.
6. Aurora Innovation Inc. (NASDAQ:AUR)
Aurora Innovation saw its share prices jump by 15.52 percent on Thursday to finish at $5.88 apiece after bagging a new deal for the supply of some 500 Aurora Driver-powered trucks for an Iowa-based trucking company
In a statement on the same day, Aurora Innovation Inc. (NASDAQ:AUR) inked a memorandum of agreement with Hirschbach Motor Lines, which includes the order of some 500 Aurora Driver-powered trucks, delivery of which will begin in 2027.
Final commercial terms are expected to be closed later this year.
According to Aurora Innovation Inc. (NASDAQ:AUR), Hirschbach will subscribe to its Driver as a Service (DaaS) model, under which the latter will own the assets, while it supplies the virtual drivers.
Hirschbach CEO Richard Stocking called the partnership a “win-win” for both companies, saying that the trucks’ autonomy is not purely a business move but a quality-of-life investment for its people.
“The Aurora Driver will handle the lengthier, less desirable routes, providing our drivers with greater flexibility,” he noted.
Partnership aside, investors also repositioned portfolios ahead of the results of its first quarter earnings, after market close on Wednesday, May 6. A conference call will be organized for the discussion of the results.
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