These 10 Stocks Just Lost Their Spark

Ten stocks finished the trading session in a lackluster note amid a series of negative news, including bearish ratings and dismal earnings performance for the second quarter of the year.

In contrast, the broader market finished in the green, with the Nasdaq up by 0.75 percent, followed by the S&P 500 with a 0.54 percent gain, and the Dow Jones, at 0.52 percent.

In this list, we highlight the top 10 worst-performing companies on Thursday and explore the reasons behind their drop.

The stocks were chosen based on two criteria: at least $2 billion in market capitalization and over 5 million shares in trading volume.

10. Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN)

Shares of Sunrun dropped by 3.68 percent on Thursday to close at $9.96 apiece as investors unloaded portfolios amid the lack of catalysts to support a rally.

Thursday’s session marked the company’s second consecutive day of decline, suggesting that investors have already priced in optimistic comments from analysts recently.

Earlier this week, Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN) earned an “overweight” rating and a higher price target of $16 from JPMorgan. The figure represented a 23-percent improvement from its $13 price target previously.

According to JPMorgan, the revision was based on its confidence about the solar firm’s leadership position in the underpenetrated residential energy services market, which it expects to grow by double digits.

It also underscored the company’s strong revenue visibility from long-term customer contracts, alongside the potential for market share gains due to favorable Investment Tax Credit (ITC) rules.

Meanwhile, investment firm Mizuho also posted a bullish sentiment on shares of Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:RUN), raising its price target to $21 from $13 previously, while maintaining an “outperform” rating.

9. Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC)

Centene Corporation saw its share prices touch a new all-time low on Thursday as investors turned even more cautious following one of its counterparts’ disappointing earnings performance tied to its Medicaid and Affordable Care Act (ACA) services.

At intra-day trading, Centene Corporation (CNC) dropped to its lowest 52-week price of $28.92 before slight buying persisted toward the end to push its share prices to $29.14.

Investors appeared to have unloaded positions ahead of the company’s second-quarter earnings results, after its counterpart, Elevance Health, reported a 24.2-percent drop in net income during the second quarter of the year.

Additionally, Elevance Health updated its outlook to reflect elevated medical cost trends under the ACA and slower rate alignment in Medicaid.

Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) likewise offers Medicaid and ACA services. Earlier this month, the company withdrew its 2025 earnings forecast due to an expected slump in its revenues from commercial plans under the ACA or Obamacare.

8. Interpublic Group of Companies Inc. (NYSE:IPG)

Interpublic saw its share prices drop by 4.25 percent on Thursday to end at $24.13 apiece following the Australian competition watchdog’s approval of its pending merger with Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC).

In a statement, Interpublic Group of Companies Inc. (NYSE:IPG) said that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has officially granted clearance for Omnicom’s pending acquisition of Interpublic Group of Companies Inc. (NYSE:IPG).

The ACCC approval brings the total number of antitrust approvals to 14 out of the 18 required for closing. The companies remain firmly on track to complete the transaction in the second half of 2025.

“The proposed merger of Omnicom and Interpublic will reimagine the marketing industry, ushering in a bold new era of growth for its people, delivering superior outcomes for clients, and generating significant long-term value for shareholders,” it said.

Additionally, investors repositioned portfolios ahead of the release of its second quarter earnings performance on Tuesday, July 22. The company said it will hold an earnings call at 8:30 AM on the same day.

7. Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC)

Omnicom Group dropped its share prices by 4.31 percent on Thursday to end at $70.86 apiece as investors unloaded portfolios following dismal earnings performance in the second quarter of the year.

In its financial statement, Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC) said net income during the period declined by 21.5 percent to $257.6 million from $328.1 million in the same period last year. Revenues, on the other hand, inched up by 4.2 percent to $4.015 billion from $3.853 billion year-on-year.

On the same day, Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC) and Interpublic Group of Companies Inc. (NYSE:IPG) announced securing the green light of Australia’s anti-competition watchdog for their planned merger.

In a statement on Thursday, Interpublic Group of Companies Inc. (NYSE:IPG) announced that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has officially granted clearance for Omnicom Group Inc.’s (NYSE:OMC) to acquire IPG.

The approval brings the total number of antitrust approvals to 14 out of the 18 required for closing. The companies said they remain on track to complete the transaction in the second half of 2025.

6. Starwood Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:STWD)

Starwood Property declined by 5.47 percent on Thursday to end at $19.71 apiece as investors shunned news that it was acquiring a net-lease firm for $2.2 billion.

In a statement, Starwood Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:STWD) said it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Fundamental Income Properties, LLC from Brookfield Asset Management.

Fundamental Income operates a vertically integrated net lease real estate investment business, with 467 properties across its portfolio spanning 12 million square feet across 44 states, 56 industries, and 92 tenants.

“When we went public in 2009, we said we would create a diversified company around the areas of expertise of our Manager, Starwood Capital. With the addition of another business cylinder, we are expanding into another proven, scalable segment with strong synergies with our platform. Our core commercial real estate lending business is now approximately half of our asset base as we have strategically expanded into complementary lending and investing verticals,” said Barry Sternlicht, Chairman and CEO of Starwood Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:STWD).

Following the acquisition, the company announced the distribution of dividends worth $0.48 per share for shareholders as of September 30 record date. The dividends will be payable on October 15, 2025.

5. CoreWeave, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWV)

CoreWeave dropped by 7.57 percent on Thursday to close at $132.21 apiece as investors disposed of shares following an investment firm’s pessimistic outlook for the company.

In a market note, CoreWeave, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWV) earned a “reduce” rating and a meager $32 price target from HSBC Global Research, marking a 76-percent downside from its latest closing price.

According to HSBC, the rating revision was based on CoreWeave, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:CRWV) overreliance on Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA).

However, it noted that such clients have not adopted CoreWeave, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:CRWV) software services, weakening the company’s competitiveness and customer stickiness.

“Selling more value-added services driven by the software stack, as is done by general-purpose clouds, may be key to achieving stronger returns,” the market note said.

”But CoreWeave would first need to successfully shift to a general-purpose cloud offering and diversify away from Microsoft and Open AI (which together accounted for more than 72% of its revenue and most of its backlog in 1Q25) towards customers that require CoreWeave’s full software stack.”

4. Hesai Group (NASDAQ:HSAI)

Hesai Group fell for a second day on Thursday, dropping 8.23 percent to close at $20.06 apiece as investors remained cautious about a ruling upholding a US government decision to add it to a list of companies allegedly working with China’s military.

On Friday, US District Judge Paul Friedman in Washington ruled that the Department of Defense’s findings that Hesai Group (NASDAQ:HSAI) contributes to China’s defense industrial base, posing national security concerns around Chinese lidar makers and Hesai’s cooperation with Chinese agencies.

Hesai Group (NASDAQ:HSAI) strongly denied allegations, saying that it was disappointed about the ruling.

“We are deeply disappointed by the court’s ruling and respectfully disagree with its decision. We believe the DoD’s designation lacks both factual and legal bases. Critically, the court acknowledged that the DoD found no evidence that Hesai’s products have been used for military purposes, nor any evidence of a direct or indirect connection between Hesai and the Chinese military, fundamental facts Hesai has maintained all along,” Hesai Group (NASDAQ:HSAI) said in a statement.

It said it appealed the decision to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

3. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT)

Abbott Laboratories declined by 8.52 percent on Thursday to end at $120.51 apiece as investors were disheartened by the lowering of its full-year guidance.

For the full year, Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) now projects organic sales growth, excluding COVID-19 testing-related sales, to grow between 7.5 to 8 percent, or 6 to 7 percent when including COVID-19 testing-related sales.

Adjusted diluted earnings per share were pegged at $5.1 to $5.2 for the full year, while adjusted diluted EPS were expected to settle at $1.28 to $1.32 for the third quarter of the year.

In an interview on CNBC, Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) CEO Robert Ford deemed the drop an “overreaction.”

“I think this is a little bit of an overreaction. Of course, we are all over this,” Ford said. “We’re focused on this, but the fundamentals of the entire rest of the company are pretty much intact, and this is just really a point in time that we have to get through.”

In the second quarter of the year, Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) grew its net income by 36.7 percent to $1.779 billion from $1.3 billion in the same period last year. Net sales increased by 7.4 percent to $11.142 billion from $10.377 billion year-on-year.

2. Oscar Health, Inc. (NYSE:OSCR)

Oscar Health fell by 9.64 percent on Thursday to close at $13.87 apiece as investor sentiment was dampened by analysts’ pessimistic views about the insurance industry.

In a market note recently, investment firm UBS recommended investors to sell their shares in Oscar Health, Inc. (NYSE:OSCR), a revision from the “neutral” stance previously amid the growing instability of the Affordable Care Act.

The brokerage firm also lowered its price target for the stock to $11 from $15 previously, marking a 20.7 percent downside from its latest closing price.

According to UBS, it now expects enrollments to its programs to drop by 30 percent next year, worse than its previous estimate of 18 percent.

Further dampening sentiment, insurance counterpart Elevance Health reported a 24.2-percent drop in net income during the second quarter of the year, while another insurance firm, Centene Corp., withdrew its 2025 earnings forecast earlier this month due to an expected slump in its revenues from commercial plans under the ACA or Obamacare.

1. Elevance Health, Inc. (NYSE:ELV)

Elevance Health dropped its share prices by 12.22 percent on Thursday to close at $302.45 apiece following dismal earnings performance in the second quarter of the year.

In its earnings release, Elevance Health, Inc. (NYSE:ELV) said net income during the period dropped by 24.2 percent to $1.744 billion from $2.301 billion in the same period last year, pushing its six-month net earnings lower by 13.7 percent to $3.928 billion from $4.55 billion year-on-year.

Revenues for the second quarter, however, increased by 13.4 percent to $49.776 billion from $43.886 billion year-on-year, while revenues for the first half of the year grew by 14.1 percent to $98.667 billion from $86.463 billion year-on-year.

Looking ahead, Elevance Health, Inc. (NYSE:ELV) also lowered its guidance amid elevated medical cost trends in Obamacare and slower rate alignment in Medicaid.

Given the industry-wide impact of elevated cost trends, the company said it now expects 2025 GAAP net income per diluted share to be approximately $24.10 and adjusted net income per diluted share to be approximately $30.

While we acknowledge the potential of ELV 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 ELV and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.

Disclosure: None. Insider Monkey focuses on uncovering the best investment ideas of hedge funds and insiders. Please subscribe to our free daily e-newsletter to get the latest investment ideas from hedge funds’ investor letters by entering your email below.