Ten companies outperformed the broader market on Friday, overcoming pessimism due to geopolitical tensions, thanks to fresh company-specific developments that sparked a buying appetite.
In contrast, the Dow Jones declined by 1.79 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 1.30 percent, and the S&P 500 decreased 1.13 percent.
In this list, we name the 10 best-performing stocks of Friday and detail the reasons behind their gains.
To compile the list, we considered only stocks with a market capitalization of at least $2 billion and a trading volume of over 5 million.
10. Venture Global Inc. (NYSE:VG)
Venture Global bounced back by 5.57 percent on Friday to close at $17.64 apiece as investors took path from an investment firm’s higher price target for the company.
Earlier this week, UBS gave Venture Global Inc. (NYSE:VG) a price target of $18, higher than the $14 previously, but downgraded its rating for the stock to “neutral” from “buy” prior.
The revision was based on Venture Global Inc.’s (NYSE:VG) outperformance. In the past 30 days of trading, its stock price has already jumped by 64.55 percent and similarly grown by 12.79 percent in just the last five trading days.
According to UBS, it acknowledged the positive momentum for the company, but noted that based on its recent stock price movement, it sees only a limited upside.
Venture Global Inc. (NYSE:VG) stands to become one of the companies that will benefit from President Donald Trump’s LNG export restrictions from trade partners.
9. ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (NYSE:ZIM)
ZIM Integrated snapped a four-day losing streak on Friday, jumping by 5.67 percent to close at $17.51 apiece as investor sentiment was buoyed by positive developments from the US-China trade negotiations.
ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (ZIM), one of the 20 largest shipping companies globally, stands to benefit from the trade negotiation progress on expectations that it would spur global trade activities anew.
Based on its 2024 annual report, a significant chunk of its operations originates from China, “and therefore depends on the level of imports and exports to and from China.”
Despite a challenging first quarter for ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (NYSE:ZIM), the company still achieved a 227-percent jump in its net income attributable to shareholders of $295.3 million from the $90.3 million registered in the same period last year.
Total revenues increased by 28.8 percent to $2.01 billion from the $1.56 billion registered in the same period last year, mainly driven by the increase in freight rates and carried volume.
8. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF)
CF Industries saw its share prices increase by 6.5 percent on Friday to end at $99.93 apiece as investor sentiment was boosted by the Trump administration’s proposal to raise the amount of biofuels that oil refiners must blend into the country’s fuel mix over the next two years.
Under the policy, the Trump administration was planning to raise biofuel volume blended into diesel and gasoline products. The initiative will largely benefit CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF), one of the largest ammonia producers globally, given its focus on agricultural and industrial uses through fertilizing crops and emissions control.
Last year, the company teamed up with POET, a major ethanol and biofuel producer, to test low-carbon ammonia fertilizers for corn used in ethanol production with the goal of lowering ethanol carbon intensity by up to 10 percent.
“We are creating a new system that benefits American farmers,” Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement. “We can no longer afford to continue with the same system where Americans pay for foreign competitors.”
7. RH (NYSE:RH)
RH snapped a two-day losing streak on Friday, adding 6.93 percent to close at $189.12 apiece as investors cheered its bullish outlook and impressive earnings performance during the past quarter.
In its financial statement, RH (NYSE:RH) said that it swung to a net income of $8.039 million in the first quarter ending May 2025, from a $3.625 million net loss in the same period last year. Net revenues grew by 12 percent to $813.95 million from $726.96 million year-on-year.
Given the promising results, RH (NYSE:RH) said that it was maintaining its current guidance for fiscal 2025, “assuming the existing tariffs remain unchanged.”
RH (NYSE:RH) expects revenues to grow by 10 to 13 percent for the full fiscal year of 2025, and between 8 and 10 percent for the second quarter alone.
Formerly Restoration Hardware, RH (NYSE:RH) is engaged in luxury furniture retailing. It sources a significant chunk of its products from overseas, including China and other Asian countries.
6. Frontline PLC (NYSE:FRO)
Frontline PLC extended its rally to a fourth consecutive day on Friday, jumping 7.46 percent to finish at $19.74 apiece as investors gobbled up shares in the company amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions between Israel and Iran.
Frontline PLC (NYSE:FRO), an oil tanker company, is expected to benefit from the geopolitical risks due to expectations of higher freight rates and rerouting costs.
Israel released its biggest-ever military strike on Iran on Friday, killing the latter’s military chief, head of its elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, and air force leader. The strike prompted Iran to retaliate, firing fewer than 100 missiles.
Following Israel’s strike on Iran, Western naval forces had warned commercial shipping companies of heightened risks, including around the Hormuz Strait.
In a phone interview with Bloomberg, Frontline PLC (NYSE:FRO) CEO Lars Barstand said that the company became “far more hesitant offering in.”
However, Frontline PLC (NYSE:FRO) remained business as usual, albeit exercising caution in the risky areas.
5. Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL)
Oracle Corp. rallied for a second day on Friday to hit a new all-time high, as investors continued to gobble up shares following optimistic outlooks from investment companies.
During intraday trading, Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) touched its highest price of $216.59, before a slight pullback to end the day just up by 7.69 percent at $215.22.
On Thursday, UBS raised its price target for Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) to $225 from $200 previously while maintaining a “buy” recommendation, on the back of the company’s 100-percent backlog growth to over $275 billion in fiscal year 2026, which it described as “extraordinary.”
For its part, Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target for Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) to $216 from $175 previously, while maintaining an “overweight” rating on the stock following the latter’s 70-percent growth expectations in its Infrastructure as a Service (Iaas) in fiscal year 2026, exceeding the 60-percent growth as expected by analysts.
Meanwhile, DA Davidson gave the company the most conservative price target increase of $170, albeit higher than the $140 target previously. It also reaffirmed its “neutral” rating on the stock, citing accelerated growth in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI).
4. Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE:BHC)
Bausch Health extended its winning streak to a sixth consecutive day on Friday, ending 8.53 percent higher at $5.98 apiece after one of its directors acquired $15 million worth of shares in the company.
In a regulatory filing on Thursday, Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE:BHC) said that its director, John Paulson, acquired nearly 2.79 million new shares through his company, Paulson Capital Inc., at a price of $5.05 to $5.47 apiece.
No reason was divulged regarding the transaction, but investors may have taken the acquisition as a cue to bargain-hunt on its shares.
Paulson’s acquisition followed the listed firm’s regulatory filing earlier this week that one of its direct subsidiaries and two indirect subsidiaries are planning to raise more than $3 billion in fresh funds through the issuance of a loan facility and revolving credit facility.
On Tuesday, the listed firm’s direct arm, Bausch + Lomb Corporation, launched a 600-million euro ($693 million) senior notes offering on Tuesday.
This was on top of another $3 billion being raised by two indirect subsidiaries through a term B loan facility amounting to $2.2 billion and a revolving credit facility worth $800 million.
Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE:BHC) said funds from the fundraising program will be used for the repayment of its direct subsidiary’s existing revolving credit facility, refinancing of term loans due 2027, and paying other fees and expenses, as well as general corporate purposes.
3. Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE:DAR)
Darling Ingredients grew by 9.15 percent on Friday to close at $36.01 apiece as investor sentiment was bolstered by the Trump administration’s plans to ramp up the amount of biofuels that oil refiners must blend into the country’s fuel mix.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced plans to raise total biofuel blending volumes to 24.02 billion gallons in 2026 and to 24.46 billion gallons in 2027, from 22.33 billion gallons in 2025.
Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE:DAR), a company engaged in transforming sustainable feedstocks into energy solutions, is expected to largely benefit from the plan due to strong demand for biofuel feedstocks.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the new policy also aims to discourage imports and support American farmers.
Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE:DAR) transforms sustainable feedstocks, such as animal fats, used cooking oil, and food waste, into energy solutions to support global decarbonization.
Through its 50/50 joint venture Diamond Green Diesel, it is also one of the largest renewable diesel and sustainable aviation producers, as well as a leading company in low-carbon biogas in Europe.
2. Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN)
Sunrun saw its share prices jump by 18.06 percent on Friday to close at $10 apiece, as investors resorted to bargain-hunting following two straight days of decline.
In recent news, Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN) announced the switch-on of 130,000 home batteries to support the country’s power grid this summer. This represented more than two-thirds of its total battery fleet.
In its grid service programs, Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN) said that it was capable of dispatching 650 megawatts of peak power, enough to energize 480,000 homes at critical times every day to support the expected higher demand for electricity.
“America is entering a period of insatiable, hockey-stick energy demand driven by manufacturing, data centers, and AI,” said Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN) CEO Mary Powell.
“Sunrun’s laser focus on pairing storage with solar puts us in a position to rapidly bring new generating capacity online to stabilize the grid and help lead the nation toward energy independence,” she added.
1. Circle Internet Group (NYSE:CRCL)
Circle Internet rebounded by 25.36 percent on Friday to finish at $133.56—its highest closing price to date, as investor sentiment was buoyed by the expansion of its USDC stablecoins following news that they are being adopted by retail giants Amazon and Walmart, as well as e-commerce operator Shopify.
On Thursday, Shopify began rolling out its feature that enables merchants to accept USDC stablecoins—a cryptocurrency founded by Circle Internet Group’s (NYSE:CRCL) founders Jeremy Allaire and Sean Neville—for payments and order fulfillment flows.
Circle Internet Group (NYSE:CRCL) also said that it partnered with blockchain firm Ripple to bring USDC stablecoins to the latter’s XRP Ledger blockchain.
In a statement, Circle Internet Group (NYSE:CRCL) Chief Product and Technology Officer Nikhil Chandhok said that bringing the USDC to the XRPL blockchain “unlocks new possibilities for developers to build seamless, real-world financial applications” and that USDC will “help drive utility and innovation across the XRPL ecosystem.”
On Wednesday, Circle Internet Group (NYSE:CRCL) partnered with digital identity company World for the addition of USDC and CCTP V2 (Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol) on World Chain.
“Almost two million humans on World already hold bridged USDC in their World App wallets,” World said in a statement. “[It is] now upgraded to native USDC issued directly by Circle.”
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