Ten stocks ended the first trading week of the month with double-digit gains, bucking a mixed performance on the broader market, as investor sentiment was boosted by industry-specific developments.
Meanwhile, only the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 finished in the green among all Wall Street indices, up 0.51 percent and 0.01 percent, respectively. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 0.28 percent.
In this article, we focus on the names of the best-performing companies on Friday and detail the reasons behind their strong performance.
To come up with the list, we focused exclusively on mid-cap stocks with more than $2 billion in market capitalization and 5 million shares in trading volume.
10. Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ:BTDR)
Shares of Bitdeer Technologies jumped by 10.28 percent on Friday to close at $19.42 apiece, as investor sentiment was influenced by the rally in Bitcoin prices and an overall market optimism for more rate cuts.
As of writing, the price of Bitcoin was at $122,375, marking an increase of 9 percent from a week earlier and 1.62 percent from the previous day.
Over the next few days, investors of Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ:BTDR) will expect the announcement of its September production results.
Last month, Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ:BTDR) officially launched new self-developed Bitcoin mining machines. Called the Sealminer A3 series, the series maintains a low-noise feature while significantly reducing power consumption per unit of hash rate.
“This advancement enhances the energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of the mining process, leading to lower operational costs for miners. Moreover, its increased hashrate fulfills the requirements for large-scale mining operations, offering strong support in computational capabilities,” Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ:BTDR) said.
9. QuantumScape Corporation (NYSE:QS)
QuantumScape propelled to a new 52-week high on Friday, as investors poured funds into shares of battery companies following the US government’s ongoing initiatives to prop up the lithium industry in the country.
During the session, the stock climbed to its highest price of $16.49 before trimming gains to finish the day just up by 11.33 percent at $15.92 apiece.
Earlier this week, the US government announced plans to acquire a 5 percent stake in Lithium Americas and another 5 percent in its Thacker Pass mine in Nevada, in a bid to boost the domestic supply of lithium and reduce the country’s reliance on imports.
QuantumScape Corporation (NYSE:QS)—a company heavily reliant on lithium to produce batteries for electric vehicles—is set to indirectly benefit from the investment as switching to domestic supplies could significantly lower the costs of raw materials and reduce supply chain disruptions, especially given that China,—the largest lithium producer in the world—remains locked in a trade conflict with the US.
In other news, QuantumScape Corporation (NYSE:QS) recently announced a partnership with Corning Inc. for the joint development of ceramic separator manufacturing capabilities for QS solid-state batteries. The partnership targets to ramp up production of its ceramic separators for commercial applications.
8. D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE:QBTS)
D-Wave Quantum soared to another all-time high on Friday, as investors snapped up shares following news that police operations have improved from using one of its hybrid systems, solidifying the increasing real-world significance of quantum computing technologies.
In intra-day trading, D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE:QBTS) jumped to as high as $33.28 before trimming gains to finish the day just up by 11.95 percent at $32.70 apiece.
This followed news on Thursday that its quantum computing technology helped improve the North Wales Police’s incident response capabilities by 50 percent after the latter leveraged its hybrid-quantum application to optimize the placement of police vehicles for emergency response.
D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE:QBTS) said the partnership resulted in a faster, more accurate, and efficient solution than classical methods alone.
“As police forces increasingly rely on data-driven strategies to improve response times and coverage, hybrid-quantum computing can offer the speed, precision, and intelligence needed to identify optimal officer placements and enhance public safety,” said D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE:QBTS) CEO Alan Baratz.
“Hybrid-quantum computing is beginning to show real-world potential across private and public sectors, and we’re thrilled to see the potential for it to make a meaningful impact in forward deployment with North Wales Police,” he noted.
7. Oscar Health Inc. (NYSE:OSCR)
Oscar Health extended its rally to a second day on Friday to come close to its 52-week high, as investors cheered President Donald Trump’s decision to pause the imposition of a 100 percent tariff on pharmaceutical imports.
During the session, the stock touched its highest day price of $21.71, just shy of its 52-week high of $22.78, before finishing the day up by 12.34 percent at $21.66.
Earlier this week, Trump decided to delay the levies on pharmaceutical imports as the government continues to engage in talks with giant drugmakers to lower their prescription drug prices to Americans and make them in line with other developed countries. The decision offered a significant relief to Oscar Health Inc. (NYSE:OSCR) and its insurance counterparts, as it would spare them from immediately raising their premiums and absorbing hefty drug costs as a result of the tariff.
Additionally, pharmaceutical companies’ commitments to the US government to invest in manufacturing facilities in the country would ease pricing pressures over time and help Oscar Health Inc. (NYSE:OSCR) keep its insurance plans affordable to customers.
6. Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI)
Rigetti Computing rallied to a new all-time high on Friday, as investors poured funds into quantum computing stocks amid strengthening optimism for the industry, as evidenced by million-dollar investments and positive comments from key technology leaders.
In intra-day trading, Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI) soared to its highest 52-week price of $40.63, before trimming gains to end the day just up by 13.16 percent at $40.06.
This followed announcements on Thursday that it secured $5.7-million worth of new orders for its 9-qubit Novera computing system from two unnamed companies—one from Asia, and one from California—with delivery targeted in the first half of 2026.
According to Rigetti Computing Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI), the Asian firm will leverage the system as a testbed to develop its own internal quantum computing expertise, while making it a benchmark to validate its own quantum computing technologies. Meanwhile, the California startup would utilize the product for quantum hardware and error correction research.
Rigetti Computing Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI) said the Novera quantum computing system is ideal for pursuing research to better understand key areas of quantum computing, including how qubits operate, optimizing control systems, testing design and characterizing gates, mitigating decoherence, and developing more efficient quantum algorithms.
5. Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE:ACHR)
Archer Aviation rallied to a third straight day on Friday, climbing 13.65 percent to close at $11.57 apiece as investors gobbled up shares amid a series of developments, including a new $500 million order and its looming air taxi launch in the US.
In an interview with CNBC, Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE:ACHR) CEO Adam Goldstein underscored the increasing number of countries watching air taxi developments in the US, and how the US Federal Aviation Administration is reacting to new technologies.
“At the same time, a lot of the other countries want to be involved, and they want to be leaning forward in bringing their advanced mobility to market,” he noted.
Earlier this week, Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE:ACHR) clinched a $500 million investment with Soracle Corporation—a joint venture company between Japan Airlines and Sumitomo Corp.—to bring advanced air mobility (AAM) services to Japan.
The investment covers the purchase of 100 Midnight aircraft in line with plans to offer an alternative mode of transportation in congested cities in Japan, such as Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Hokkaido, Setouchi, and Okinawa.
Additionally, Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE:ACHR) remains on track to launch its air taxi operations in the US, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi, following successful test flights in the latter last July.
4. USA Rare Earth, Inc. (NASDAQ:USAR)
USA Rare Earth soared to a new all-time high on Friday, jumping 14.31 percent to finish at $25.96 apiece as investors continued to gobble up shares following the company’s confirmation of talks with the Trump administration for a potential partnership.
In intra-day trading, USA Rare Earth, Inc. (NASDAQ:USAR) hit a new 52-week high of $28.25, but pared gains toward the close, just up by 14.31 percent at $25.96 apiece.
This followed a television interview with USA Rare Earth, Inc. (NASDAQ:USAR) Chief Executive Officer Barbara Humpton earlier this week, saying that the company was “in close communication” with the White House, and keeping it informed of its own plans.
This followed the latter’s 5-percent investment in Lithium Americas earlier this week, and another 5 percent in its flagship Thacker Pass lithium project in Nevada. In July, the government also acquired a 15 percent investment in rare earth miner, MP Materials.
“This (rare earth supply chain) is a field where it will not be a zero-sum game,” Humpton said, adding that it’s going to take a lot of players to build out the marketplace.
USA Rare Earth, Inc. (NASDAQ:USAR) is currently developing a mine site in Sierra Blanca, Texas, and a magnet production facility in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
3. Rumble Inc. (NASDAQ:RUM)
Rumble Inc. rallied for a third straight day on Friday, jumping 14.31 percent to close at $25.96 apiece after it partnered with artificial intelligence firm Perplexity to boost search discoverability for its customers.
In a statement, Rumble Inc. (NASDAQ:RUM) said the partnership covers the integration of Perplexity’s AI tools to drive more discoverability on the Rumble website, the introduction of a new subscription bundle combining its premium subscriptions, and the promotion of Perplexity’s Comet on Rumble.
Comet is an AI-powered browser that transforms how users interact with web content by providing contextual assistance and intelligent search capabilities. The browser serves as a personal AI assistant that learns with users and enables deeper engagement with online content across any website.
The integration of Perplexity’s search technology into the Rumble website will be rolled out progressively, with the subscription bundle and Comet browser promotion launching in conjunction with the enhanced search capabilities.
“We are thrilled to partner with Perplexity as we dive deeper into the AI space across our customer base,” said Rumble Inc. (NASDAQ:RUM) CEO Chris Pavlovski, adding that the combined technologies would help drive substantial improvements to the discoverability across its platform.
2. Quantum Computing Inc. (NASDAQ:QUBT)
Quantum Computing extended its winning streak to a third straight day on Friday, soaring 23.22 percent to close at $24.62 apiece, as optimism and developments in the overall sector spilled over to its stock.
The rally can be attributed to its counterparts’ newly bagged partnerships and investments, including D-Wave Quantum Computing’s partnership with the North Wales Police, which helped significantly improve police incident response by 50 percent after leveraging its hybrid quantum computer to optimize placements of police vehicles for emergency response.
According to D-Wave, this resulted in a faster, more accurate, and efficient solution than classical methods alone.
Meanwhile, Rigetti Computing secured a $5.7 million investment order from two companies, with delivery targeted in the first half of 2026.
For its part, Quantum Computing Inc. (NASDAQ:QUBT) officially launched last week the Quantum Secure Solution, a one-of-a-kind commercial high-dimensional time-energy-based quantum secure network.
Built on high-dimensional time-energy entangled quantum modes, Quantum Computing Inc. (NASDAQ:QUBT) said that the platform offers greater data density, improved scalability, and enhanced noise resilience. It said it delivers a powerful new method to secure sensitive data against current and future quantum risks.
1. Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ:PLUG)
Shares of Plug Power soared to a new all-time high on Friday, as investors took path from a higher price target and rating upgrade from HC Wainwright.
In a market note, the investment firm more than doubled its price target for Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ:PLUG) to $7 from $3 previously, while giving the stock a “buy” recommendation, on the back of higher electricity prices in the US.
According to data from the US Energy Information Administration, power prices in the residential, commercial, and industrial segments over the past year rose by 6.6 percent, 4.8 percent, and 5.1 percent, respectively.
In other news, Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ:PLUG) delivered its first 10-megawatt electrolyzer to Galp Energia, the largest energy company in Portugal. The initial delivery forms part of the 10 total deliveries, creating a full 100-MW system for Galp. The nine remaining machines are targeted to be delivered by early 2026.
Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ:PLUG) touts its partnership with Galp as its largest worldwide, with the project capable of producing up to 15,000 tons of renewable hydrogen per year and replacing 20 percent of the grey hydrogen currently used at the Sines Refinery.
While we acknowledge the potential of PLUG 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 PLUG and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
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