Wall Street’s main indices traded lower week-on-week as investor sentiment continued to be dragged by the ongoing trade tensions globally.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq was down by 2.59 percent versus its level on March 21. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 declined by 1.5 percent and the Dow Jones dropped by 0.956 percent.
Ten individual stocks, on the other hand, managed to stay stronger, three of which were particularly notable as funds flocking to gold assets spilled over into their stocks.
In this article, we listed last week’s 10 top performers and detailed the reasons behind their gains.
To come up with the list, we considered only the stocks with a $2-billion market capitalization and $5 million trading volume.
Stock market charts. Photo by Kaboompics.com on Pexels
10. Rivian Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN)
Rivian shares rallied by 6.89 percent week-on-week to finish at $12.41 last Friday versus the $11.6 closing on March 21, as investor sentiment was largely fueled by optimism for its planned micromobility business expansion.
This came after RIVN announced late last week that it secured a $105 million funding for its newly spun-off business called Also Inc. which would focus on the development of its lightweight electric vehicle market.
In a statement, RIVN founder and CEO RJ Scaringe said that a range of vehicle types and form factors will be needed for the global adoption and transition to electrified transportation.
“I am extremely excited about the innovations developed by the Also team that will underpin a range of highly compelling micromobility products that will help define new categories,” he said.
Lightweight EVs aside, RIVN would continue to expand its core business with the launch of R2, a five-seater SUV designed for the adventurous market. It said it expects customer deliveries to begin in the first half of 2026.
9. Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ:DLTR)
Dollar Tree saw its share prices increase by 8.99 percent last week to finish at $72.75 apiece versus $66.75 on March 21 as investors snapped up shares in the company following the planned sale of its struggling Family Dollar subsidiary.
Late last week, DLTR announced that it was divesting Family Dollar for $1 billion, a figure that was an 88-percent discount from the $8.5 billion shelled out in 2015 to acquire the business.
DLTR said it reached an agreement with Brigade Capital Management and Macellum Capital Management to acquire the business, which it believed would best unlock value for DLTR shareholders and position the unit for future success.
“Under the experienced, dynamic leadership of Family Dollar President Jason Nordin, and with the financial support of Brigade and Macellum, Family Dollar will be well-positioned for growth as a private company. With the support of a dedicated team, Family Dollar will be able to strengthen its commitment to providing affordable and essential goods to customers so they can do more with less,” said DLTR CEO Mike Creedon.
The transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter of the year.
8. Primo Brands Corporation (NYSE:PRMB)
Shares of Primo Brands grew by 9.32 percent last week to finish at $35.3 apiece versus the $32.29 closing price on March 21, or the Friday prior, as investor optimism was largely fueled by an influencer’s content showing a specific bottled water produced by the company.
In his TikTok video, which has already gathered 104.4 million views as of this writing, influencer Ashton Hall elaborated on his morning routine, doing a flurry of activities as early as 4 AM. The video briefly showed Saratoga Water, piquing investor interest in its parent firm and producer, PRMB.
PRMB is the company that emerged following the merger of Primo Water and BlueTriton Brands. Apart from Saratoga Water, it also owns other brands, namely Ice Mountain, Pure Life, and Poland Spring.
7. Harmony Gold Mining Company Ltd. (NYSE:HMY)
Higher gold prices and an optimistic outlook propelled Harmony Gold’s share prices by 10.44 percent last week to end at $14.06 from the $12.73 registered on March 21.
As of Friday, spot prices of gold were up by 0.91 percent to a new all-time high of $3,085.12 per ounce. Friday’s increase marked its 18th record high this year as investor funds flocked to safer assets such as gold to mitigate risks from the ongoing economic uncertainties.
Meanwhile, Bank of America raised its average gold price targets for this year and the next to $3,063 per ounce this year and $3,350 per ounce in 2026.
The new figures were markedly up from its previous forecasts of $2,750 per ounce for 2025 and $2,625 per ounce for 2026.
Earlier this year, HMY announced that its net income in the first semester grew by 33 percent to R7.9 billion from R5.96 billion in the same period a year earlier, as revenues rose by 18 percent to R37.1 billion from R31.4 billion, with gold revenues contributing to total revenue growth, increasing 19 percent to R35.4 million from R29.7 million.
6. Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE:SAND)
Shares of Sandstorm jumped to a new all-time high on Friday before a slight pullback occurred toward the end of the trading session to finish the week up by 11.5 percent at $7.57 versus the $6.79 on March 21.
As a company providing upfront financing to mining firms in exchange for royalties, funds flocking to precious metals, particularly gold, piqued investor interest in SAND.
At its current valuation, analysts believe that the company can now be considered overvalued.
In contrast, SAND resumed a buyback program of up to 20 million common shares on the Canadian stock exchange as it sees its shares undervalued. The total figure represents 7 percent of the firm’s issued and outstanding common shares.
Also last week, SAND announced a dividend payout of C$0.02 per common share to shareholders of record as of April 14, 2025, to be paid on April 25, 2025.
5. New Gold Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:NGD)
New Gold saw its share prices increase by 11.8 percent week-on-week to finish at $3.6 apiece versus the $3.22 registered on March 21 as investor sentiment was buoyed by gold spot prices’ new all-time highs.
As of Friday, spot prices of gold were already up by 0.91 percent to a new all-time high of $3,085.12 per ounce. Friday’s increase marked its 18th record high this year as investors’ funds flocked to safer assets such as gold to mitigate risks from the US trade war with other economies.
Further adding to the sentiment was Bank of America’s raising of its average gold price targets for this year and the next to $3,063 per ounce this year and $3,350 per ounce in 2026.
The new figures were markedly up from its previous forecasts of $2,750 per ounce for 2025 and $2,625 per ounce for 2026.
NGD is an intermediate gold mining company with a portfolio of two core-producing assets in Canada, namely the Rainy River Mine in Ontario and the New Afton Mine in British Columbia.
4. WR Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB)
WR Berkley rallied by 12.7 percent week-on-week to hit a new all-time high, finishing Friday’s trading at $71.27 versus the $63.24 registered on March 21, following news that Japan-based Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance was planning to acquire a significant stake in the company.
Having hovered around the $60 level during the first four trading days of the week, shares of WRB shot up on Friday after Mitsui announced that it would acquire a 15-percent stake in the company through open market purchase or private third-party transactions.
Despite the acquisition, the Berkley family clarified that it would not sell any of its common shares ownership in the company and that Mitsui would not purchase any more shares directly from the firm.
WRB is a commercial lines property and casualty insurance holding firm based in Greenwich, Connecticut.
3. ImmunityBio Inc. (NASDAQ:IBRX)
Despite a 6.55 percent drop in Friday’s trading, ImmunityBio managed to finish stronger week-on-week, adding 15.9 percent to its valuation at $3.14 versus the $2.71 registered on March 21.
Trading in the company was particularly influenced by its upcoming Investor Day, slated for April 15, 2025, where it is expected to announce in-depth updates about its business operations and recent research and development advancements.
According to the company, key timelines for catalysts of product candidates will be presented, along with a discussion of ongoing clinical trials.
“ImmunityBio commenced 2025 with notable scientific and business milestones. With a promising future ahead, we are eager to engage with our investors and share the reasons we’re optimistic and excited about the company’s growth trajectory,” said IBRX President and CEO Richard Adcock.
2. The AZEK Company Inc. (NYSE:AZEK)
The AZEK Company surged by 19.95 percent week-on-week to finish Friday’s trading at $49.65 versus $41.39 on March 21 following news that Australia-based building products firm James Hardie offered to buy the firm for $8.75 billion.
Under the agreement, AZEK shareholders will receive $26.45 in cash payments and 1.034 ordinary shares of James Hardie for each AZEK stock that they own. The transaction would allow James Hardie to gain a listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
This would result in the Australian firm owning around 74 percent of AZEK, with the remaining 26 percent to be owned by minority shareholders.
“The consumer journeys for siding and decking often overlap and both companies have excelled at demand creation for the homeowner and innovative products and solutions for the contractor,” James Hardie CEO Aaron Erter said in a statement.
1. Soleno Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:SLNO)
Soleno Therapeutics soared by 46.6 percent week-on-week to end at $71.99 on Friday versus the $49.11 close on March 21, after securing the approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its diazoxide cholin—to be called Vykat XR—which aims to treat extreme hunger in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome.
The syndrome is a rare genetic disorder caused by abnormalities in chromosome 15. Its symptoms include extreme hunger, low muscle tone, developmental delays, and behavioral challenges.
Meanwhile, extreme hunger poses a threat to people with the syndrome and can lead to severe obesity and associated health complications.
FDA’s approval followed a three-month delay after the agency classified responses from Soleno as a “major amendment” to its new drug application, requiring additional time to review.
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