10 Companies Jump on Better Earnings, Outlook

The stock market extended its winning streak on Wednesday, closing firmer as investors seemed to have already priced in the news of tit-for-tat tariffs and uncertainties surrounding the Artificial Intelligence industry.

The Dow Jones gained another 0.71 percent, the S&P 500 grew 0.39 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq increased by 0.19 percent.

Ten companies traded in line with the broader market sentiment, mostly on the back of record achievements in their latest earnings performance and optimistic outlook guidance.

To come up with Wednesday’s top gainers, we considered only the stocks with at least $2 billion in market capitalization and $5 million in daily trading volume.

A stock market graph. Photo by energepic.com on Pexels

10. GSK plc (NYSE:GSK)

British pharmaceutical giant GSK saw its share prices on Wednesday rise by 8.21 percent to finish at $37.70 apiece as investor optimism was fueled by a more positive outlook for 2025 despite last year’s disappointing earnings performance.

In a statement, GSK said it expects a 2025 turnover growth between 3 to 5 percent, a core operating profit increase of 6 to 8 percent, and core EPS growth between 6 to 8 percent, including the benefit from a planned share buyback program.

It also raised its 2031 sales outlook to more than £40 billion ($50 billion) from the £38 billion ($47.5 billion) previously, reflecting late-stage pipeline progress.

Last year, GSK reported nearly halving its net profit after settling hefty US lawsuits over its Zantac heartburn drug. Net income after tax dropped to £2.6 billion ($3.3 billion) as compared with a net profit of £4.9 billion ($6.13 billion) in 2023.

9. Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS)

Celestica Inc. rose for a second day on Wednesday, adding 8.84 percent to close at $143.67 apiece after earning an upgraded rating from an investment research firm.

On Wednesday, RBC Capital Markets boosted its price target for Celestica to $160 from $140 previously while reiterating an “outperform” rating on the back of the company’s continued momentum in launching new programs and its distinctive products for hyperscaler clients. Such factors, coupled with its ability to surpass consensus estimates, justified a higher valuation for its stock price.

Last week, Celestica announced a 19-percent jump in its revenues for the fourth quarter of 2024 at $2.55 billion versus the $2.14 billion registered in the same period in 2023.

For this year, Celestica posted confidence that it would achieve improved business and earnings performance, as it raised its full-year outlook as a reflection of the strengthening demand in its Connectivity and Clouds Solutions (CCS) segment.