Ten stocks kicked off the shortened trading week with strong double-digit gains, mirroring a rally in the broader market buoyed by the US and Iran’s decision to end hostilities. Of the 10 stocks, four companies notably surged to record highs.
Meanwhile, Wall Street’s three major indices all finished in the green, led by the Nasdaq jumping 2.07 percent, followed by the S&P 500, climbing 1.18 percent, and the Dow Jones, up 0.59 percent.
Indices aside, we focus on the 10 top-performing stocks on Monday and break down the reasons behind their gains.
To come up with the list, we considered the stocks with a market capitalization of $2 billion and 5 million shares in trading volume.
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels
10. Corning Inc. (NYSE:GLW)
Corning saw its share prices jump by 15.64 percent on Monday to end at $255.63 apiece, as investors gobbled up shares ahead of a dividend payment and what appears to be an early quarterly window-dressing.
Last week, Corning Inc. (NYSE:GLW) announced that it is set to distribute $0.28 in dividends per share to all investors on record as of August 31, 2026. Payments will be made on September 29.
Dividends aside, the rally can also be attributed to a second-quarter window-dressing, a practice common among institutional investors, where they tweak portfolios before the reporting periods by loading up on well-performing stocks and trimming those that underperform to present a stronger portfolio to clients.
Month-to-date, Corning Inc. has already seen its stock price surge by 41.11 percent. Year-to-date, it was up by 191.95 percent, and by 393.3 percent in the last 52 weeks.
The overall investor optimism can be attributed to the company’s ambitious targets of hitting $20 billion in annualized sales run rate by the end of the year, marking a 15 percent compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the same period this year.
It also expects to further grow its CAGR by 19 percent beginning next year until 2030.
9. Rocket Lab Corp. (NASDAQ:RKLB)
Rocket Lab saw its share prices jump by 15.93 percent on Monday to close at $98.01 apiece, as investors gobbled up shares following news that it is expanding into satellite communications for $8 billion.
This followed announcements during the day that it officially signed a definitive agreement with Iridium Communications Inc. to acquire all its issued and outstanding shares in a combination of stock and cash.
The shares will be acquired at a price of $54 apiece, or a 24 percent premium over Iridium’s $43.52 closing price on Friday, prior to the announcement.
Rocket Lab Corp. (NASDAQ:RKLB) said that the acquisition was in line with plans to create a competitive, vertically integrated space company that designs, builds, launches, and operates its own constellations.
Upon closing, Rocket Lab Corp. will effectively gain a foothold in the space-based applications market.
“By marrying Iridium’s deep heritage, trusted infrastructure, and highly sought-after spectrum with Rocket Lab’s extensive and proven launch and manufacturing capabilities, we have the capability to unlock entirely new markets. We will go far beyond maintaining a legacy; we are going to build upon it to pioneer next-generation space applications and deliver sought-after capabilities to existing and new customers,” Rocket Lab Corp. CEO Peter Beck said.
The transaction is targeted for completion in the middle of 2027, subject to closing conditions, including approval of the shareholders.
8. Astera Labs Inc. (NASDAQ:ALAB)
Astera Labs surged to a new all-time high on Monday, thanks to an early quarterly window-dressing, while investors loaded portfolios amid improvements in the macroeconomic front.
In intra-day trading, Astera Labs Inc. (NASDAQ:ALAB) surged to its highest price of $456.76 before paring gains to finish the session up by 16.39 percent at $455.96 apiece.
Investor optimism was primarily bolstered by the easing of tensions between the US and Iran following announcements that ships can now “move freely” in the Strait of Hormuz, days after the exchange of missile strikes over the weekend.
The rally was supported by a second-quarter window-dressing—a practice common among institutional investors where they tweak their assets by loading up on well-performing stocks and trimming the underperforming ones to present a stronger portfolio to clients before every reporting period.
Thanks to the artificial intelligence boom, Astera Labs Inc. has already seen its stock price climb by 32.99 percent this month, by 174.08 percent year-to-date, and by 400.94 percent in just the past year.
Astera Labs Inc. is a semiconductor company providing rack-scale solutions to support the AI sector.
For the second quarter of the year, the company is targeting to grow its revenues by 85 to 90 percent to a range of $355 million to $365 million, from $191.9 million posted in the same period last year.
GAAP diluted earnings per share are also pegged at $0.44 to $0.46, or an implied growth of 51.7 percent to 58.6 percent from the $0.29 year-on-year.
7. Cerebras Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CBRS)
Cerebras Systems rallied for a second day on Monday, jumping 19.04 percent to close at $216.16 apiece, as investors resorted to bargain-hunting supported by its strong earnings performance in the first quarter of the year.
Cerebras Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CBRS) on Friday fell to its lowest price of $160.81 since debuting on the stock market in May, which investors took as an opportunity to hunt for bargains.
Investor optimism can be primarily attributed to its strong earnings performance in the first quarter of the year, with the company slashing its net loss by 41 percent to $14 million from $23.87 million in the same period last year.
Total revenues, on the other hand, increased by 94.4 percent to $193.4 million from $99.5 million year-on-year.
Cerebras Systems Inc. attributed the strong performance to the growing importance of the artificial intelligence sector, which further bolstered its growth outlook for the second quarter and full-year 2026.
For the second quarter alone, the company is targeting to grow its revenues by 88 percent to $194 million, while for the full-year period, revenues are projected to increase by 69 percent year-on-year to a range of $855 million to $865 million.
6. Sky Quarry Inc. (NASDAQ:SKYQ)
Sky Quarry extended its winning streak to a 4th consecutive day on Monday, surging 20.83 percent to end at $3.48 apiece, as investors resumed buying positions amid the rosy growth prospects for its Foreland Refinery in Nevada.
This followed the completion of a series of operational upgrades at the site, including major boiler system upgrades, vacuum unit condenser replacements, critical process piping replacements, tank system repairs, and restoration of the water and oil separation system, which are critical to the enhancement of its reliability, uptime, and operational readiness.
The Foreland Refinery operates as the only permitted refinery in the state of Nevada and a critical supplier of critical fuel, including precious metals mining and lithium production. It is capable of delivering 5,000 barrels of critical fuel per day.
Following the completion of the upgrades, Sky Quarry Inc. (NASDAQ:SKYQ) said that it is now positioned to capture outsized value from tightening regional fuel markets, expand operating leverage, and convert a scarce refining asset into meaningful, durable cash-flow potential for shareholders.
“As the only active refinery in Nevada, the work completed at Foreland strengthens the asset to support regional demand when market conditions require it,” Sky Quarry Inc. CEO Marcus Laun said.
“With shifting supply dynamics across California, Nevada, and Utah, including the Benicia refinery in California scheduled to come offline in April 2026, current market indicators point to high demand this summer season. We believe Foreland is well positioned to respond,” he said.
5. AST SpaceMobile Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS)
AST SpaceMobile rallied for a second day on Monday, surging 21.44 percent to close at $86.77 apiece, as investor sentiment was boosted by reports that it is partnering with the Rakuten Group for the development of a Japanese version of satellite internet service similar to Starlink.
A report by Nikkei said that Japan-based Rakuten Group is partnering with AST SpaceMobile Inc. for a possible $1 billion joint venture, under which the parties would buy and operate satellites to establish a direct-to-mobile service.
The report said that Japan’s coverage is targeted for next year.
Additionally, AST SpaceMobile Inc. rallied following confirmation that its next-generation BlueBirds 8, 9, and 10 are now fully operational in orbit, with its manufacturing pipeline now advancing all the way through BlueBird 37.
“BlueBirds 8, 9, and 10 are in orbit and operational; 11, 12, and 13 are next. Satellites in production through BlueBird 37,” the company said in a social media post.
Last week, AST SpaceMobile Inc. said that it is scheduled to launch BlueBirds 11, 12, and 13 in the first half of August in line with its efforts to expand its space-based cellular broadband network designed to provide voice, data, video, directly to standard, unmodified smartphones everywhere.
“BlueBirds 11, 12, and 13 build on the momentum of our recent constellation and represent another important milestone as we prepare for commercial service. The progression from BlueBirds 8, 9, and 10 to this next mission, together with the continued production and assembly of satellites through BlueBird 37, reflects the strength of our manufacturing capabilities and our ability to steadily expand the network while we work to connect the unconnected and under-connected around the world,” President and CEO Scott Wisniewski said.
4. Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:IRDM)
Iridium Communications soared to a nearly three-year high on Monday, as investors gobbled up shares following news that it is set to merge with Rocket Lab Corp. for $8 billion.
The two parties announced the signing of a definitive agreement on the same day, under which Rocket Lab will acquire all issued and outstanding shares of Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:IRDM) in a combination of cash and stock.
Under the terms of the agreement, Iridium Communications Inc. shareholders are set to receive $27 in cash and shares of Rocket Lab, calculated pursuant to an exchange ratio for each share of Iridium common stock outstanding at the closing, which, if combined, would equate to $54 apiece.
Complete details on the exchange ratio calculation will be in the transaction agreement, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The transaction is expected to be completed in the middle of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals, including approval of Iridium Communications Inc. stockholders, among others.
The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies.
3. FuelCell Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:FCEL)
FuelCell saw its share prices increase by 24.17 percent on Monday to close at $29.80 apiece, as investors loaded up on its shares ahead of its expansion plan in South Korea.
This followed news on the same day that FuelCell Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:FCEL) was able to raise $49 million in fresh funds from a financing package from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), proceeds of which will be used to support the development of a fuel cell energy project for Gyeonggi Green Energy (GGE) in South Korea.
FuelCell Energy Inc. is set to develop five 2.8 MW fuel cell energy blocks for GGE, boosting its capacity by an additional 14 MW.
At present, GGE boasts of 60 MW of installed capacity, making it among the largest fuel cell developers in the world.
FuelCell Energy Inc. said that the second tranche of the total amount is expected to be released in October 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.
EXIM structured the financing under its loan guarantee program and arranged with Private Export Funding Corporation (PEFCO), supporting the export of American clean energy technology to international markets. It builds upon FuelCell Energy Inc.’s prior EXIM-supported financing completed in 2024 and 2025 and reflects continued support for the company’s export of US-manufactured clean energy technology.
2. SELLAS Life Sciences Group Inc. (NASDAQ:SLS)
SELLAS Life Sciences extended its winning streak to an 8th straight session on Monday to soar to a new record high, as investors resumed buying positions after hinting at a potential takeover.
In intra-day trading, the stock rocketed to a record high of $15.67 before trimming gains to end the session just up by 24.70 percent at $15.45 apiece.
In a regulatory filing last week, Sellas Life Sciences Group Inc. (NASDAQ:SLS) announced changes to its employment and severance agreements with three of its executive members, namely President and CEO Angelos Stergiou, Chief Financial Officer John Burns, and Chief Development Officer Dragan Cicic, under which they would receive lump-sum payment benefits in case of a “change of control.”
Sellas Life Sciences Group Inc. noted that Burns and Cicic are set to receive lump-sum payments equal to 15 months of their base salary, target bonus for the year of termination, and immediate vesting of unvested shares, among others, in case they are not absorbed by new company owners.
Investors believed that the changes were in preparation for a potential takeover, as the company nears the release of the phase 3 results of its therapy candidate for acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Last month, Sellas Life Sciences Group Inc. said that it would provide updates to the late-stage study as soon as it reaches the study’s 80th patient death, a pre-determined event it deemed enough to analyze results on whether or not its Galinpepimut-S (GPS) treatment candidate made a meaningful improvement to patients versus those in the placebo group.
As of last month, the company had 78th patient deaths.
1. Ouster Inc. (NASDAQ:OUST)
Ouster saw its share prices climb to a new four-year high on Monday, as investors positioned their portfolios amid the growing importance of digital lidar solutions to AI development.
In intra-day trading, the stock jumped to a record high of $54.49 before trimming gains to end the session just up by 28.68 percent at $54.07 apiece.
In a statement, Ouster Inc. (NASDAQ:OUST) said that it joined forces with AIM for the integration of its Rev8 native color digital lidar into the AIM AI platform to further advance the perception capabilities of its next-generation automated machinery with precise 3D structural data, color point clouds, and industrial-grade imagery to safely accelerate autonomous operations in complex, unstructured environments.
For AIM, the partnership aims to result in faster edge-computing, streamlined sensor fusion, and significantly enhanced safety and object-classification capabilities in real-time, high-dust industrial workflows.
“As heavy industry, mining, and logistics rapidly transition toward autonomous operations, highly reliable, high-resolution 3D perception is paramount. We are thrilled to deepen our relationship with AIM Intelligent Machines as they scale their AI-powered fleets for heavy equipment and explore the transformative potential of our new Rev8 family,” Ouster Inc. Chief Revenue Officer Cyrille Jacquemet said.
“By embedding our native color digital lidar into their intelligent platforms, AIM can redefine what automated machines can see, interpret, and achieve safely at scale,” he noted.
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