Ten stocks soared higher on Friday, defying a wider market pessimism, as investors digested a flurry of strong earnings and upbeat outlooks, among other company-specific developments.
Meanwhile, the Dow Jones led the drop among Wall Street’s three main indices, slashing 1.05 percent. The Nasdaq followed with a 0.92 percent loss, while the S&P 500 declined by 0.43 percent.
Indices aside, this article focuses on the 10 top-performing companies on Friday alongside the reasons behind their gains.
To come up with the list, we focused exclusively on 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. Crescent Energy Company (NYSE:CRGY)
Crescent Energy rallied for a second day on Friday, jumping 7.76 percent to close at $11.66 apiece, as investors gobbled up shares after the oil and gas firm swung to profitability last year.
In an earnings call, Crescent Energy Company (NYSE:CRGY) said that it incurred an attributable net income of $132.9 million, reversing a $114.6 million net loss in 2024. Revenues also grew by 22 percent to $3.58 billion from $2.93 billion year-on-year.
Total production averaged 260 MBoe/d with 104 MBo/d of oil during the year, exceeding its guidance.
In the fourth quarter alone, the company remained at an attributable net loss of $8.66 million, marking a 93 percent improvement from the $118 million attributable net loss in the same period a year earlier. Total revenues dipped by 1 percent to $865 million from $875 million.
Meanwhile, total production averaged 268 MBoe/d with 106 Mbo/d of oil production.
For this year, Crescent Energy Company (NYSE:CRGY) said that it is targeting to produce between 320 and 335 MBoe/d.
In other news, Crescent Energy Company (NYSE:CRGY) approved the distribution of dividends amounting to $0.12 per share to all shareholders on record as of March 11, 2026, payable on March 25.
It also raised and extended its ongoing share repurchase program to $400 million from $150 million previously, of which $33 million has been successfully bought back.
9. Lionsgate Studios Corp. (NYSE:LION)
Lionsgate extended its winning streak to a fifth consecutive day on Friday, climbing 9.09 percent to finish at $9 apiece, as investors loaded portfolios ahead of expected business updates next week.
Jimmy Barge, Lionsgate Studios Corp.’s (NYSE:LION) chief finance officer, is set to participate in a fireside chat at the 2026 Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference in San Francisco, California, on March 4. Investors are expected to watch out for business updates and cues about its outlook.
In the third quarter of the fiscal year ending December 31, the company widened its net loss attributable to shareholders by 111 percent to $46.2 million from $21.9 million in the same period a year earlier. Revenues jumped by 15 percent to $724.3 million from $628.2 million year-on-year.
In the nine-month period, attributable net loss increased by 9.7 percent to $268.5 million from $244.7 million, while revenues were flat at $1.7 billion.
In other news, Lionsgate Studios Corp. (NYSE:LION) last month welcomed former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to its board of directors.
As a former Cabinet member, Mnuchin brings deep financial and regulatory expertise, as well as entertainment industry experience from his leadership at Dune Capital Management, a hedge fund that focused on entertainment industry investments.
8. SM Energy Company (NYSE:SM)
SM Energy snapped a four-day losing streak on Friday, climbing 9.47 percent to close at $23.13 apiece, as investor sentiment was bolstered by a 10-percent increase in its quarterly dividend beginning this year.
In an updated report earlier in the week, SM Energy Company (NYSE:SM) said that it approved the distribution of higher quarterly dividends amounting to $0.22 to all shareholders on record as of March 9, 2026, payable on March 23.
The initiative followed the company’s successful sale of assets amounting to $950 million, which helped boost its balance sheet, coupled with a 14 percent lower capital spending and reduced rig activity, among others.
Apart from dividends, SM Energy Company (NYSE:SM) is also underway with the buyback of $500 million worth of its shares to support shareholder value.
Of the total, some $12 million has been successfully bought back, with the initiative expected to run until December 31, 2027.
In other news, SM Energy Company (NYSE:SM) also announced its earnings performance in the fourth quarter and full-year 2025. Net income dropped by 15.8 percent to $648 million from $770 million in 2024, while total operating revenues and other income increased by 17 percent to $3.15 billion from $2.69 billion year-on-year.
In the fourth quarter alone, net income declined by 42 percent to $109 million from the $188 million in the same period a year earlier, while total operating revenues and income declined by 17 percent to $705 million from $852 million year-on-year.
7. BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:BCRX)
BioCryst surged by 10.76 percent on Friday to close at $8.75 apiece, as investor sentiment was bolstered by its swing to profitability for the first time last year.
In an updated report, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:BCRX) said that it 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.
“2025 was fundamentally transformative for BioCryst. We achieved full-year profitability for the first time in the company’s history, driven by strong commercial execution that delivered the highest level of new patient prescriptions in the US since the initial launch of ORLADEYO, even as the treatment landscape continued to evolve,” said BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:BCRX) President and CEO Charlie Gayer.
For this year, the company is targeting to generate total revenues between $635 million and $660 million, of which around $625 million to $645 million will come from sales from Orladeyo.
6. Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX)
Netflix extended its winning streak to a fourth consecutive day on Friday, surging 13.75 percent to close at $96.24 apiece after dropping its offer to acquire Warner Bros Discovery Inc. following months of a bidding war with Paramount Skydance.
In a statement, Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) said that it has declined to raise its offer to acquire Warner Bros after earlier receiving a notice that the latter’s board determined Paramount Skydance’s proposal to be superior.
“The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval. However, we’ve always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance’s latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid,” it said.
“Warner Bros. is a world-class organization, and we want to thank David Zaslav, Gunnar Wiedenfels, Bruce Campbell, Brad Singer and the WBD Board for running a fair and rigorous process. We believe we would have been strong stewards of Warner Bros.’ iconic brands, and that our deal would have strengthened the entertainment industry and preserved and created more production jobs in the US. But this transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price,” it noted.
Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) earlier proposed to buy Warner Bros’ shares at $27.75 apiece, but Paramount Skydance topped the offer to $31 per share.
Looking ahead, Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) said that it would instead invest $20 billion in quality films and expand its entertainment offering.
“Consistent with our capital allocation policy, we’ll also resume our share repurchase program. We will continue to do what we’ve done for more than 20 years as a public company: delight our members, profitably grow our business, and drive long-term shareholder value.”
5. Dentsply Sirona Inc. (NASDAQ:XRAY)
Dentsply bounced back by 15.50 percent on Friday to finish at $14.68 apiece, as investor sentiment was boosted by announcements of a share repurchase program, which overshadowed the termination of its quarterly dividends.
In an earnings call on Thursday, Dentsply Sirona Inc. (NASDAQ:XRAY) said that it initiated a new capital allocation as part of its corporate restructuring that would eliminate the distribution of quarterly dividends, and instead would be reallocated to share buyback and debt retirement programs.
The initiatives followed the release of its financial and operating highlights last year, with the company ending at an attributable net loss of $598 million, albeit a 34-percent improvement from the $910 million attributable net loss in 2024.
Net sales also dipped by 3 percent to $3.68 billion from $3.79 billion.
In the fourth quarter alone, attributable net loss narrowed by 66 percent to $146 million from $430 million in the same period a year earlier, while net sales increased by 6.2 percent to $961 million from $905 million year-on-year.
“Our restructuring program announced today will allow us to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and support a more competitive cost structure, while our decision to eliminate the dividend will enable the redeployment of capital toward share repurchases and debt reduction. These are important steps in our roadmap to drive sustained, profitable growth and deliver meaningful long-term value for our shareholders,” Dentsply Sirona Inc. (NASDAQ:XRAY) President and CEO Dan Scavilla said.
For this year, Dentsply Sirona Inc. (NASDAQ:XRAY) is expecting to drop its net sales by 2 to 5 percent to a range of $3.5 billion to $3.6 billion. Adjusted EPS, on the other hand, is targeted at $1.40 to $1.50.
4. Block Inc. (NYSE:XYZ)
Block Inc. extended its winning streak to a fourth straight day on Friday, soaring 16.82 percent to close at $63.70 apiece, as investors took heart from the company’s corporate restructuring initiative that saw the layoff of more than 4,000 of its employees.
In a shareholder letter, Block Inc. (NYSE:XYZ) explained that it slashed its total workforce from 10,000 to just under 6,000 as rapid technological advancements, including artificial intelligence, were seen to have significantly shifted the business landscape.
“We’re already seeing it internally. A significantly smaller team, using the tools we’re building, can do more and do it better. And intelligence tool capabilities are compounding faster every week,” Block Inc. (NYSE:XYZ) Chairman Jack Dorsey said.
“And this isn’t just about efficiency. Block serves millions of customers. Sellers and consumers who are going to feel the economic effects of this same shift. Small businesses that rely on us to get paid, to manage their money, to access capital. Individuals navigating a financial landscape that’s changing fast. Our job is to help them through it. That’s not a new mission for us, but the urgency behind it is more pronounced, and the speed at which we need to deliver is accelerating,” he underscored.
The announcement followed Block Inc.’s (NYSE:XYZ) financial and operating highlights last year, with net income attributable to shareholders dropping by 55 percent to $1.3 billion from $2.897 billion in 2024. Total revenues finished flat at $24 billion.
For this year, the company is targeting to grow its gross profit by 18 percent to $12.20 billion from $10.36 billion in 2025.
3. Paramount Skydance Corp. (NASDAQ:PSKY)
Paramount Skydance soared by 20.84 percent on Friday to finish at $13.51 apiece, after its rival firm, Netflix, surrendered from their billion-dollar bidding war for the acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery.
In a statement, Paramount Skydance Corp. (NASDAQ:PSKY) said that it officially inked a definitive agreement with Warner Bros for the acquisition of the latter for $110 billion.
Under the agreement, the David Ellison-led entertainment giant would acquire Warner Bros’ shares at a price of $31 apiece, topping Netflix’s earlier offer of $27.75. Both firms’ board of directors have already approved the transaction, which is expected to close in the third quarter of the year, subject to other closing conditions.
In the event that the transaction is not closed by September 30, Paramount Skydance Corp. (NASDAQ:PSKY) would pay each WBD shareholder a $0.25 per share of what it called a “ticking fee” for each quarter until the successful closing of the transaction.
On the same day, Netflix said that it would no longer raise its bid, saying that the deal “is no longer financially attractive.”
“We believe we would have been strong stewards of Warner Bros.’ iconic brands, and that our deal would have strengthened the entertainment industry and preserved and created more production jobs in the US. But this transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price,” it noted.
2. Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL)
Dell Technologies soared by 21.93 percent on Friday to close at $148.08 apiece, as investor sentiment was boosted by a flurry of positive developments, including stellar earnings, an upbeat outlook, and a cash dividend increase, among others.
In an updated report, Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL) said that it grew its attributable net income in the full fiscal year ending January 2026 by 29 percent to $5.9 billion from $4.59 billion a year earlier. Net revenues increased by 19 percent to $113.5 billion from $95.57 billion.
In the fourth quarter alone, attributable net profit surged by 47 percent to $2.26 billion from $1.5 billion, while total net revenues increased by 39 percent to $33.38 billion from $23.9 billion.
“The AI opportunity is transforming our company. We closed more than $64 billion in AI-optimized server orders, shipped more than $25 billion throughout the year, and are entering FY27 with a record backlog of $43 billion—powerful proof that our engineering leadership and differentiated AI solutions are winning,” said Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL) Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Clarke.
Following the results, Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL) announced that it would raise its cash dividends by 20 percent to $2.52 per share—its fourth straight year of double-digit dividend hike—and likewise allocated $10 billion more for a new round of share buyback.
For full-year 2027, the company is targeting to grow its revenues by 23 percent, diluted EPS by 33 percent, and non-GAAP diluted EPS of 25 percent.
1. Figs Inc. (NYSE:FIGS)
Figs climbed to a nearly four-year high on Friday, as investors loaded portfolios after an investment firm turned bullish on the stock following its strong earnings performance last year.
In a market report, KeyBanc raised its rating for Figs Inc. (NYSE:FIGS) to “overweight” from “sector weight” previously, while assigning a price target of $17.
Following the coverage, the stock soared to its highest price of $15.90 before paring gains to finish the session up by 23.90 percent at $15.45 apiece. Even with the session’s rally, the price target marked a 10 percent upside potential from its latest closing price.
On Thursday, Figs Inc. (NYSE:FIGS) said that its net income last year expanded by 1,159 percent to $34.25 million from only $2.72 million in 2024, while revenues jumped by 13.7 percent to $631 million from $555 million, on the back of higher orders from new and existing customers, as well as average order value.
In the fourth quarter alone, net profit climbed by 884 percent to $18.5 million from $1.88 million, while net revenues increased by 33 percent to $201.9 million from $151.8 million.
For the full-year 2026, Figs Inc. (NYSE:FIGS) is expecting to continue a double-digit growth of 10 to 12 percent in net revenues, versus 2025. Adjusted EBITDA margin is also pegged at 12.7 percent to 12.9 percent.
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