Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading:
CrowdStrike — The cybersecurity company popped 12% after posting a strong outlook and a first-quarter results beat. CrowdStrike reported adjusted earnings of 93 cents per share on $921 million in revenue, which came in over the earnings of 89 cents per share on $905 million in revenue that analysts surveyed by LSEG had forecast.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise — The technology stock climbed 10.7%, touching a new 52-week high after earnings came in ahead of expectations. Hewlett Packard Enterprise posted adjusted earnings per share of 42 cents on $7.2 billion in revenue, while analysts surveyed by LSEG had penciled in earnings per share of 39 cents and $6.82 billion in revenue.
Dollar Tree — Shares of the discount retailer fell 4.9% after second-quarter guidance came in below expectations. Dollar Tree said it expected between $1 and $1.10 in adjusted earnings per share, while analysts surveyed by FactSet had penciled in $1.19 per share. The company also said it was exploring a potential sale of its Family Dollar unit.
GameStop — The meme stock popped 19.1% after a decline of 5.4% in the previous session. The stock is up more than 30% week to date. The speculative rally was initially triggered by GameStop champion “Roaring Kitty,” who posted a screenshot of his portfolio holding a massive amount of shares and call options in the video game retailer. AMC, another meme name, traded higher by 7.5% Wednesday.
Riot Platforms — Shares of the bitcoin miner shed around 0.2% after Kerrisdale Capital disclosed a short position in the company. In a post on social media site X, Kerrisdale said Riot Platforms will “always remain too high-cost to mine bitcoin profitably.”
Brown-Forman — The alcohol seller dropped 5.9% to a new 52-week low following underwhelming revenue for the fiscal fourth quarter. Brown-Forman saw $964 million in revenue over the three-month period, less than the $1.03 billion consensus forecast of analysts polled by FactSet.
WalkMe — Shares of the software company soared 43% following the announcement that SAP has agreed to acquire WalkMe in an all-cash deal valued at $1.5 billion. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2024. SAP’s stock also increased during Wednesday’s session, rising around 1.6%.
Archer Aviation — Archer Aviation shares jumped 6.2% after the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft maker earned a key certification from the Federal Aviation Administration that brings it one step closer to flying passengers.
Verint Systems — The customer experience automation platform surged 23% after reporting stronger-than-expected earnings and raising full-year guidance. Verint reported adjusted earnings of 59 cents per share on revenue of $221.3 million in the first quarter. Analysts surveyed by LSEG had anticipated just 54 cents in earnings per share and $214.5 million in revenue.
PVH — The fashion stock added 3.8% on the back of a better-than-anticipated financial release for the first quarter. The Tommy Hilfiger parent reported adjusted earnings of $2.45 per share on $1.95 billion in revenue, while analysts polled by LSEG predicted earnings of $2.16 a share on $1.93 billion of revenue. PVH also raised its full-year outlook for earnings per share, while reaffirming its guidance for revenue during that period.
Applied Materials, KLA — The semiconductor stocks jumped 5.3% and 4.6%, respectively, on the heels of a Barclays upgrade to equal weight from underweight. Barclays pointed to growth in China spending as a catalyst for the stocks.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing — Shares added 6.9% after Barclays increased its price target on the stock to $170 per share from $150. The firm said a new generation of more advanced chips, referred to as 2nm, should benefit the semiconductor maker given its dominant market share.
Hanesbrands — The clothing maker gained 5% after inking a deal to sell its Champion brand to Authentic Brands Group. The transaction is valued at $1.2 billion and includes a contingent cash consideration.
Old Dominion Freight Line — The freight stock rose 2.2% after BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage of it at outperform in a Wednesday note. Analyst Fadi Chamoun thinks the industry is positioned to benefit from long-term tailwinds such as consolidation and potential nearshoring of manufacturing.
Nvidia — The artificial intelligence darling traded 5.2% higher on the heels of Bank of America’s reiteration of the stock at a buy rating. The firm said Nvidia is still a top pick and is best positioned to enable the information technology industry to deliver artificial intelligence services.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals — Shares added about 2% after Goldman Sachs initiated coverage at a buy rating. Goldman said the company has a “compelling pipeline.”
LifeMD — Shares climbed 9.2% on the heels of a KeyBanc initiation at overweight. KeyBanc said the company can see strong growth on both lines.
