Last Week’s Top Five Market Winners
Nasdaq Stock Market (NASDAQ)
On the Nasdaq Stock Market, last week saw some positive results for Cellectis S.A. (CLLS), Ambarella Inc. (AMBA), Zscaler Inc. (ZS), Impinj Inc. (PI) and Moderna Inc. (MRNA).
- News that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had lifted a hold placed on a Phase I trial of a Cellectis S.A. (CLLS) CAR T-cell therapy, saw the company’s stocks rise +22.23%.
- Ambarella Inc. (AMBA) stocks rose +22.01% after the company’s third-quarter results were found to be better than expected. Although sales declined, encouraging demand trends saw investor confidence increase.
- A 52% year-on-year increase in revenue saw Zscaler Inc. (ZS) stocks boosted +20.71%.
- Impinj Inc. (PI) stocks jumped +20.49% after Toshiya Hari, a Goldman Sachs analyst, gave the company’s stock a buy rating.
- Strong clinical results and optimistic analyst views of the company’s stock saw Moderna Inc. (MRNA) stocks rise +20.07%.
| NASDAQ TOP-PERFORMING STOCKS | |||
| STOCK | WEEKLY CHANGE | CURRENT TRADING PRICE | SECTOR |
| Cellectis S.A. (CLLS) | 5.35 (+22.23%) | $29.53 USD | Industrial Goods |
| Ambarella Inc. (AMBA) | 17.14 (+22.01%) | $95.11 USD | Industrial Goods |
| Zscaler Inc. (ZS) | 31.01 (+20.71%) | $180.92 USD | Services |
| Impinj Inc. (PI) | 7.27 (+20.49%) | $42.78 USD | Technology |
| Moderna Inc. (MRNA) | 25.49 (+20.07%) | $153.14 USD | Consumer Goods |
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
The past seven days saw Hertz Global Holdings Inc. (HTZGQ), BlackBerry Limited (BB), Callon Petroleum Co. (CPE), Kohls Corp. (KSS) and QEP Resources Inc. (QEP) record strong results on the New York Stock Exchange.
- Hertz Global Holdings Inc. (HTZGQ) stocks rose +56.85% this week, although the reason behind this positive movement is currently unknown.
- News of an alliance with Amazon saw BlackBerry Limited (BB) stocks jump +38.54%.
- Positive news related to COVID-19 vaccines saw Callon Petroleum Co. (CPE) stocks rally, up +28.15% on the previous week.
- The announcement of a new strategic partnership with Sephora saw Kohls Corp. (KSS) stocks rise by +22.09.
- Rumours of a potential takeover saw the value of QEP Resources Inc. (QEP) stocks increase by +22.03%.
| NYSE TOP-PERFORMING STOCKS | |||
| STOCK | WEEKLY CHANGE | CURRENT TRADING PRICE | SECTOR |
| Hertz Global Holdings Inc. (HTZGQ) | 0.8292 (+56.85%) | $2.3021 USD | Services |
| BlackBerry Limited (BB) | 2.37 (+38.54%) | $8.51 USD | Technology |
| Callon Petroleum Co. (CPE) | 2.93 (+28.15%) | $13.37 USD | Consumer Goods |
| Kohls Corp. (KSS) | 7.40 (+22.09%) | $40.87 USD | Services |
| QEP Resources Inc. (QEP) | 0.3900 (+22.03%) | $2.1720 USD | Consumer Goods |
Last Week’s Top Five Market Losers
Nasdaq Stock Market (NASDAQ)
The last seven days were not so kind to Nikola Corp. (NKLA), iRhythm Technologies Inc. (IRTC), Splunk Inc. (SPLK), Stitch Fix Inc. (SFIX) and Sunrun Inc. (RUN) on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
- The end of the company’s post-IPO lockup period and news of a lacklustre partnership with General Motors saw Nikola Corp. (NKLA) stocks fall -32.40%.
- iRhythm Technologies Inc. (IRTC) stocks fell -22.69% after it was revealed that the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services had not finalised pricing for several medical items key to the company and its products.
- Disappointing third-quarter results saw Splunk Inc. (SPLK) stocks drop -21.06%.
- Despite strong results throughout November, apprehension around the release of the company’s third-quarter results saw Stitch Fix Inc. (SFIX) stocks fall -14.35%.
- Sunrun Inc. (RUN) stocks fell -13.54%, although the reason behind this negative movement is currently unknown.
| NASDAQ WORST-PERFORMING STOCKS | |||
| STOCK | WEEKLY CHANGE | CURRENT TRADING PRICE | SECTOR |
| Nikola Corp. (NKLA) | -9.05 (-32.40%) | $18.88 USD | Consumer Goods |
| iRhythm Technologies Inc. (IRTC) | -53.06 (-22.69%) | $180.55 USD | Consumer Goods |
| Splunk Inc. (SPLK) | -42.96 (-21.06%) | $161.16 USD | Technology |
| Stitch Fix Inc. (SFIX) | -5.96 (-14.35%) | $35.64 USD | Services |
| Sunrun Inc. (RUN) | -9.04 (-13.54%) | $57.80 USD | Industrial Goods |
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
On the New York Stock Exchange, Oasis Petroleum Inc. (OAS), PROG Holdings Inc. (PRG), Synnex Corp. (SNX), Nio Inc. (NIO) and Renren Inc. (RENN) stocks all fell over the past week.
- Oasis Petroleum Inc. (OAS) stocks continued to fall, down -99.59% on the previous week.
- PROG Holdings Inc. (PRG) stocks took a tumble (-70.62%) despite only trading on the NYSE from December 1.
- Following the completion of Concentrix Corporation’s separation from Synnex Corp. (SNX), the value of the company’s stock fell -50.29%.
- Although the company has seen very strong results in 2020, Nio Inc. (NIO) stocks fell -20.30% in the past week. It is not certain whether this may have arisen following a change of sentiment towards the company or if it is merely a stumble on the way to higher stock prices.
- Renren Inc. (RENN) stocks fell -14.94%, although the reason behind this negative movement is currently unknown.
| NYSE WORST-PERFORMING STOCKS | |||
| STOCK | WEEKLY CHANGE | CURRENT TRADING PRICE | SECTOR |
| Oasis Petroleum Inc. (OAS) | -38.0147 (-99.59%) | $0.1556 USD | Consumer Goods |
| PROG Holdings Inc. (PRG) | -45.67 (-70.62%) | $57.14 USD | Consumer Goods |
| Synnex Corp. (SNX) | -81.88 (-50.29%) | $81.09 USD | Services |
| Nio Inc. (NIO) | -10.96 (-20.30%) | $43.02 USD | Consumer Goods |
| Renren Inc. (RENN) | -0.98 (-14.94%) | $5.67 USD | Technology |
Highlights and Lowlights
US Markets Continue to Reach Record Highs
Despite the release of a disappointing jobs report, US markets continued to rise to record levels on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 0.8% at 30,218.26, the Nasdaq Composite rose to 12.464.23 and the S&P 500 gained 0.9%. This past week signals the fourth weekly gain for the major averages in five weeks. While it may not be clear if this positive sentiment will continue into the new year, optimism around the country’s economic recovery remains strong.
UK COVID-19 Vaccine Roll Out to Begin Within Days
The United Kingdom will become the first western country to approve and roll out a COVID-19 vaccine. Dueto start being administered to health workers and the vulnerable within days, the news has helped to push the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite to record highs in recent days. Although stock markets continue to rally, particularly in the US, concerns around the distribution of vaccines, the efficacy of the vaccines developed and the continued impact of COVID-19 on the world’s economies remain.
What’s in Store for the Week?
The week ahead will see global markets focused largely on news relating to COVID-19 vaccine approval and delivery. While the UK may be poised to roll out the first round of vaccinations, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be meeting on Thursday to discuss the emergency authorisation of the Pfizer/ BioNTech vaccine in the US. Depending on the verdict reached by the FDA, we may see markets continue to reach new highs, or falter at less promising news.
The progress of economic stimulus discussions in the US will be another one to watch, with Congress picking up the pace ahead of the government shutdown due for December 11. A spending resolution may be passed without any form of stimulus, but time will tell what the final result will be.