Benzinga examined the prospects for many investors' favorite stocks over the last week — here's a look at some of our top stories.
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) reported blockbuster fourth-quarter earnings, but that failed to energize markets this week as investors grappled with growing skepticism around the broader AI trade and competitive pressures. The chipmaker easily beat revenue and profit expectations and issued strong guidance, but shares slid sharply in response, reflecting concern over whether sky-high expectations can be sustained. Despite the stellar results, Nvidia's pullback weighed on the semiconductor sector and contributed to sluggish performance among major tech benchmarks late in the week.
Wall Street's cautious reaction underscored a shift in focus from headline earnings beats to deeper questions about long-term growth, capital returns and competitive dynamics as rival AI hardware efforts gain traction. Even as Nvidia signaled continued demand for its AI-compute platforms, investors homed in on issues such as future spending patterns, competition from alternative AI chip designs, and the sustainability of massive hyperscaler capex commitments. This sentiment pressured broader technology stocks and highlighted the fragility of the market's AI-led rally despite fundamentally strong results.
The week's action illustrated a nuanced market backdrop in which solid individual company performance isn't translating into broad optimism, leaving major indexes to tread water amid uneven sector leadership. Traders are now watching whether Nvidia's results — and investor reactions — portend a longer correction in growth-oriented tech assets or simply a temporary rebalancing after an extended rally, with macro data and upcoming earnings likely to guide sentiment in the sessions ahead.
Benzinga provides daily reports on the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week's most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look.
The Bulls
"Rocket Lab Beats Q4 Earnings, Issues Strong Guidance, Targets Late 2026 For First Neutron Launch," by Adam Eckert, reports that Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (NASDAQ:RKLB) stock climbed after the space-industry company delivered a fourth-quarter earnings and revenue beat, issued strong 2026 guidance and reaffirmed plans to target a late-2026 debut for its next-generation Neutron rocket, as investors reacted positively to both the financial performance and the company's roadmap for expanding launch cadence and services in a competitive commercial space market.
"Kosmos Energy's 130% Stock Surge Leaves Exxon And Chevron Behind — But There's A Catch," by Surbhi Jain, reports that Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE:KOS) shares have rallied about 130% year-to-date, far outpacing major oil peers like Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE:XOM) and Chevron Corp. (NYSE:CVX) as investors cheered strong exploration results, a tightening energy supply outlook and tightening capex discipline, even as analysts caution that production growth timelines and execution risks could temper future gains, keeping some investors on edge despite the dramatic run.
"MARA Holdings Stock Surges On Data Center Development Deal With Starwood," by Surbhi Jain, reports that MARA Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:MARA) shares climbed sharply after the Bitcoin miner and blockchain infrastructure company announced a strategic data center development deal with Starwood Capital Group, aimed at expanding its hosting capacity and power infrastructure to support next-generation mining rigs and AI compute loads, a move that boosted investor confidence in MARA's growth prospects as expanded facilities and institutional backing could help drive long-term operational scale.
For additional bullish calls of the past week, check out the following:
Axon Enterprise Tops Q4 Estimates, Issues Strong Guidance As Momentum Accelerates
Tesla, Nucor And These Companies May Be Safest From Trump's Tariff Shock
The Bears
"Novo Nordisk Stock Hits 52-Week Low After Weight-Loss Drug Falls Short Against Eli Lilly's," by Surbhi Jain, reports that Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) shares slid to fresh 52-week lows after data showed its latest weight-loss drug failed to achieve expected superiority against Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE:LLY)'s competitor in key clinical measures, sparking investor concern about market share, pricing pressure and future growth prospects in the highly competitive GLP-1 and obesity-treatment space, with analysts warning that the setback could weigh on sentiment and valuation until clearer differentiation emerges.
"The Trade Desk Stock Crumbles After Q4," by Adam Eckert, reports that The Trade Desk Inc. (NASDAQ:TTD) shares slumped after the ad-tech company posted fourth-quarter results that, despite beating revenue expectations, showed slower growth in key programmatic segments and lighter guidance that tempered enthusiasm, leading investors to pare positions as market sentiment around digital advertising demand softened.
"Intuit Stock Slides On Q2 Earnings — What You Need To Know," by Adam Eckert, reports that Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) shares dipped after the financial-software company posted second-quarter results that beat on top and bottom lines but saw weaker guidance and softer customer growth in key segments, prompting investor caution despite solid adjusted earnings and revenue as markets weighed near-term headwinds against long-term subscription resilience.
For more bearish takes, be sure to see these posts:
Salesforce Stock Slides As Soft Revenue Guidance Adds To AI Concerns
Tempus AI Stock Drops Despite Q4 Earnings Beat: Details
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