Ten stocks boasted a strong performance amid a lackluster market on Tuesday, with four soaring to new all-time highs, as investors placed bets after a series of industry-specific developments.
Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell by 0.95 percent, while the S&P 500 declined by 0.55 percent. The Dow Jones was down by 0.19 percent.
In this article, we focus on the 10 top performers on Tuesday and explore the reasons behind their gains.
To come up with the list, we focused exclusively on stocks with a $2 billion market capitalization and 5 million shares in trading volume.
Stock market data on a laptop screen. Photo by Alesia Kozik on Pexels
10. D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE:QBTS)
Shares of D-Wave Quantum rallied to a new all-time high on Tuesday, as investors continued to place confidence in stocks riding the booming artificial intelligence and quantum computing industries.
In intra-day trading, D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE:QBTS) jumped to its highest 52-week price of $27.99 before trimming gains to end the session just up by 7.21 percent at $27.52 apiece, on broader optimism for the AI sector that was fueled by Nvidia Corp.’s aggressive expansion into AI.
Being the linchpin of the AI and high-performance computing industries, announcements and developments from Nvidia Corp. are highly watched by the investing community and typically influence share prices of other technology stocks.
In other developments, sentiment was further boosted by reports that the US government was setting its sights on updating its quantum computing strategy to create a broader set of actions to improve cybersecurity capabilities against future quantum-enabled hacks and ensure US dominance in the sector.
D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE:QBTS) rallied alongside its counterparts, namely Rigetti Computing Inc., IonQ Inc., and Quantum Computing Inc., among others, following the news.
9. Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL)
Shares of oil drilling firm Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) extended their winning streak to a fourth consecutive day on Tuesday, jumping 7.34 percent to close at $24.27 apiece as investors snapped up shares following the rise in oil prices.
Higher oil prices were sparked by immediate worries on supply risks, after Russia—one of the largest oil-producing countries globally—engaged in brewing tensions with members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries.
This came after Russian jets were seen hovering on Estonian airspace for more than 10 minutes earlier this week before they were confronted and ordered to retreat.
NATO issued a stern warning to Russia after an emergency meeting called by Estonia, saying that it was ready to take necessary measures as it deems fit, including the use of armed force, if a member of the treaty is attacked.
Russia, on the other hand, accused Estonia of making up accusations, saying it was pursuing a “continuation of a completely reckless pattern of escalating tensions and provoking a confrontational atmosphere.”
As of writing, prices of Brent crude were up by 1.59 percent to $67.63 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose by 0.46 percent to $63.70 per barrel.
Meanwhile, Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) rallied alongside its energy counterparts following the news.
8. StubHub Holdings Inc. (NYSE:STUB)
StubHub snapped a three-day losing streak on Tuesday, jumping 7.98 percent to close at $18.80 apiece as investors resorted to bargain-hunting following the previous days’ losses.
StubHub Holdings Inc. (NYSE:STUB) is a newly listed company that debuted on the stock market only last week. During its IPO, the company, however, immediately declined as investors hungered for higher growth stocks such as those in the technology and AI sectors.
The company was able to raise $800 million from the issuance of 34 million shares to the public. It said it planned to use the proceeds from the offer to pay down debt, while the balance will be allocated for general corporate purposes.
Founded in 2000, StubHub Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:STUB) is a marketplace where people can buy and sell tickets online for live events.
7. Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL)
Planet Labs saw its share prices soar to a new all-time high on Tuesday, as investor sentiment was boosted by the commercial availability of data products that aim to support analyses of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere.
In intra-day trading, Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL) rose to its highest 52-week price of $12.13 before paring gains to end the day just up by 8.46 percent at $12.05 apiece.
In a statement, the company said core imagery products from its Tanager-1 satellite, such as radiance and surface reflectance data, as well as Methane Quicklook developed along with Carbon Mapper, are now commercially available.
Tanager-1 has provided data used by Carbon Mapper to detect and quantify thousands of methane and 5,500 plumes across nearly 3,200 sources. This is in addition to its collection of over 69,000 data points, consisting of over 31 million square kilometers globally.
According to Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL), its data products can support a wide array of applications, including mineral mapping, biodiversity and ecosystem health, agricultural management, urban area mapping, disasters, and wildfire risk and response.
6. Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS)
Shares of Ondas Holding surged to a new all-time high on Tuesday, as investors welcomed the addition of retired US Army Brigadier General Patrick Huston to the advisory board.
In intra-day trading, Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS) surged to its highest 52-week price of $8.12 before paring gains to finish the session just up by 8.54 percent at $7.88 apiece.
Investors welcomed positively the addition of Huston to the advisory board, given his background that matches well with the strategic needs of Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS) in its autonomous and defense ambitions.
According to the company, Huston’s combat leadership, legal expertise, and deep involvement in AI and emerging technologies bring an invaluable perspective to the organization as it scales delivery of its autonomous intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and counter-UAS drone infrastructure, and advanced ground robotics platforms to global defense and security markets.
He will also support Ondas Holdings Inc.’s (NASDAQ:ONDS) acquisition and investment strategy both in the United States and in international markets.
“His perspective will be instrumental in guiding our growth as we deliver advanced autonomous systems to defense and security customers globally,” the firm said.
5. TMC the metals company Inc. (NASDAQ:TMC)
TMC saw its share prices jump by 9.53 percent on Tuesday to finish at $6.32 apiece on what appears to be an early quarterly window-dressing.
The practice is common among institutional investors, namely hedge funds, portfolio managers, and mutual funds, 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.
TMC the metals company Inc. (NASDAQ:TMC) has been a clear favorite, having attracted strong investor interest over the past year with a whopping 501.90 percent gain, and a 426.67 percent increase year-to-date.
In the past 30 days, the company has already jumped by as much as 24.90 percent.
Strong optimism for the TMC the metals company Inc. (NASDAQ:TMC) continues to be boosted by its participation in deep-sea mining despite lingering concerns, after the sector received the backing of President Donald Trump.
Earlier this year, Trump issued a new executive order to boost deep-sea mining in a bid to develop US mineral resources.
4. Cmb.Tech NV (NYSE:CMBT)
Cmb.Tech saw its share prices grow by 10.03 percent on Tuesday to close at $10.20 as investor sentiment was boosted by its inclusion in the S&P Global BMI Index.
Companies being added to benchmark indices typically rally upon inclusion as funds tracking the indices would need to buy their shares to match the index composition, thus pushing share prices higher.
The S&P Global BMI Index is one of the flagship benchmarks that tracks global market equity performance. It includes stocks from both emerging and developed markets.
Cmb.Tech NV (NYSE:CMBT), on the other hand, is one of the largest, diversified, and future-proof maritime groups in the world with a fleet of about 250 vessels: dry bulk vessels, crude oil tankers, chemical tankers, container vessels, offshore wind vessels, and port vessels.
Cmb.Tech NV (NYSE:CMBT) also offers hydrogen and ammonia fuel to customers, through its own production or third-party producers.
3. Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI)
Shares of Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI) soared to a new all-time high on Tuesday as investors continued to load up positions in stocks riding the artificial intelligence and quantum computing wave.
In intra-day trading, Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI) soared to a fresh record of $32.40 before trimming gains to finish the session just up by 10.89 percent at $31.46 apiece.
Investor optimism was largely boosted by Nvidia Corp.’s aggressive expansion into AI.
Nvidia Corp. is highly watched by the investing community as its GPUs are behind the development of artificial intelligence. Any move by Nvidia typically influences concerned companies and sectors.
In other developments, Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI) jumped on reports that the US government was keen on updating its quantum computing strategy to create a broader set of actions to improve cybersecurity capabilities against future quantum-enabled hacks and ensure US dominance in the sector.
2. AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS)
AST SpaceMobile extended its winning streak to a 5th consecutive day on Tuesday, jumping 12.18 percent to close at $54.80 apiece as investor sentiment was boosted by reports that a Mexican billionaire was looking to boost his stake in the company for $22 billion.
On Tuesday, reports said that Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, who owns América Móvil, is infusing more cash into AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS).
Slim already owns a significant stake in the company, while his daughter sits on the board of directors.
AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) has yet to confirm or deny the reports.
If proven, Slim’s billion-dollar investment would largely support the company’s expansion plans, including its planned launches into orbit of 45 to 60 satellites by next year.
Additionally, AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) earlier said that it would deploy nationwide intermittent service in the US by the end of the year, followed by the UK, Japan, and Canada in the first quarter next year. This, alone, is expected to rake in revenues between $50 million and $75 million from government and commercial customers in the second half of the year.
1. BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BBAI)
BigBear AI extended its winning streak to a 9th straight day on Tuesday, climbing 12.85 percent to finish at $7.99 apiece as investor sentiment was bolstered by its showcasing of advanced AI and orchestration technologies in support of the US Navy.
In a statement, BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BBAI) said it has deployed advanced AI technologies for the US Naval Forces Southern Command and US 4th Fleet at the UNITAS 2025, which can improve coordination, decision-making, and threat detection in vast maritime operation zones where counter-narcotics, human trafficking, and arms smuggling are key concerns.
Taking place from September 15 to October 6, the UNITAS 2025 is attended by approximately 8,000 personnel from 26 allied and partner nations, including the US, and is one of the world’s longest-running multinational maritime exercises.
“Our participation in UNITAS 2025 underscores BigBear.ai’s commitment to equipping US and allied forces with mission-ready AI that delivers real impact where it’s needed most,” said BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BBAI) CEO Kevin McAleenan.
“In complex maritime environments, where illicit trafficking, illegal arms smuggling, and other transnational threats strain limited resources, our AI-driven insights can provide operators with enhanced situational awareness and the advantage needed to achieve mission success,” he added.
While we acknowledge the potential of BBAI 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 BBAI and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
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