Ten stocks stood firmer on Wednesday, mirroring an overall market rally, as investors took path from corporate developments to bolster buying.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones led the charge, rising 0.60 percent, followed by the S&P 500, growing 0.32 percent. The Nasdaq was up by 0.22 percent.
Indices aside, this article focuses on the 10 top-performing stocks alongside the reasons behind their gain.
To come up with the list, we focused on the stocks with more than $300 million market capitalization and 5 million shares in trading volume.
10. TMC the metals company Inc. (NASDAQ:TMC)
TMC the metals company ended two straight days of losses on Wednesday, jumping 4.24 percent to close at $7.62 apiece as investors cheered progress in its request for deep-sea exploration in the international waters.
According to a report by The New York Times, the US government would formally review next month TMC the metals company Inc.’s (NASDAQ:TMC) submission to conduct deep-sea mining activities in the international seabed, despite the latter being a Canada-based firm and earning criticisms from the International Seabed Authority for allegedly bypassing the agency.
It can be recalled that TMC the metals company Inc. (NASDAQ:TMC), through its US subsidiary, expressed its intention with the US government earlier this year to mine in the international waters, leveraging Washington’s non-membership in the ISA.
Its move earned criticisms from deep-sea advocates and several ISA members for being a Canadian firm, and with Canada being a member of the organization.
For its part, TMC the metals company Inc. (NASDAQ:TMC) argued that the ISA “does not have an exclusive mandate to regulate seabed mining activities in the Area, and there are existing claims outside of UNCLOS.”
“UNCLOS membership is not universal…The freedom to mine the deep seabed, like the freedom of navigation, is a high seas freedom enjoyed by all nations,” it said earlier.
9. Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE)
Nike Inc. jumped by 4.64 percent on Wednesday to close at $60 apiece after an Apple executive nearly doubled his stake in the company.
In a regulatory filing, Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE) said that Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., acquired $2.9 million worth of new shares in the company.
Cook is currently an independent director and now owns a little more than 105,000 shares in Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE).
The purchase reflected strong confidence in the stock, despite posting dismal earnings performance in the second quarter of fiscal year 2026 and posting lower sales guidance for the next quarter.
In the second quarter, the athletic fashion maker said that net income declined by 32 percent to $792 million from $1.16 billion in the same period last year.
Revenues were flat at $12 billion due to sales declines in China, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, which were primarily offset by growth in the North American region.
Looking ahead, Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE) expects revenues for the third quarter to drop by low single digits, falling below analyst expectations of modest growth, on expectations that its operations in China, alongside higher tariffs, would continue to dampen sales.
8. Palisade Bio Inc. (NASDAQ:PALI)
Palisade extended its winning streak to a fourth straight day on Wednesday, jumping 5.26 percent to close at $2.20 apiece as investors loaded portfolios ahead of the results of its clinical trial for its treatment of fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease (FSCD).
The company is targeting to present the topline results of its Phase 1b study of PALI-2108 in the first quarter of 2026, with the Investigational New Drug submission expected in the first half of next year.
The first phase enrolled approximately 6 to 12 patients with FSCD, and was designed to evaluate the efficacy of PALI-2108 over a 14-day treatment period.
Results aside, the rally in Palisade Bio Inc. (NASDAQ:PALI) can also be attributed to some window-dressing activities—a practice among institutional investors where they tweak their portfolios before reporting periods, typically done quarterly and annually, by loading up on well-performing stocks and trimming those that underperform, to perform a stronger portfolio for clients.
Year-to-date, Palisade Bio Inc.’s (NASDAQ:PALI) shares were up by 33.33 percent.
Palisade Bio Inc. (NASDAQ:PALI) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing a next generation of once daily, oral PDE4 inhibitor prodrugs for patients with inflammatory and fibrotic diseases.
7. US Antimony Corp. (NYSEAmerican:UAMY)
US Antimony extended its winning streak to a fourth consecutive day on Wednesday, adding 5.31 percent to close at $6.35 apiece, as investors positioned portfolios amid earlier pronouncements of 2026 being a banner year for the company.
“2026 will be a banner year for this company. We will not only have the expansion of Thompson Falls completed, and hopefully, January, we’re on target,” US Antimony Corp. (NYSEAmerican:UAMY) Chairman Gary Evans said earlier.
The rally can also be attributed to some window-dressing activities, where institutional investors tweak their portfolios ahead of the reporting periods to load up shares in well-performing stocks and unload the underperforming ones, before presenting to investors.
US Antimony Corp. (NYSEAmerican:UAMY) is a company producing and selling antimony, zeolite, and other precious metals. It also operates the only antimony smelter in the US.
In the third quarter of the year, net loss attributable to shareholders expanded by 556 percent to $4.78 million from $729,384 in the same period last year.
Revenues increased by 238 percent to $8.7 million from $2.57 million year-on-year.
6. Strive Asset Management, LLC (NASDAQ:ASST)
Strive surged by 7.03 percent on Wednesday to finish at $0.8620 apiece as investors scrambled to load up positions to support its price boost after failing to comply with an exchange requirement.
The Nasdaq requires companies to maintain a minimum bid price of $1 to continue listing their shares, or they could face a forced delisting on the exchange.
Strive Asset Management, LLC (NASDAQ:ASST), on the other hand, has been trading below the $1 level for 10 consecutive days since Dec. 11, 2025.
In other news, Strive Asset Management, LLC (NASDAQ:ASST) announced the increase of its annual dividend rate for preferred stockholders to 12.25 percent from 12 percent at present. The dividends will be paid in monthly installments beginning January 2026.
The first round of dividends, amounting to $1.0208 per share, are payable on Jan. 15, 2026 to all preferred shareholders as of Jan. 1, 2026 record.
“The increased dividend reflects Strive’s continued commitment to enhancing shareholder value while maintaining disciplined management of its capital structure,” Strive Asset Management, LLC (NASDAQ:ASST) said.
Strive Asset Management, LLC (NASDAQ:ASST) is a Bitcoin treasury company. As of Nov. 7, 2025, the company holds approximately 7,525 Bitcoins.
5. UiPath Inc. (NYSE:PATH)
UiPath saw its share prices jump by 7.52 percent on Wednesday to close at $17.16 apiece as investor sentiment was bolstered by its inclusion in the S&P MidCap 400 index.
Companies added to benchmark indexes typically gain a boost as funds tracking the index would have to rebalance their portfolios to mirror its recomposition.
Additionally, being included in indexes would help amplify its exposure to institutional and foreign investors.
UiPath Inc. (NYSE:PATH) is a company engaged in Agentic automation.
In the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, it swung to a net income of $198.8 million from a $10.6 million net loss in the same period last year.
Revenues increased by 15.9 percent to $411 million from $354.6 million year-on-year, while annual recurring revenues (ARR) ended at $1.782 billion.
Looking ahead, the company is targeting revenues between $462 million and $467 million, as well as ARR of $1.844 billion to $1.849 billion.
4. Richtech Robotics Inc. (NASDAQ:RR)
Richtech Robotics snapped two days of losses on Wednesday, climbing 8.31 percent to close at $3.65 apiece as investors loaded portfolios ahead of a technology conference next month where it is set to showcase its new robotics solution.
The CES 2026, to be held on January 6 to 9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, will see Richtech Robotics Inc.’s (NASDAQ:RR) official demonstration of its own humanoid robot, Dex, said to be capable of adapting with real time reasoning, performing complex tasks with detailed precision, and operating in dynamic environments, all while operating for four hours on a single charge.
Specifically, Dex’s mobility and operational capabilities will be demonstrated as it moves around the company’s own booth to present a number of solutions, including making coffee and employing its core barista duty, food delivery capabilities, logistics delivery system, and showcasing new abilities with enhanced visual monitoring.
According to Richtech Robotics Inc. (NASDAQ:RR), Dex has been trained in Nvidia’s open-source reference frameworks NVIDIA Isaac Sim and NVIDIA Isaac Lab.
3. Wheels Up Experience Inc. (NYSE:UP)
Wheels Up rallied for a second day on Wednesday, soaring 11.70 percent to close at $0.7036 apiece as investors took path from the ongoing fleet expansion and modernization program.
In a statement on the same day, Wheels Up Experience Inc. (NYSE:UP) said that the company would significantly expand its fleet in 2026 as part of its modernization strategy.
In line with the program, Wheels Up Experience Inc. (NYSE:UP) entered into a $105 million sale-leaseback agreement with an institutional capital provider, involving the sale of three of its Challenger 300s and seven Phenom 300s, and leasing them back on a long-term basis.
Under the agreement, Wheels Up Experience Inc. (NYSE:UP) would continue to operate the aircraft, ensuring uninterrupted access for members and customers. The aircraft will be painted, branded, refurbished, and installed with HDX satellite Wi-Fi.
Upon closing, $65 million of the total proceeds will be used to repay its outstanding debt under the revolving equipment notes facility, while the remaining and provide approximately $40 million of cash net proceeds to the company’s balance sheet.
“The actions we are announcing today reflect disciplined, intentional execution of our transformation strategy,” said Chief Executive Officer George Mattson.
”The sale-leaseback agreement further validates our strategy via the partnership of a sophisticated financial institution, balances our mix of owned and leased aircraft, and supports recent and future sustainable growth by providing additional capacity to continue executing our fleet plan in 2026,” he added.
2. Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AGIO)
Agios Pharmaceuticals soared by 18.63 percent on Wednesday to close at $29.17 apiece after securing the approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for anemia treatment, Aqvesme.
In a statement, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AGIO) said that the FDA officially approved Aqvesme to treat anemia in patients with alpha or beta thalassemia. The drug is the only FDA-approved medicine for anemia in both non-transfusion-dependent and transfusion-dependent alpha- or beta-thalassemia.
The approval followed the successful phase 3 clinical study for the efficacy of the treatment in 452 enrolled patients. The program met all primary endpoints, demonstrating that Aqvesme can improve hemolytic anemia and a key quality-of-life measure compared to placebo, including significant reductions in transfusion burden and significant improvements in hemoglobin and fatigue.
During the program, however, five patients who received the treatment experienced adverse reactions suggestive of hepatocellular injury (HCI), with two of these patients requiring hospitalization. The side effects occurred within the first six months of exposure, and liver tests improved upon discontinuation of Aqvesme.
To mitigate the risk of HCI, Aqvesme would only be available only through the Aqvesme Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program approved by the FDA, where a liver test is required prior to the first Aqvesme dose, every four weeks thereafter for 24 weeks, and then as clinically indicated.
It also includes education and certification requirements for patients, prescribing physicians, and pharmacists, which are common components of REMS programs.
1. Dynavax Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:DVAX)
Dynavax soared by 38.19 percent on Wednesday to close at $15.38 apiece as investors took heart from news that it was set to be acquired by Sanofi for $2.2 billion.
In a statement, Dynavax Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:DVAX) said that it officially entered into an agreement with Sanofi for the latter’s acquisition of all its outstanding shares at a price of $15.50 apiece.
The offer price represents a premium of approximately 39 percent over its closing price on December 23.
The acquisition would augment Sanofi’s presence in adult immunization, particularly with Dynavax Technologies Corp.’s (NASDAQ:DVAX) adult hepatitis B vaccine Heplisav-B—currently marketed in the US and differentiated by its two-dose regimen over one month, which enables high levels of seroprotection faster than other hepatitis B vaccines, which are given in three doses over six months.
The acquisition also includes Dynavax Technologies Corp.’s (NASDAQ:DVAX) shingles vaccine candidate (Z-1018), which is currently in phase 1/2 clinical development, as well as other vaccine pipeline projects.
“Joining Sanofi will provide the global scale and expertise needed to maximize the impact of our vaccine portfolio,” said CEO Ryan Spencer.
“We believe Sanofi’s commercial reach, development capabilities, and commitment to evidence-based immunization will amplify the opportunity for Heplisav-B and our innovative pipeline to address important public health needs, further advancing our mission to help protect the world against infectious disease. We are confident that this transaction – and the compelling value it provides – is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders,” he added.
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