Ten stocks gained momentum on Thursday, with some hitting fresh all-time highs, as investor confidence continued to be bolstered by high expectations of an interest rate cut.
The stocks rallied alongside the broader market, with the Dow Jones leading the gains with 1.36 percent, followed by the S&P 500 with a 0.85-percent increase, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq, up 0.72 percent.
Indices aside, the top 10 performers on Thursday came from a mixed sector, five of which notably reached new highs. In this article, we explore the reasons behind their gains.
To come up with the list, we considered the stocks with at least $2 billion in market capitalization and 5 million shares in trading volume.
Photo by George Morina on Pexels
10. Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL)
Shares of Planet Labs rallied to a new all-time high on Thursday, as investors took path from a price target and rating upgrade from an investment firm.
During the trading session, Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL) touched its highest 52-week price of $10.08 before trimming gains to end the day just up by 7.8 percent at $9.67 apiece.
In a market note on Tuesday, Craig-Hallum raised its price target for the stock to $11 from $9 previously, while maintaining a “buy” recommendation amid its strong performance across various businesses, including military, maritime, agriculture, and wide area monitoring.
Additionally, it was optimistic for the company’s expansion beyond imagery, having tapped the power of artificial intelligence to detect objects and changes, and the launch of high-resolution Pelican satellites, among others.
In other developments, Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL) announced plans to raise $300 million from the issuance of senior convertible notes to qualified institutional buyers to raise funds for general corporate purposes.
The notes will bear interest rates payable semi-annually in arrears, and will mature on October 15, 2030, unless earlier redeemed, converted, or repurchased.
9. Sandisk Corp. (NASDAQ:SNDK)
Sandisk extended its winning streak to a 7th straight day on Thursday to reach a new all-time high after Morgan Stanley raised its price target and named it as its “top pick” in the sector.
During the session, Sandisk Corp. (NASDAQ:SNDK) jumped to its highest price of $85.89 before paring gains to end the day just up by 14.04 percent at $84.30 apiece.
In a market note, Morgan Stanley upgraded its price target to $96 from $70 previously, while maintaining a “buy” recommendation for the stock.
The upgrade reflected its optimism for the NAND chip market amid the strong demand for enterprise solid-state drivers (eSSDs) from hyperscalers, alongside the ongoing HDD shortages.
Morgan Stanley expects the total NAND market to grow to 250 to 300 exabytes, potentially driving NAND pricing higher by the end of the year, as the AI sector continues to transition from training massive large language models to AI inference, capable of answering questions in real time.
While Sandisk Corp.’s (NASDAQ:SNDK) exposure to eSSDs was limited, Morgan Stanley said it continues to see upside for the firm as it ramps up the BICS 8 process in the second half of the year and positions it for a better 2026.
8. Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS)
Ondas Holdings extended its rally to a second day on Thursday, adding 15.47 percent to close at $6.42 apiece after successfully raising $217 million in fresh funds from the issuance of new shares.
In a statement, Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS) said its follow-on offer received strong demand, having been fully subscribed by investors.
Under the issuance, the company offered 46 million new shares, including 6 million shares under its overallotment option.
Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS) said it plans to use the proceeds for corporate development and strategic growth, including acquisitions, joint venture,s and investments.
Earlier this month, the company launched a new business unit focused on accelerating the global deployment of unmanned and autonomous systems to Allied defense and security markets.
Called Ondas Capital, the unit will combine advisory services with direct investment to support the rapid scaling of mature and combat-proven defense technologies. The unit will initially emphasize activity in Eastern Europe, with a particular focus on Ukraine, and build bridges to Allied markets in the United States and Europe.
Ondas expects to deploy at least $150 million to this initiative over the next two years, with investments expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025.
7. Synopsys, Inc. (NASDAQ:SNPS)
Synopsys snapped a two-day losing streak on Thursday, jumping 12.98 percent to close at $438.10 apiece as investors took heart from four investment firms’ “buy” recommendation, while bargain-hunting on the previous day’s five-month low.
In separate market reports, Morgan Stanley, HSBC, Mizuho, and Deutsche Bank all lowered their price targets for the stock, but maintained a “buy” recommendation.
Mizuho set the highest target of $600, albeit down from $700 previously, while Deutsche Bank cut its forecast to $580 from $600.
HSBC, for its part, lowered its estimate to $520 from $645, while Morgan Stanley gave the steepest drop, slashing its target to $510 from $715 prior.
Still, the price targets marked a 16 to 37 percent upside from Synopsys, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:SNPS) latest closing price.
On Wednesday, Synopsys, Inc. (NASDAQ:SNPS) reported a disappointing earnings performance in the third quarter of fiscal year 2025. Net income declined by 40.56 percent to $242.5 million from $408 million in the same period last year, despite total revenues growing by 13 percent to $1.7 billion from $1.5 billion year-on-year.
“Q3 was a transformational quarter. Against a challenging geo-political backdrop, we closed the Ansys acquisition—expanding our portfolio, customer base, and opportunity. Now more than ever, Synopsys is the mission-critical partner technology R&D needs to design and deliver AI-powered products,” said Synopsys Inc. (NASDAQ:SNPS) President and CEO Sassine Ghazi.
“While I’m proud of how our team navigated external challenges in the quarter, our IP business underperformed expectations. We are taking action to enhance our competitive advantage and drive resilient, long-term growth,” he added.
6. GDS Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ:GDS)
Shares of GDS Holdings surged by 14.93 percent on Thursday to finish at $38.50 apiece as investors continued to load positions in AI stocks amid renewed optimism and developments across the sector.
GDS Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ:GDS), a high-performance data center developer in China, is particularly benefiting from the AI wave, supported by strong demand for cloud computing capacity.
In the second quarter of the year, GDS Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ:GDS) narrowed its net loss attributable to shareholders by 68 percent to 72.3 million yuan from 225.7 million yuan in the same period last year. Total net revenues grew by 12.4 percent to 2.9 billion yuan from 2.58 billion yuan year-on-year.
For the full-year 2025, GDS Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ:GDS) is targeting total revenues of 11.29 billion yuan to 11.59 billion yuan and adjusted EBITDA of 5.19 billion to 5.39 billion yuan.
5. Tempus AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:TEM)
Shares of Tempus AI surged to a seven-month high on Thursday, jumping 13.59 percent to close at $88.78 apiece as investors cheered the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) green light for the updated version of Tempus Pixel, its AI-powered cardiac imaging platform.
During the session, the stock touched a high of $91.06, or just 39 cents shy of its 52-week high of $91.45.
In a statement, Tempus AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:TEM) said the FDA has given the 501(k) clearance for the updated version of the Tempus Pixel, allowing the generation of T1 and T2 inline maps and enhancing the device’s capabilities for cardiac MR image analysis.
Unlike conventional MR images that only show brightness differences, Tempus Pixel provides advanced viewing and automated reporting of cardiac MR images, improving efficiency and accuracy in flow visualization, functional analysis, and tissue characterization.
It also enhances medical imaging by rapidly analyzing scans, highlighting subtle abnormalities, and generating consistent, actionable insights.
“This marks another important regulatory milestone for Tempus and underscores our commitment to advancing AI-driven imaging technology that is both scientifically rigorous and clinically meaningful,” said Chris Scotto DiVetta, senior vice president for AI Applications at Tempus AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:TEM).
“With inline maps generated by Tempus Pixel, cardiologists and radiologists gain a comprehensive view of heart tissue, enabling deeper insights into cardiac health and helping them deliver more precise, personalized care to their patients.”
4. Circle Internet Group (NYSE:CRCL)
Circle Internet grew its share prices by $17.6 percent to close at $133.7 apiece as investor sentiment was bolstered by its partnership with Fireblocks to ramp up support for stablecoin adoption.
In a statement, Circle Internet Group (NYSE:CRCL), through one of its affiliates, partnered with Fireblocks to make it easier and safer for financial institutions to build digital asset offerings.
Under the agreement, Fireblocks will support Circle Internet Group’s (NYSE:CRCL) stablecoin network with its security and payment tools.
“Together, Circle and Fireblocks are working to build the trusted rails that enable stablecoin-based finance at a global scale,” said Michael Shaulov, co-founder and CEO of Fireblocks.
“By combining Circle’s stablecoin expertise with our institutional infrastructure, we’re empowering financial institutions to innovate with confidence. Those who move now won’t just keep pace, they’ll set the standard for tomorrow’s digital financial system,” he added.
3. VNET Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:VNET)
VNET Group soared by 14.88 percent on Thursday to close at $9.11 apiece following news that it secured a 40-megawatt order from an internet giant to support operations of its new Gu’an IDC campus in Beijing.
In a statement, VNET Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:VNET) said it would deliver the order capacity in phases.
The Gu’an IDC Campus—a large-scale wholesale campus in Hubei province—is equipped to meet surging AI-driven demand from high-tech sectors, including AI tech, high-performance computing, and advanced manufacturing.
“This order underscores our strong execution and ability to attract leading customers in a competitive market,” said VNET Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:VNET) Executive Chairperson and interim CEO Josh Sheng Chen.
“To fulfill this customer’s specific needs, we will provide reliable, customized services that enable the customer to deploy domestic chips for its core business. As demand for enhanced computing capabilities increases, the domestic chip sector serves as a crucial future growth engine for our IDC business,” he added.
2. Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD)
Warner Bros surged to a new all-time high on Thursday as investors positioned portfolios following reports that it was the next target of Paramount Skydance Corp. (NASDAQ:PSKY) for acquisition.
At intra-day trade, the stock surged to its highest price of $17.24 before trimming gains to end the day just up by 28.95 percent at $16.17 apiece.
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, citing people privy to the matter, Paramount was preparing a majority cash bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD), including its cable networks and movie studio.
WSJ said a bid has yet to be submitted, and plans could still fall apart.
If successful, the acquisition plan would likely require an antitrust investigation given the potential size and merger with a number of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) assets, such as HBO Max, Barbie, and the Harry Potter franchise, with Paramount’s film studio, CBS News, and Paramount+.
The acquisition plan followed the completion of Paramount and Skydance’s $8.4 billion merger, ending RedBird’s 38-year control of the former.
In relation to the merger, Paramount Global (NASDAQ:PARA) President and CEO Tom Ryan stepped down from his post, replaced by its new CEO, David Ellison.
1. Opendoor Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:OPEN)
Opendoor Technologies climbed to a new all-time high on Thursday after surging by as much as 82 percent during the day, with investor optimism fueled by the appointment of a new CEO and the return of its co-founder to the company.
At intra-day trading, the stock jumped to its highest price of $10.7 before paring gains to close the day just up by 79.52 percent at $10.52 apiece.
In a statement, Opendoor Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:OPEN) said co-founders Keith Rabois and Eric Wu are returning to the Board of Directors, with Rabois taking the chairmanship position.
Opendoor Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:OPEN) also appointed Kaz Nejatian, chief operating officer of Shopify, as its new CEO and board member. He is a lawyer-turned-entrepreneur, an AI-native executive with a track record of transforming products, teams, and companies at scale.
The leadership changes followed the resignation of former CEO Carrie Wheeler, and calls for reinstalling Rabois into the company.
Rabois’s business strategy was bold, aggressive, and visionary, as compared with Wheeler, who was more cautious and reactive.
While we acknowledge the potential of OPEN to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than OPEN and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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