Ten stocks stood firmer on Thursday, bucking a bloodbath in the broader market, as investors took heart from corporate developments such as strong earnings and outlooks, among others.
Meanwhile, Wall Street’s major indices all finished in the red, led by the Nasdaq, falling 2.38 percent; followed by the S&P 500 declining 1.74 percent; and the Dow Jones dropping 1.01 percent.
In this article, we spotlight the 10 top-performing companies on Thursday and detail 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.
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10. Occidental Petroleum Corp. (NYSE:OXY)
Occidental Petroleum rallied for a third straight day on Thursday to hit an over 52-week high, as investors welcomed the company’s incoming leadership transition.
In intra-day trading, Occidental Petroleum Corp. (NYSE:OXY) climbed to its highest price of $64.44 before paring a few cents to finish the day just up by 4.06 percent at $64.36 apiece.
An exclusive report by Reuters said that incumbent Chief Executive Officer Vicki Hollub is set to retire this year after more than four decades in the company, handing over the reins to Chief Operating Officer Richard Jackson.
Hollub was the first woman to lead a major oil firm and grow it into one of the largest petroleum firms in the Permian Basin. Despite her retirement, she would remain on the board of directors and serve as an advisor to support with the transition.
Following the report, JPMorgan reiterated its price target of $63 and “hold” rating for its stock.
Meanwhile, Truist earlier this week issued a “hold” recommendation and a price target of $65 in its first coverage about the company.
Evercore ISI also issued a 52.6 percent higher price target of $58 for the stock, versus $38 previously, but maintained an underperform rating.
Occidental Petroleum Corp. (NYSE:OXY) is a US-based international oil and gas company that has operations in the US, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Last year, Occidental Petroleum Corp. (NYSE:OXY) dropped its net income attributable to shareholders by 30.7 percent to $1.65 billion from $2.38 billion in 2024. Total revenues dipped by 1.9 percent to $21.59 billion from $22.02 billion year-on-year.
9. Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE:BBY)
Best Buy saw its share prices jump by 4.65 percent on Thursday to close at $63.21 apiece, as investor sentiment was boosted by the consistent increase in its annual dividends, with the next round set to be paid in April.
Earlier this month, Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE:BBY) announced that it would pay on April 14, 2026 worth $0.96 of dividend per share to all shareholders as of March 24, 2026. The amount was 1 percent higher than the $0.95 quarterly payment last year.
Over the past five years, Best Buy Co. Inc.’s (NYSE:BBY) dividends have already risen by 37 percent.
The initiative followed the company’s strong earnings performance last fiscal year, with net income jumping by 15.3 percent to $1.069 billion from $927 million a year earlier. Revenues, however, were flat at $41 billion.
In the fourth quarter alone, net income soared by 362 percent to $541 million from $117 million in the same period a year earlier.
Looking ahead, Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE:BBY) is targeting revenues of $41.2 billion to $42.1 billion, flat year-on-year, as comparable sales are expected to either dip or inch up by 1 percent.
Adjusted EPS, on the other hand, is targeted at a range of $6.30 to $6.60.
8. Figma Inc. (NYSE:FIG)
Figma rallied by 5.03 percent on Thursday to finish at $22.15 apiece, as investors resorted to bargain-hunting to take advantage of the six consecutive days of declines.
The stock is noticeably trading at the lower end of its 52-week price range, having dipped to $20.93 in intra-day trading on Thursday, or just $1.08 shy of its 52-week low of $19.85.
In the past six consecutive days, Figma Inc. (NYSE:FIG) has already lost as much as 23 percent, dragged by the broader market pessimism amid the tensions in the Middle East.
On Wednesday, Figma Inc. (NYSE:FIG) received a “perform” rating from Oppenheimer, saying that it has a strong growth trajectory in software, with its AI-embedded digital design platform disrupting the market.
It underscored the number of software firms that have scaled their revenue run-rate to $1.22 billion, as quickly as Figma Inc. (NYSE:FIG), which deserves a premium for having a visionary technology management team.
However, it noted that agentic automation could reduce the value of design platforms and subscriber growth, increase AI-native competitors, and weaken Figma’s moat.
7. JBS NV (NYSE:JBS)
JBS NV rallied for a fourth consecutive day on Thursday to hit a 7-month high, as investors cheered its strong earnings performance last year.
Based on its financial statement, JBS NV (NYSE:JBS) grew its attributable net income by 14.5 percent to $2.02 billion from $1.767 billion in 2024. Net sales increased by 11.66 percent to $86.18 billion from $77.18 billion year-on-year.
In the fourth quarter alone, attributable net income stood at $415 million, flat from $413 million year-on-year, while net sales increased by 15.5 percent to $23.06 billion from $19.97 billion.
The higher net sales were attributed to the strength of JBS NV’s (NYSE:JBS) entire business unit, particularly its multi-geography and protein platform.
JBS Beef North America alone reported record sales in both the fourth quarter and full-year 2025 amid resilient US demand. However, the increase in cattle prices outpaced the change in cutout values, reflecting tighter cattle availability amid the ongoing US cattle cycle.
In Brazil, higher prices partially offset the sharp increase in cattle costs during the period, with the fourth quarter particularly strong amid robust demand for barbecue cuts.
Net sales were also higher for both periods in Australia, primarily driven by increased prices in both domestic and export markets, supported by increased volumes.
JBS NV (NYSE:JBS) is a global company engaged in protein and food processing, particularly processed beef, chicken, salmon, sheep, and pork, among others.
6. Braze Inc. (NASDAQ:BRZE)
Braze rallied for a second day on Thursday, jumping 7.92 percent to close at $23.31 apiece, as investors took heart from an investment firm’s bullish rating and price target for the stock.
In a market note, JPMorgan raised its price target for Braze Inc. (NASDAQ:BRZE) to $33 from $32, previously, while maintaining an “outperform” rating. The figure marked a 41.6 percent upside from its latest closing price.
JPMorgan’s coverage followed Braze Inc.’s (NASDAQ:BRZE) earnings call, where it announced targets of swinging to $69 million to $73 million in net profits this year, or a reversal of its $130.8 million net loss in fiscal 2026.
Revenues are also targeted to grow by 19.8 to 20.5 percent year-on-year to a range of $884 million to $889 million, versus $738 million in the last fiscal period.
Last year, revenues surged by 24 percent from $593 million, primarily driven by new customers, upsells, and renewals.
In the last quarter of fiscal 2026, ending January, Braze Inc. (NASDAQ:BRZE) also widened its net loss by 85 percent to $31.58 million from $17.06 million in the same quarter a year earlier. Revenues, however, grew by 28 percent to $205.17 million from $160.4 million.
To boost shareholder value, Braze Inc. (NASDAQ:BRZE) announced plans to repurchase $100 million worth of its shares, $50 million of which are targeted for accelerated implementation.
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