Ten stocks soared higher on Tuesday, bucking a lackluster performance on Wall Street, as investors loaded positions amid developments in their respective industries.
Meanwhile, only the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq finished in the green, with gains of 0.08 percent and 0.10 percent, respectively. The Dow Jones finished down by 0.18 percent.
In this article, we spotlight the 10 top-performing companies on Tuesday 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. United Microelectronics Corp. (NYSE:UMC)
United Microelectronics grew its share prices by 9.08 percent on Tuesday to close at $9.31 apiece, as investors loaded portfolios ahead of dividends, as well as the sales performance report for March, which would determine how it fared during the first quarter of the year.
The company is scheduled to hold an annual general meeting on May 27, 2026, where it will seek the approval of its shareholders for a number of corporate agenda items, including the payment of NT$2.60 in cash per share held by its shareholders.
Additionally, United Microelectronics Corp. (NYSE:UMC) would seek the go-signal for changes in the company’s senior management, particularly the installation of Jason Wang as the new chief executive officer; Ming Hsu as president, chief operating officer, and member of the board; and SC Chien as chairman of Unimicron Technology—a company owned by United Microelectronics Corp. (NYSE:UMC).
In other developments, investors also loaded portfolios amid announcements of strong net sales in the past two months of the year, with figures in January and February already jumping by 5.33 percent and 6.33 percent, respectively.
United Microelectronics Corp. (NYSE:UMC) is a pure-play semiconductor company that manufactures chips for other companies, namely Texas Instruments, Broadcom, and Qualcomm, among others.
9. Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAV)
Viavi Solutions soared to a new 24-year high on Tuesday, as renewed optimism for the artificial intelligence sector spilled over to listed optical component makers.
In intra-day trading, the stock climbed to a record high of $38.55 before paring a cent to finish the session up by 7.44 percent at $38.54 apiece. The last time it touched the said level was in December 2001.
Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAV) rallied alongside its counterparts, namely Coherent Corp., Lumentum Holdings, and Applied Optoelectronics, among others, as investors placed bets on sectors riding the AI wave as a risk-mitigation strategy from the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
In other news, Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAV) said that it recently partnered with Ground Control to integrate its Secure microPNT STL-1000 LEO Receiver Module into the RockFleet Assured asset tracking and assured navigation solution.
According to the listed firm, the Secure microPNT STL-1000enables tracking, authentication and assured navigation in Denied, Degraded, and Disrupted Space Operational Environment (D3SOE), providing resiliency capabilities to safeguard critical infrastructure and assets.
8. Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM)
Humana extended its winning streak to a 5th consecutive day on Tuesday, jumping 7.94 percent to close at $197.15 apiece, as investors loaded portfolios ahead of the results of its earnings performance for the first quarter of the year.
According to the company, it will announce its financial and operating highlights before market open on April 29, 2026, to be followed by a conference call to elaborate on the results.
Before the said meeting, Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) would distribute dividends amounting to $0.885 per share to all shareholders on record as of March 27.
The dividends followed the results of its earnings performance last year, with attributable net income dipping by 1.6 percent to $1.188 billion from $1.207 billion in 2024. Total revenues, on the other hand, jumped by 10.10 percent to $129.66 million from $117.76 million year-on-year.
In the fourth quarter alone, Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) widened its net loss by 14.86 percent to $796 million from $693 million, while total revenues increased by 11.3 percent to $32.5 billion from $29.2 billion year-on-year.
Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) is one of the leading healthcare companies in the US, which owns Humana insurance and CenterWell healthcare services.
7. AXT Inc. (NASDAQ:AXTI)
AXT grew its share prices by 8.26 percent on Tuesday to close at $45.46 apiece, as investors resumed buying positions ahead of an expected robust earnings performance for the first quarter of the year.
According to the company, it would announce its financial and operating highlights for January to March after market close on April 30, 2026. A conference call will be held to elaborate on the results.
Earlier this year, AXT Inc. (NASDAQ:AXTI) posted an optimistic outlook for the first quarter of the year, saying that it expects to achieve sequential revenue growth amid demand growth in indium phosphide for the AI infrastructure build-out, supported by its progress in export permits, which were lacking in the fourth quarter last year.
Indium phosphide is a high-performance semiconductor primarily used for high-speed electronics, optoelectronics, and photonics, and is crucial for various industries, including fiber optic communications, mobile networks, automotive lidars, and laser technologies, among others.
“We are in a strong position to achieve sequential revenue growth in Q1, driven primarily by growth in indium phosphide for the AI infrastructure build-out,” AXT Inc. (NASDAQ:AXTI) CEO Morris Young said.
“We are also on track to double our indium phosphide manufacturing capacity this year and have a strong balance sheet to support our continued business expansion,” he noted.
Last year, AXT Inc. (NASDAQ:AXTI) widened its attributable net loss by 83 percent to $21.26 million from $11.6 million in 2024. Revenues also declined by 11 percent to $88 million from $99 million year-on-year.
In the fourth quarter alone, attributable net loss narrowed by 31 percent to $3.5 million from $5.09 million, while revenues dropped by 8 percent to $23 million from $25 million.
6. Sasol Ltd. (NYSE:SSL)
Sasol surged to a two-year high on Tuesday, as investors loaded portfolios in its stock amid the intensifying trade tensions in the Middle East.
In intra-day trading, the stock climbed to a record high of $13.68 before trimming gains to finish the session just up by 8.97 percent at $13.60 apiece, with the rally primarily driven by uncertainties in the Middle East, as the US issued fresh tirades against Iran, saying that “a whole civilization could die” if Iran fails to strike a deal on the Strait of Hormuz by 8 PM ET.
The rally on Sasol Ltd. (NYSE:SSL), on the other hand, was boosted by optimism for a continued oil price surge, while markets stayed on the sidelines ahead of developments between the two countries.
Last month, investment firm JPMorgan turned bullish for Sasol Ltd. (NYSE:SSL), upgrading its price target by 122 percent and upgrading its rating to “overweight” from “underweight” previously, on expectations that the latter would benefit from higher oil prices and supply disruptions.
Additionally, JPMorgan expects benchmark crude oil prices to jump to $120 per barrel and further to $250 if the Strait of Hormuz—a critical waterway where 20 percent of the global oil supply passes through—closes for six months.
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