Ten companies stood firmer on Thursday, bucking a mixed market sentiment, as investors loaded portfolios amid a flurry of macroeconomic catalysts including AI optimism, energy demand growth, and bullish analyst coverage, among others. Of the top-performing stocks, three notably notched new record highs.
Meanwhile, only the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 finished in the green, albeit the latter inched up by only 0.01 percent. The former, on the other hand, jumped 0.55 percent.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq was the sole loser, clocking a 0.44 percent loss.
Indices aside, we spotlight the 10 top performers on Thursday and detail 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.
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels
10. APA Corporation (NASDAQ:APA)
APA Corporation (NASDAQ:APA) grew its share prices by 8.47 percent on Thursday to close at $25.37 apiece as investors took heart from an investment firm’s bullish outlook for the overall liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry amid the rapidly growing demand for power.
In a market report, Zacks Research said that investors seeking higher exposure in the energy industry should consider four companies in their portfolio, namely APA Corporation (NASDAQ:APA), Coterra Energy, Antero Resources, and W&T Offshore amid their leadership in the sector, saying that the industry is already entering a phase where demand growth is no longer speculative but tied to real, large-scale infrastructure.
“At the same time, gas-fired power generation is seeing a renewed push, driven by rising electricity needs from data centers, electrification, and industrial load growth. These demand sources are long-cycle in nature and require reliable baseload energy, positioning natural gas as a preferred fuel,” Zacks said.
Meanwhile, the research firm said that APA Corporation’s (NASDAQ:APA) asset base in the US, Egypt, and the North Sea, supported by an ongoing exploration in Suriname, offers multiple growth levers.
“Egypt’s natural gas acreage carries meaningful upside under improved pricing, while Suriname provides long-term exploration potential through a capital-light joint venture. Cost-saving initiatives and disciplined spending further support flexibility across cycles,” it said.
Zacks also highlighted APA Corporation’s (NASDAQ:APA) beating of the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the last four quarters, reflecting strong growth.
9. GDS Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:GDS)
GDS Holdings extended its winning streak for a third day on Thursday, jumping 8.61 percent to close at $41.75 apiece as investors took path from its subsidiary’s successful raising of $2 billion in fresh funds to finance its planned global expansion.
In a regulatory filing earlier this week, GDS Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:GDS) said that DayOne Data Centers Ltd. successfully entered into definitive agreements with US-based technology-focused investment firm Coatue, the Indonesia Investment Authority, as well as other institutional investors based in the US, Europe, and Asia for the sale of its Series C shares, aligning closely with its focus to expand in the European and Asia Pacific regions.
“The Series C financing will enable DayOne to accelerate the next phase of its global expansion. In Europe, the proceeds are expected to advance the development of DayOne’s Finland platform, centered on major hyperscale campuses in Lahti and Kouvola, which form the foundation of DayOne’s broader European strategy,” GDS Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:GDS) said.
“In Asia-Pacific, the capital will be deployed to support the continued scale-out of DayOne’s footprint across the SIJORI (Singapore–Johor–Riau Islands) region—comprising Singapore, Johor and Batam—as well as markets in Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong, enhancing DayOne’s ability to deliver high-density, AI-ready capacity with speed and sustainability,” it added.
The initiative followed the first two fundraising programs in 2024 covering Series A and B shares for a total of $1.9 billion.
It also earned the backing of Brookfield Asset Management and an unnamed sovereign investor for another 1 billion euros of debt facility.
8. Caesars Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ:CZR)
Caesars Entertainment ended two days of losses on Thursday, jumping 9 percent to finish at $25.07 after earning a price target and rating upgrade from an investment firm.
In a market report, Susquehanna turned bullish for Caesars Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ:CZR), issuing the latter a “positive” rating versus “neutral” previously, while raising its price target by 24 percent to $31 from $25.
The revision reflected its optimism for Caesars Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ:CZR) to clock higher earnings in the near future, backed by strong regional operations which account for 40 percent of its value, with the improvement expected to come from normalized promotional spending and other tailwinds such as tax refunds, among others.
Additionally, Susquehanna expects the entertainment firm’s Las Vegas operations to post a sequential improvement amid key factors including a higher group and convention mix which typically benefits the company in the fourth and first quarters of every year.
While Caesars Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ:CZR) continues to face strategic gaps as compared with premium offerings from its competitors, Susquehanna said that the company, being a largely low-cost operator with high financial leverage, could drive its share prices higher, assuming the expected inflection materializes.
7. Venture Global Inc. (NYSE:VG)
Venture Global grew its share prices by 10.26 percent on Thursday to close at $7.52 apiece as investors positioned portfolios ahead of an expected energy demand growth in the latter part of the month.
According to a report by Reuters, US LNG exports are on track to hit their monthly record high in January amid colder temperature forecasts in the next few weeks that fueled expectations of higher demand.
Optimism quickly spilled over to liquefied natural gas (LNG) producers such as Venture Global Inc. (NYSE:VG), NextDecade, and ExxonMobil, among others.
Additionally, traders see the winter season as a “seasonally strong” period for the overall energy sector, as households and businesses typically ramp up their consumption to power their heating needs.
Venture Global Inc. (NYSE:VG) is one of the leading producers and exporters of LNG products in the US, with over 100 million tons per annum of capacity in production, construction, and development. It is set to mark its first anniversary as a publicly listed company on the New York Stock Exchange on January 24, 2026.
From its initial public offering price of $25, Venture Global Inc.’s (NYSE:VG) latest closing price reflects a steep 70 percent drop.
6. VNET Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:VNET)
VNET Group rallied for a second day on Thursday, jumping 10.85 percent to close at $10.32 as investors gobbled up shares in Chinese AI companies, supported by an investment firm’s continued bullish outlook for the industry.
VNET Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:VNET) rallied alongside its US-listed Chinese counterparts namely Alibaba Group, GDS Holdings, PDD Holdings Inc., and JD.com, among others, after Goldman Sachs said that it believes 2026 would be another year of growth for Chinese stock benchmarks, with earnings supported by AI growth and policy measures.
“Our expected equity gains in 2026 are almost entirely earnings-driven,” the investment firm said, noting that profit growth will be supported by AI, “Going Global,” and anti-involution policy.
The MSCI China Index alone is forecast to jump by 20 percent to 100 by the end of the year, while the CSI 300 index is expected to grow by 12 percent.
Meanwhile, VNET Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:VNET) is one of the leading data center providers in China, with a plan to develop 10 GW of green computing capacity in both China and the overseas markets over the next few years.
In June last year, VNET Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:VNET) unveiled its so-called Hyperscale 2.0 initiative, which would focus on AI data center innovation.
Among its prospective regions are Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Beijing, and the Yangzi River Region, and it will feature MW-level racks, 100MW single facilities, and GW-scale campuses.
5. Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE)
Bloom Energy rallied for a second day on Thursday, jumping 12.81 percent to close at $121.84 apiece after securing another $2.65 billion worth of fuel cell supply deal with one of the largest power generators in the US.
In a regulatory filing, American Electric Power (AEP) said that its unregulated subsidiary successfully inked a purchase agreement with Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE) for another 900 MW of solid oxide fuel cells to support its power plant operations.
The development forms part of a deal signed in November 2024, covering 1 GW of supply, with an initial delivery of 100 MW.
The extended contract would support AEP’s recently signed 20-year power purchase agreement with a high investment grade third party customer which committed to purchase 100 percent of the electricity produced by a planned fuel cell generation facility in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Despite the developments, Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE) maintained a “neutral” rating from investment firm Mizuho, alongside a $108 price target for its stock. The figure marked an 11.3 percent discount from its latest closing price.
According to Mizuho, its reaffirmed rating reflects its stance on Bloom Energy Corporation’s (NYSE:BE) average selling price of $2,950 per kilowatt to AEP, which is 4.8 percent lower than its estimate of $3,100 for years 2026 to 2028.
4. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS)
Kratos Defense on Thursday clawed back to the $100 level, a three-month high, as investors gobbled up shares following President Donald Trump’s announcement that the US government would ramp up its defense spending to $1.5 trillion.
At intra-day trading, the stock jumped to $109.80 before trimming gains to finish the session just up by 13.78 percent at $104.04 apiece, also just 7 percent shy of its 52-week high. The last time it touched the $100 territory was on October 8, 2025 when it ended at $105.67.
“For the good of our country … our military budget for the year 2027 should not be $1 trillion, rather $1.5 trillion … This will allow us to build the ‘Dream Military’ that we have long been entitled to, and, more importantly, that will keep us SAFE and SECURE,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
He said that revenues from tariffs should cover the increased spending, alongside other government priorities.
The announcement sparked rosy prospects for Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) on strong optimism that the higher spending would bolster profit margins.
Meanwhile, the listed firm expressed its support to the government’s policies prioritizing reinvestment in national defense capabilities.
“At Kratos, every dollar we earn is viewed through the lens of readiness and capability,” said Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) President and CEO Eric DeMarco.
“Since our inception as a defense company, we have aggressively self-funded development to be first-to-market with relevant systems that can be affordably produced in large quantities to deter and, if necessary, defeat our adversaries, and we have reinvested in people, facilities, inventory, and real technologies that can be delivered at speed and scale to support today’s and tomorrow’s warfighter.”
3. PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF)
PBF Energy saw its share prices jump by 13.85 percent on Thursday to finish at $32.15 apiece after an investment firm turned bullish for the company, backed by optimism that it would benefit from the US government’s seizure of up to 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil from Venezuela.
In a market report, Piper Sandler upgraded PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF) to “overweight” from “underweight” previously, but lowered its price target to $40 from $42. Still, the revised figure marked a 24 percent upside potential from its latest closing price.
According to Piper Sandler, PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF) stands to benefit from the broader crude oil environment, and is very well positioned from increased imports from Venezuela amid its huge exposure in the West Coast.
It can be recalled that the US said it would seize up to 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil from Venezuela following the arrest of ousted president Nicolas Maduro and his wife for narco-trafficking charges.
In the broader front, Piper Sandler also posted an optimistic outlook for the overall refining market, believing the year 2026 to be better than last year on expectations of tighter supply and demand and other crude-related tailwinds.
For 2026, PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF) is targeting a throughput production between 885,000 and 945,000 barrels per day across its operations in the East Coast, West Coast, Mid-Continent, and Gulf Coast.
2. Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS)
Ondas Holdings soared to a new all-time high on Thursday, as investors loaded portfolios in anticipation of positive announcements from a series of events next week.
At intra-day trading, the stock climbed to an all-time high of $15.07 before trimming gains to finish the session just up by 15.02 percent at $14.01 apiece.
In an update on Thursday, Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS) said that its CEO, Eric Brock, would participate in a fireside chat on Wednesday, January 14, and host one-on-one meetings with institutional investors at the 28th Annual Needham Growth Conference on the same day.
It would also hold an Investor Day next Friday, January 16, to detail how Ondas Autonomous Systems (OAS) performed and evolved last year, as well as its strategic priorities and outlook for 2026.
Last week, Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS) announced plans to change its corporate name to Ondas Inc. to reflect its evolution into a fully integrated global operating platform. The rebrand is expected to take effect within the first quarter of the year.
“While Ondas Holdings reflected an earlier phase of our development, today, we operate as a scaled, global defense and security technology platform serving both government and commercial customers, with integrated products, services, manufacturing, and operations,” Brock said.
”Renaming the Company to Ondas Inc. will better align our corporate identity with the operating platform we have built and the global, dual-use markets we serve,” he added.
1. Neogen Corporation (NASDAQ:NEOG)
Neogen climbed to a 10-month high on Thursday, as investors cheered its strong earnings performance in the recently concluded quarter, alongside a higher revenue guidance for the fiscal year 2026.
At intra-day trading, the stock jumped to as high as $10.24—a level it last touched in March 2025—before paring gains to finish the day just up by 31.57 percent at $9.71 apiece.
This followed the release of its second quarter earnings performance for fiscal year 2026, where it narrowed its net loss by 96 percent to $15.9 million from $456.28 million in the same period last year. This pushed the company to swing to a net income of $20.4 million in the six-month period from a $468.9 million net loss in the first half of the year prior.
Meanwhile, revenues in the second quarter dipped by 2.8 percent to $224.69 million from $231.26 million in the same comparable period.
Revenues in the six-month period also decreased by 3.2 percent to $433.88 million from $448.22 million year-on-year.
Following the results, Neogen Corporation (NASDAQ:NEOG) raised its full-year 2026 revenue outlook to a range of $845 million to $855 million, from $820 million to $840 million previously.
Adjusted EBITDA is also now projected to hit $175 million, or the high end of its previous guidance.
“I am exceptionally proud of the Neogen team as we have initiated the first phase of our strategic transformation with early work focused on stabilizing and strengthening our core business. While it is early in the process, and our industry is currently seeing macro headwinds, our team drove significant sequential improvement in core revenue growth and profitability in the second quarter,” said Neogen Corporation (NASDAQ:NEOG) President and CEO Mike Nassif.
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