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Monday Market Movers: Paramount Makes Bold Acquisition Play While Biotech Stocks Surge on Clinical Data

MarketDash Editorial Team
4 hours ago
While the Dow Jones fell over 200 points Monday, several stocks defied the broader market decline. Paramount Skydance jumped nearly 10% on a massive Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition offer, while biotech companies soared on promising clinical trial results and obesity drug data.

Monday wasn't a great day for the broader market, with U.S. stocks sliding lower and the Dow Jones dropping more than 200 points. But if you were watching the right stocks, you might not have noticed the downturn at all.

The biggest headline came from Paramount Skydance Corporation (PSKY), which made waves with an audacious move to create what it's calling "a scaled Hollywood leader." The company launched an all-cash tender offer to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) for $30 per share, a deal that values the combined entity at a staggering $108.4 billion and includes Warner Bros.' Global Networks segment. It's the kind of mega-deal that makes you wonder if we're entering another era of media consolidation. Investors seemed to like what they saw—Paramount Skydance shares jumped 9.8% to $14.68.

But the real action on Monday was in biotech, where a parade of companies reported clinical trial data that sent their stocks soaring.

Biotech Bonanza: Obesity Drugs Take Center Stage

Leading the charge was Wave Life Sciences Ltd. (WVE), which absolutely exploded higher—up 129.1% to $17.16. The company reported positive interim Phase 1 data for its obesity drug WVE-007, showing it delivered GLP-1-like fat loss at three months without muscle loss and was generally safe and well tolerated. In the current market environment where anything remotely connected to weight loss drugs can move markets, this was catnip for investors.

Not to be outdone, Structure Therapeutics Inc. (GPCR) gained 100.5% to $69.30 after announcing topline data from its ACCESS clinical program of aleniglipron for treating people living with obesity and/or overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity. Doubling your stock price in a single day is the kind of thing that makes you wish you'd been paying attention to obscure biotech trials.

More Clinical Trial Winners

The good news kept rolling in across the biotech sector. Fulcrum Therapeutics, Inc. (FULC) rose 62.3% to $14.44 after reporting initial results from the 20 mg dose cohort of its Phase 1b PIONEER trial of Pociredir in sickle cell disease. The data showed a clear dose-response and robust fetal hemoglobin induction at week six, which is exactly what researchers were hoping to see.

Kymera Therapeutics, Inc. (KYMR) shares gained 51.2% to $100.75 after the company reported its Broaden Phase 1B trial of KT-621 achieved deep STAT6 degradation across dose groups. For those keeping score at home, crossing the $100 threshold on a 51% gain is a pretty good day at the office.

Big Pharma Gets Bigger

Confluent, Inc. (CFLT) rose 29.2% to $29.89 after IBM agreed to acquire the company for $31 per share. When your stock trades near the acquisition price, it usually means the market thinks the deal is pretty much a done deal.

Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. (OCUL) gained 28.5% to $16.16 after announcing plans to accelerate its NDA submission timeline for AXPAXLI in Wet AMD. HC Wainwright got even more bullish, raising its price target from $19 to $21.

More Double-Digit Gainers

The list of strong performers kept growing. Nurix Therapeutics, Inc. (NRIX) gained 19.6% to $21.64 after announcing new clinical data from its ongoing Phase 1a/1b NX-5948-301 study of bexobrutinib in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies.

Cullinan Therapeutics, Inc. (CGEM) rose 15.6% to $12.25 after announcing updated clinical data from its Phase 1 study of CLN-049 in patients with relapsed/refractory AML and MDS, which will be presented at the ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition.

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARWR) jumped 15.3% to $70.86 after announcing it has dosed the first subjects in a Phase 1/2a clinical trial of ARO-MAPT.

Dyne Therapeutics, Inc. (DYN) rose 12.8% to $22.89 after the company said its registrational expansion cohort in the Phase 1/2 DELIVER trial met the primary endpoint for its Duchenne muscular dystrophy therapy.

Index Additions and Analyst Upgrades

Carvana Co. (CVNA) gained 11.6% to $446.29 after the announcement that the company will join the S&P 500 on December 22, 2025. Getting added to a major index usually means forced buying from index funds, which tends to be good for the stock price.

Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. (PRAX) jumped 10.2% to $273.31 after multiple analyst firms raised their respective price targets on the stock. When the analyst community moves in unison, investors tend to pay attention.

Arcellx, Inc. (ACLX) shares rose 8.3% to $75.32 after the company reported that Anito-Cel demonstrated a 96% overall response rate and 74% complete/sCR rate in the iMMagine-1 trial for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Those are the kind of efficacy numbers that get oncologists excited.

Rounding Out the Gainers

Several other stocks posted solid gains even without major news catalysts. Flex Ltd. (FLEX) gained 8.1% to $67.47, while Primoris Services Corporation (PRIM) gained 7.9% to $135.63 after the company was added to the S&P SmallCap 600.

Warby Parker Inc. (WRBY) rose 7.2% to $20.12, and GitLab Inc. (GTLB) gained 6.5% to $39.78.

All told, it was a reminder that even when the broader market is having a rough day, there are always individual stories playing out that can drive significant stock movements. And on Monday, those stories were mostly about biotech breakthroughs and bold corporate moves.

Back to News

Monday Market Movers: Paramount Makes Bold Acquisition Play While Biotech Stocks Surge on Clinical Data

MarketDash Editorial Team
4 hours ago
While the Dow Jones fell over 200 points Monday, several stocks defied the broader market decline. Paramount Skydance jumped nearly 10% on a massive Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition offer, while biotech companies soared on promising clinical trial results and obesity drug data.

Monday wasn't a great day for the broader market, with U.S. stocks sliding lower and the Dow Jones dropping more than 200 points. But if you were watching the right stocks, you might not have noticed the downturn at all.

The biggest headline came from Paramount Skydance Corporation (PSKY), which made waves with an audacious move to create what it's calling "a scaled Hollywood leader." The company launched an all-cash tender offer to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) for $30 per share, a deal that values the combined entity at a staggering $108.4 billion and includes Warner Bros.' Global Networks segment. It's the kind of mega-deal that makes you wonder if we're entering another era of media consolidation. Investors seemed to like what they saw—Paramount Skydance shares jumped 9.8% to $14.68.

But the real action on Monday was in biotech, where a parade of companies reported clinical trial data that sent their stocks soaring.

Biotech Bonanza: Obesity Drugs Take Center Stage

Leading the charge was Wave Life Sciences Ltd. (WVE), which absolutely exploded higher—up 129.1% to $17.16. The company reported positive interim Phase 1 data for its obesity drug WVE-007, showing it delivered GLP-1-like fat loss at three months without muscle loss and was generally safe and well tolerated. In the current market environment where anything remotely connected to weight loss drugs can move markets, this was catnip for investors.

Not to be outdone, Structure Therapeutics Inc. (GPCR) gained 100.5% to $69.30 after announcing topline data from its ACCESS clinical program of aleniglipron for treating people living with obesity and/or overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity. Doubling your stock price in a single day is the kind of thing that makes you wish you'd been paying attention to obscure biotech trials.

More Clinical Trial Winners

The good news kept rolling in across the biotech sector. Fulcrum Therapeutics, Inc. (FULC) rose 62.3% to $14.44 after reporting initial results from the 20 mg dose cohort of its Phase 1b PIONEER trial of Pociredir in sickle cell disease. The data showed a clear dose-response and robust fetal hemoglobin induction at week six, which is exactly what researchers were hoping to see.

Kymera Therapeutics, Inc. (KYMR) shares gained 51.2% to $100.75 after the company reported its Broaden Phase 1B trial of KT-621 achieved deep STAT6 degradation across dose groups. For those keeping score at home, crossing the $100 threshold on a 51% gain is a pretty good day at the office.

Big Pharma Gets Bigger

Confluent, Inc. (CFLT) rose 29.2% to $29.89 after IBM agreed to acquire the company for $31 per share. When your stock trades near the acquisition price, it usually means the market thinks the deal is pretty much a done deal.

Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. (OCUL) gained 28.5% to $16.16 after announcing plans to accelerate its NDA submission timeline for AXPAXLI in Wet AMD. HC Wainwright got even more bullish, raising its price target from $19 to $21.

More Double-Digit Gainers

The list of strong performers kept growing. Nurix Therapeutics, Inc. (NRIX) gained 19.6% to $21.64 after announcing new clinical data from its ongoing Phase 1a/1b NX-5948-301 study of bexobrutinib in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies.

Cullinan Therapeutics, Inc. (CGEM) rose 15.6% to $12.25 after announcing updated clinical data from its Phase 1 study of CLN-049 in patients with relapsed/refractory AML and MDS, which will be presented at the ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition.

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARWR) jumped 15.3% to $70.86 after announcing it has dosed the first subjects in a Phase 1/2a clinical trial of ARO-MAPT.

Dyne Therapeutics, Inc. (DYN) rose 12.8% to $22.89 after the company said its registrational expansion cohort in the Phase 1/2 DELIVER trial met the primary endpoint for its Duchenne muscular dystrophy therapy.

Index Additions and Analyst Upgrades

Carvana Co. (CVNA) gained 11.6% to $446.29 after the announcement that the company will join the S&P 500 on December 22, 2025. Getting added to a major index usually means forced buying from index funds, which tends to be good for the stock price.

Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. (PRAX) jumped 10.2% to $273.31 after multiple analyst firms raised their respective price targets on the stock. When the analyst community moves in unison, investors tend to pay attention.

Arcellx, Inc. (ACLX) shares rose 8.3% to $75.32 after the company reported that Anito-Cel demonstrated a 96% overall response rate and 74% complete/sCR rate in the iMMagine-1 trial for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Those are the kind of efficacy numbers that get oncologists excited.

Rounding Out the Gainers

Several other stocks posted solid gains even without major news catalysts. Flex Ltd. (FLEX) gained 8.1% to $67.47, while Primoris Services Corporation (PRIM) gained 7.9% to $135.63 after the company was added to the S&P SmallCap 600.

Warby Parker Inc. (WRBY) rose 7.2% to $20.12, and GitLab Inc. (GTLB) gained 6.5% to $39.78.

All told, it was a reminder that even when the broader market is having a rough day, there are always individual stories playing out that can drive significant stock movements. And on Monday, those stories were mostly about biotech breakthroughs and bold corporate moves.