Ten stocks soared higher on Thursday, defying a wider market downturn, as investors loaded portfolios in companies seen as less vulnerable in the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones led declines, losing 0.44 percent, followed by the Nasdaq, down 0.28 percent, and the S&P 500, falling 0.27 percent.

In this article, we spotlight 10 of the top-performing companies on Thursday and detail the reasons behind their gains.

To come up with the list, we only considered the stocks with a $2 billion market capitalization.

10. Bloom Energy Corp. (NYSE:BE)

Bloom Energy saw its share prices jump by 6.46 percent on Thursday to close at $166.69 apiece, as investors poured funds into companies with on-demand services, but are seen as less vulnerable to the ongoing geopolitical tensions.

The rally can be partly attributed to the rising energy demand, alongside expectations that industries would look for other power resources amid higher oil and natural gas prices and significant supply cuts, as a result of missile attacks on oil and gas hubs in the Middle East.

Bloom Energy Corp. (NYSE:BE) is a fuel cell company that designs, manufactures, and installs solid oxide fuel cell systems for on-site, clean, and reliable power generation.

In recent news, Bloom Energy Corp. (NYSE:BE) announced widening its net loss attributable to shareholders by 204 percent to $88.4 million from only $29.2 million in 2024. Revenues, on the other hand, increased by 37 percent to $2.02 billion from $1.47 billion year-on-year.

In the fourth quarter alone, Bloom Energy Corp.’s (NYSE:BE) net income dwindled by 99 percent to only $1.09 million from $104.79 million. Revenues increased by 35.86 percent to $777.68 million from $572.39 million.

9. BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:BCRX)

BioCryst grew its share prices by 7.10 percent on Thursday to close at $9.81 apiece as investors repositioned portfolios following rumors that it is set to be acquired by a large-cap US biopharmaceutical company.

The report first broke out on Monday from a website about deals and dealmakers, saying that a US-based pharmaceutical giant is setting its sights on BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:BCRX).

As of writing, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:BCRX) has yet to confirm or deny the said report.

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:BCRX) is a global biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing medicines for hereditary angioedema (HAE) and other rare diseases.

Last month, it announced strong earnings performance in 2025, having swung to a net income of $263.86 million last year from an $88.88 million net loss in 2024. Total revenues soared by 94 percent to $874.8 million from $450.7 million year-on-year, helped by the successful $243.3 million sale of its European Orladeyo business to Neopharmed Gentili. Orladeyo is a prescription oral medicine for preventing hereditary angioedema attacks in adults and children 12 years and older.

In the fourth quarter alone, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:BCRX) incurred a $245.8 million net income, reversing a $26.79 million net loss in the same period a year earlier. Total revenues more than tripled to $406.5 million from $131.5 million year-on-year.

8. Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL)

Planet Labs saw its share prices jump by 8.76 percent on Thursday to close at $26.96 apiece as investors cheered its double-digit revenue growth outlook for fiscal year 2027 despite posting a dismal earnings performance last year.

In an updated report, Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL) said that it is targeting to grow its revenues by 35 to 43 percent to a range of $415 million to $440 million for the current fiscal year, while adjusted EBITDA is expected to either remain flat or increase by $10 million year-on-year.

For the first quarter alone, revenues are targeted at $87 million to $91 million, or an implied growth of 31 percent to 37 percent, while adjusted EBITDA is expected to swing to a loss of $3 million to $6 million, from a $1.2 million profit in the same period a year earlier.

“[We] ended the year with $900 million of backlog, representing 79 percent growth year-on-year. With this excellent backlog as well as our healthy pipeline, we project strong growth for this year and beyond,” said Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL) Chairman and CEO Will Marshall.

“Consequently we’re leaning in and investing in the huge market opportunity in front of us. Just as satellite services were transformative last year, we expect AI to be transformative this year, enabling us to unlock massive markets even faster. In all, we’re playing to win,” he added.

Last year, Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL) doubled its net loss to $242 million from $120.7 million year-on-year, dragged by a $161.4 million revaluation loss from fair value changes in relation to warrant liabilities related to stock price appreciation.

Revenues, however, increased by 26.6 percent to $307.7 million from $244 million year-on-year.

7. DLocal Ltd. (NASDAQ:DLO)

DLocal saw its share prices increase by 9.43 percent on Thursday to close at $12.53 apiece, as investors cheered its achievement of a new revenue milestone, having cracked past the $1 billion level for the first time last year, thanks to strong total payment volume (TPV) during the period.

In an updated report, DLocal Ltd. (NASDAQ:DLO) said that revenues stood at $1.09 billion, marking a 46 percent jump from the $745.9 million in 2024, thanks to a 60 percent increase in TPV.

TPV is an operating metric of the aggregate value of all payments successfully processed through DLocal Ltd.’s (NASDAQ:DLO) payments platform, on which its revenues largely depend.

Net income, on the other hand, soared by 63.4 percent to $196.9 million from $120.5 million in 2024.

In the fourth quarter alone, revenues surged by 65 percent to $337.9 million from $204.49 million, supporting an 87 percent jump in its net income, at $55.6 million versus $29.7 million year-on-year.

TPV reached a record of $13.1 billion during the quarter, up by 70 percent from $7.7 billion year-on-year.

Encouraged by the results, DLocal Ltd. (NASDAQ:DLO) posted an upbeat outlook for full-year 2026, with TPV targeted to grow further by 50 to 60 percent year-on-year.

Gross profit is expected to jump by 22.5 percent to 27.5 percent, while operating profit is pegged at a growth of 27.5 percent to 32.5 percent year-on-year.

6. Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (NASDAQ:AAOI)

Applied Optoelectronics rallied for a second day on Thursday, jumping 10.03 percent to close at $101.92 apiece, as investors resumed buying positions in technology stocks riding the AI wave, with the sector seen as less vulnerable to the impact of ongoing tensions globally.

Also on Wednesday, Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (NASDAQ:AAOI) showcased a comprehensive range of transceiver products designed for future AI systems, from 100G to 1.6T, as well as its next-generation 400mW laser Continuous Wave (CW) for 25dBm external laser small form-factor pluggable (ELSFP).

According to Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (NASDAQ:AAOI), the 25dBm Ultra-High Power ELSFP provides a critical high-link-budget foundation required for CPO/NPO architectures, and features extreme power with a hot-swappable, highly serviceable design to ensure reliability for mission-critical GPU clusters.

“Reliability and performance are non-negotiable as the industry shifts toward more demanding GPU fabrics. Our 25dBm ELSFP solution addresses these needs by providing the unmatched power and mission-critical reliability required for complex AI networking, offering a high-performance, hot-swappable solution that is ready to scale hyperscale infrastructures today,” said Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (NASDAQ:AAOI) SVP and North American General Manager Fred Chang.

Additionally, the company showcased its 6.4T On-Board Optics (OBO) and 800G and 1.6T Optical Interconnects through a live demonstration.

Powered by its 400mW external laser small form-factor pluggable (ELSFP), the 6.4T OBO provides an immediate, high-density solution for the signal integrity needs of hyperscale AI infrastructure, while the 800G and 1.6T Optical Interconnects provide the scalable bandwidth necessary to support evolving large language models and intensive AI training workloads.

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