Wall Street’s main indices ended Monday’s trading session on a mixed note, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average the only decliner, dipping by 0.06 percent or 25.57 points to close at 42,706.56.
In contrast, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both registered gains, up 0.45 percent and 1.24 percent, respectively.
Monday’s overall rally was largely driven by strong performances in the bitcoin mining and quantum computing sectors, with 10 companies seeing notable gains.
To come up with the day’s top advancers, we considered only the stocks with at least $2 billion in market capitalization and $5 million in daily trading volume.
A man in long sleeves looking at stock market data. Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels
10. Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO)
Advanced nuclear technology firm Oklo Inc. saw its share price jump by 10.09 percent to an all-time high on Monday to finish at $30 apiece, with analysts pointing to its role in the AI-driven energy transformation as having fueled the rise, underscoring its robust performance and investor optimism on its growth potential.
Over the past 30 days, shares in the company were already up by 40.16 percent, while the past five days alone saw a rally of 36.55 percent.
Earlier, Oklo obtained a historic 12-gigawatt power agreement with Switch and a 750-megawatt arrangement with other data center providers, highlighting its appeal to technology-driven industries looking for zero-carbon power solutions.
Oklo’s modular nuclear reactors have helped it to become a major player in satisfying data center demands, especially artificial intelligence applications, and growing energy needs.
9. Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MU)
Micron Technology saw its shares higher by 10.45 percent on Monday to close at $99.26 apiece, in line with a broader sector optimism, after Foxconn’s record-breaking revenues gave the latest indication that demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure is set to jump this year.
Despite announcing disappointing earnings results in the past few weeks, optimism was boosted by developments linked to Nvidia, a titan in the artificial intelligence sector.
According to analysts, investors are buzzing about Nvidia’s sustained demand for its cutting-edge hardware, and that its new devices could potentially integrate Micron’s innovative solutions.
Long-term growth prospects also seem promising, with Micron expected to capitalize on an expanding HBM market projected to skyrocket from $16 billion in 2024 to over $100 billion by 2030.
8. D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE:QBTS)
Shares of D-Wave Quantum Inc. rose by 11.71 percent on Monday to end at $10.21 each as investors resorted to bargain hunting following a decline in Friday’s trading.
Investor sentiment was also boosted by news that Foxconn, a fellow semiconductor firm, reported a record high revenue of $64.7 billion, marking a 15.2-percent increase, at T$2.13 trillion on the back of booming orders for artificial intelligence servers. Official figures beat analyst estimates.
In addition, investors are also waiting on the sidelines for any updates on the company’s participation in the 27th Annual Needham Growth Conference on January 14.
Its CEO, Dr. Alan Baratz is expected to address a variety of topics related to the company’s leadership position in the quantum computing industry, including its technical progress, why quantum optimization is the killer use case for quantum computing, how its annealing technology is increasingly used in customer production deployments, and the convergence of quantum computing and AI.
7. BlackBerry Ltd. (NYSE:BB)
Shares of BlackBerry rallied by 11.14 percent on Monday, ending the day at $4.09, following the news that its QNX division is partnering with technology giant Microsoft Corp. to speed up the development of software-defined vehicles (SDV).
The collaboration is set to integrate the QNX software development platform (SDP) 8.0 with Microsoft Azure, a move that will offer developers a robust cloud environment to innovate and refine automotive and Internet of Things applications.
The initiative also aims to streamline the creation, testing, and integration of software essential for the next wave of automotive technology.
According to BlackBerry Chief Operating Officer John Wall, the joint effort with Microsoft is expected to incorporate Microsoft Azure AI to support advanced technology early in the development cycle.
The strategy is designed to speed up development timelines, reduce risks, and enable automakers to harness the cloud’s scale and velocity for development.
6. MicroStrategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR)
Shares of MicroStrategy kicked off the week on a positive note, with the company’s shares rallying by 11.61 percent to end the day at $379.09 apiece buoyed by news that it gobbled up $101 million worth of Bitcoin in the previous days.
According to MicroStrategy, the purchase occurred on December 30 when Bitcoin was trading at only $94,000.
The announcement further fueled optimism after the cryptocurrency’s price on Monday broke past its resistance level of $100,000, reaching a new high of $101,184.
The Bitcoin rally came days before Donald Trump—a pro-Bitcoin incoming president—assumes office on January 20.
If MicroStrategy had sold its positions during Monday’s trading, the company would have realized a 7.6 percent gain.
5. MP Materials Corp. (NYSE:MP)
Metal miner MP Materials saw its stock price rise by 12.42 percent on Monday to finish at $20.46 apiece following reports that incoming president Donald Trump is set to levy taxes that would apply to all countries but be limited to specific critical imports, including critical minerals and energy production.
Assuming reports are true, MP Materials, a rare earth mining company, stands to benefit significantly from any potential plan.
Rare earths are a group of 17 metals used to make magnets that turn power into motion for electric vehicles, cell phones, and other electronics. MP Materials is one of the largest non-Chinese rare earth miners and processors.
4. Nuscale Power Corp. (NYSE:SMR)
Shares of Nuscale Power grew by another 13.48 percent on Monday to end the day at $23.66 apiece as the company continues to ride on general optimism on nuclear stocks.
In other news, the company, alongside its peers, also maintained a strong momentum following the Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service’s revised rules for hydrogen production tax credits that aim to address several key issues to help grow the industry and move projects forward.
The final rules clarify how producers of hydrogen, including those using electricity from various sources, natural gas with carbon capture, renewable natural gas (RNG), and coal mine methane can determine eligibility for the credit.
3. Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ:PLUG)
Plug Power’s shares jumped by 19.77 percent on Monday to finish the day at $3.15 apiece as investor sentiment was boosted by new tax credit rules for clean hydrogen production that are expected to benefit the company.
The tax credits, which were made available on Friday through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, said that the new rules underwent “significant changes and flexibilities that address several key issues to help grow the industry and move projects forward,” while adhering to the emissions requirements included in the act.
Officials explained that the changes “clarify how producers of hydrogen, including those using electricity from various sources, natural gas with carbon capture, renewable natural gas (RNG), and coal mine methane can determine eligibility for the credit.”
Plug Power is an American company engaged in the development of hydrogen fuel cell systems that replace conventional batteries in equipment and vehicles powered by electricity.
2. Paycor HCM Inc. (NASDAQ:PYCR)
Shares of Paycor HCM rallied by 23.3 percent on Monday, ending the day at $22.86 apiece, following news that it was set to be acquired by its larger rival Paychex.
According to reports citing experts privy to the matter, a deal may be officially announced as soon as this week, but noted that nothing is finalized and talks could still fall through.
If it pushes through, the potential acquisition will mark the largest deal to date from New York-based Paychex, which offers human resources, employee benefits, insurance, and payroll services to more than 745,000 customers in the US and Europe.
Paycor is a software company offering human resources and payroll solutions for small and midsize businesses.
1. Inari Medical Inc. (NASDAQ:NARI)
Inari Medical became Monday’s top gainer, jumping by 30.6 percent to end at $65 each following news that medical device manufacturer Stryker is reportedly in the final stages of negotiations to acquire Inari.
If talks end successfully, an announcement on the acquisition is expected to be made as early as this week.
Inari Medical, which has a market value approaching $3 billion, is expected to enhance Stryker’s portfolio by expanding its treatment options for venous thromboembolism, a condition characterized by blood-vein clotting, and other venous diseases.
In recent weeks, Inari has signaled intentions to go on sale after receiving acquisition interest from Stryker and other parties. Reports said that other potential buyers could still approach Inari and that there is a possibility that no deal may be finalized with any of the interested parties.
While we acknowledge the potential of NARI as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than NARI but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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