Good Morning, Traders!…👋

U.S. stock futures are pointing higher Thursday, with tech stocks leading the way after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) delivered impressive earnings results.

The Nasdaq is set to outpace other indexes, building on Wednesday's strong rally where the S&P 500 surged 1.8%, fueled by a cooler-than-expected consumer price inflation report that sent Treasury yields lower from multi-month highs.

Shares of TSMC jumped 4% in early trading after the company’s upbeat earnings report, sparking renewed enthusiasm for tech stocks.

However, some of those early gains were tempered by reports from Bloomberg that China plans to launch an investigation into the possible illegal dumping of mature or legacy chips by U.S. firms, raising fresh concerns over U.S.-China trade tensions.

Happening Today

✓ 08:30 AM ET – Continuing Jobless Claims

✓ 08:30 AM ET – Core Retail Sales (MoM) (Dec)

✓ 08:30 AM ET – Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index (Jan)

✓ 08:30 AM ET – Retail Sales (MoM) (Dec)

✓ 10:00 AM ET – Business Inventories (MoM) (Nov)

✓ 11:00 AM ET – FOMC Member Williams Speaks

PREMARKET SNAPSHOT 📈

Market futures are mixed, with the S&P 500 and NASDAQ showing gains, while the Dow is slightly down.

SECTOR SNAPSHOT✨

Markets rallied across most sectors, driven by strong gains in consumer discretionary, financials, and information technology. Energy also surged, supported by rising commodity prices. Communication services and utilities posted solid advances, while industrials, materials, and real estate showed steady growth. Consumer staples was the only sector to slip slightly, reflecting selective defensive positioning. Overall, market sentiment remained optimistic with broad-based strength.

PreMarket Unusual Volume Stocks

📈 Powell Max Ltd (PMAX) surged by 87.56%, closing at 2.59. The trading volume was 9,231,346 shares. It operates in the Industrials sector under Specialty Business Services in Hong Kong, with a market cap of 37.87 and a P/E ratio of 70.19.

📈 Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust Inc (WHLR) climbed 43.83%, finishing at 3.38. The company traded 10,769,861 shares. It belongs to the Real Estate sector in the REIT - Retail industry in the USA, with a market cap of 8.11.

📈 Sobr Safe Inc (SOBR) gained 43.82%, closing at 1.28. The stock saw 23,809,833 shares traded. SOBR operates in the Technology sector under Scientific & Technical Instruments in the USA, with a market cap of 1.18.

📈 Bioline Rx Ltd ADR (BLRX) increased by 1.34%, closing at 0.11. The volume reached 34,639,657 shares. The company operates in the Healthcare sector in the Biotechnology industry in Israel, with a market cap of 15.09.

📈 DouYu International Holdings Ltd ADR (DOYU) rose by 29.29%, closing at 15.89. The trading volume was 342,043 shares. It operates in the Communication Services sector under Internet Content & Information in China, with a market cap of 508.16.

Premarket Picks

Powell Max Limited (PMAX) saw a pre-market surge of 89.73%, with shares reaching $2.77. The boost came after the company revealed that it has begun activities to pursue acquisitions, aiming to build and grow its business operations.

DouYu International Holdings Limited (DOYU) experienced a 25.71% increase in pre-market trading, with shares rising to $15.45. This surge followed the company’s announcement that Ms. Simin Ren has been appointed as Co-Chief Executive Officer by the Board of Directors.

Sezzle Inc. (SEZL) gained 14.04% in pre-market trading, pushing shares up to $296.01. The company’s announcement of a new custom-built platform designed to educate and reward users sparked investor interest.

BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. (BBAI) saw a pre-market rise of 15.04%, with shares hitting $3.90. The company’s announcement of Kevin McAleenan as the new Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors fueled the surge.

Below is a complete list of hot stocks in pre-market today:

Top Upgrades:

1. DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc. (DOCN)

Analyst Firm: Morgan Stanley
Upgraded: Equal Weight to Overweight
Price Target: $41
Yesterday's Close: $34.24

Morgan Stanley analyst Josh Baer raised DigitalOcean’s rating to Overweight from Equal Weight and set a new price target of $41, up from $40.

DigitalOcean operates a cloud computing platform across North America, Europe, Asia, and other international regions. Analysts have set a stock price target range for DigitalOcean with a high of $48.00, a low of $28.00, and a median target of $40.00. The average target price is $41.27.

2. First Solar, Inc. (FSLR)

Analyst Firm: Seaport Research
Upgraded: Neutral to Buy
Price Target: $274
Yesterday's Close: $186.82

Seaport Research analyst Tom Curran upgraded First Solar to a Buy rating from Neutral, with a price target of $274.

First Solar specializes in photovoltaic solar energy solutions across multiple regions, including the U.S., France, Japan, and Chile. For its stock, analysts project a high of $360.00, a low of $209.00, and a median of $275.00. The average target price stands at $276.28.

3. CACI International Inc (CACI)

Analyst Firm: Jefferies
Upgraded: Hold to Buy
Price Target: $515
Yesterday's Close: $446.78

Jefferies upgraded CACI to Buy from Hold and set a price target of $515.

CACI provides technology and expertise to support national security, focusing on intelligence, defense, and federal civilian sectors. The stock price target range for CACI includes a high of $625.00, a low of $365.00, and a median of $509.50, with an average target price of $503.00.

Happy investing,

Maeve Grace
Editor In Chief
Premium Stock Alerts

Important: This newsletter does not provide investment advice. The stocks mentioned should not be taken as recommendations. Your investments are solely your decisions.

Disclosure: I hold no positions in any companies mentioned, either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.