In a dynamic trading session, several stocks experienced notable movements due to upgrades, earnings reports, and strategic announcements. Snowflake shares rose by 2.5% after Wolfe Research upgraded its rating to "outperform" from "peer perform." RBC Capital Markets and Mizuho have also rated Snowflake as "outperform," reflecting strong investor confidence. Meanwhile, Altice USA shares climbed 2% following an upgrade from Raymond James to "outperform" from "market perform."
Moderna shares rallied impressively, gaining 7% as it built on a previous 3% increase last Friday. The rise follows the company's positive fourth-quarter earnings results, which have energized investor sentiment. In contrast, General Mills saw its shares decline by 3% after presenting at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY), while Medtronic experienced a significant drop of 6.8% due to mixed quarterly results. Medtronic reported adjusted earnings of $1.39 per share on a revenue of $8.29 billion for the fiscal third quarter.
Fluor Corporation's shares plummeted 9% after the engineering firm released disappointing fourth-quarter results and provided weak full-year earnings guidance. On a more positive note, Constellation Brands jumped 4.4% as Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway disclosed a $1.2 billion position in the company during the fourth quarter. However, Conagra Brands saw a decline of over 5% after adjusting its 2025 earnings guidance downward.
Intel shares soared by 10%, driven by reports from The Wall Street Journal that competitors Broadcom and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing are exploring deals that could potentially divide the company. This news has stirred considerable interest and speculation in the market.
In other developments, Bath & Body Works shares surged by 9% after JPMorgan upgraded the stock to "overweight" from "neutral." Nike also experienced a boost, with its stock popping by 4.5% following the announcement of a new brand partnership with Kim Kardashian's Skims shapewear company. Venture Global shares saw an 8% rise fueled by multiple Wall Street initiations, indicating strong prospects for the company.
Super Micro Computer enjoyed an impressive surge of 11%, continuing its 32% rally from the previous week. The company's CEO, Charles Liang, expressed confidence in meeting the deadline for filing its delayed annual report by February 25, further bolstering investor confidence.