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Five Stocks That Captured Investor Attention: From Gaming Chips to Defense Contracts

MarketDash Editorial Team
1 day ago
Applied Digital, Innovative Eyewear, RTX Corp, Northrop Grumman, and Intel dominated retail investor interest Wednesday as markets closed mixed, driven by earnings beats, government contracts, and new product launches.

Wednesday delivered one of those mixed market sessions where the major indexes couldn't agree on a direction. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.9% to settle at 48,996.08, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.3%. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq decided to be different, inching up 0.16% to 23,584.27.

But forget the indexes for a moment. Here's what actually had retail traders buzzing throughout the day.

Applied Digital: When Beating Expectations Actually Matters

Applied Digital Corp. (APLD) shares declined 2.33% during regular trading to close at $29.56, bouncing between an intraday high of $31.45 and a low of $29.52. The stock trades in a 52-week range of $3.31 to $40.20. After hours told a different story though, with shares climbing 3.69% to $30.65.

The real story here is the second-quarter results that absolutely crushed expectations. Applied Digital posted break-even earnings per share when analysts were bracing for a 10-cent loss. Revenue came in at $126.6 million, which looks even more impressive when you realize that's up from just $36.2 million a year earlier.

What's driving this growth? The company pulled in $85 million from HPC hosting revenue and another $41.6 million from data center hosting. Management pointed to rising demand from hyperscalers in the Dakotas and mentioned ongoing discussions with another investment-grade customer. Translation: the AI infrastructure boom is still very much alive.

Innovative Eyewear: The Smart Glasses Play You Probably Missed

Innovative Eyewear, Inc. (LUCY) had the kind of day traders dream about, rocketing 47.46% higher to close at $1.74. The stock hit a high of $2 and a low of $1.59, operating within a 52-week range of $0.95 to $6.19. The excitement cooled slightly in extended trading, with shares falling 6.25% to $1.63.

The catalyst was preliminary unaudited fourth-quarter 2025 sales of roughly $1 million, marking a 45% year-over-year increase. Full-year 2025 revenue came in at an estimated $2.7 million, representing a solid 65% jump from 2024.

Here's what makes this interesting: the company claims it controls about 44% of Amazon's smart safety glasses market. And in a classic show of confidence, the CEO and senior executives announced plans for open-market share purchases, signaling they believe in the growth trajectory.

RTX Corporation: Upgrading America's Air Traffic System

RTX Corporation (RTX) finished the day down 2.45% at $185.73, after reaching a high of $193.79 and a low of $185.61. The 52-week range spans $112.27 to $193.79. The after-hours session brought some relief, with shares gaining 3.2% to $191.69.

The company landed a substantial $438 million contract from the FAA for next-generation air traffic radars designed to enhance the U.S. National Airspace System. This isn't just another government contract—it's part of a broader modernization effort.

RTX said the program will replace multiple legacy radar systems with a unified architecture built to improve air traffic safety, boost efficiency, and reduce long-term operating costs. Think of it as finally upgrading from your aging computer system to something that actually works.

Northrop Grumman: The Defense Stock Rollercoaster

Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) experienced a wild ride, tumbling 5.5% to close at $577.01. During the session, shares hit an intraday high of $617.99 and a low of $574.51, within a 52-week range of $426.24 to $640.90. The stock recovered in after-hours trading, jumping 5.5% to $608.90.

The initial drop came after President Donald Trump took to social media to criticize defense contractors over executive compensation and production timelines, calling for a halt on dividends and buybacks. That's the kind of post that sends defense stocks into a tailspin.

But then came the plot twist. According to the Associated Press, the president proposed $1.5 trillion in defense spending for 2027 on Wednesday. To put that in perspective, the 2026 military budget was $901 billion. That's the kind of spending increase that gives defense stocks a serious boost, explaining the after-hours recovery.

Intel: Finally, A Gaming Strategy

Intel Corp. (INTC) rose 6.52% to close at $42.63, with an intraday high of $44.57 and a low of $40.12. The stock's 52-week range is $17.66 to $44.57.

The surge came as Intel announced its entry into the handheld gaming market with a new processor and platform, unveiled at CES. After years of watching competitors dominate gaming hardware, Intel is finally making its move to capture a slice of the growing gaming industry.

According to market data, Intel stock has a Value ranking in the 56th percentile, positioning it somewhere in the middle of the pack when compared to chip rivals like Nvidia and AMD.

Back to Stock Market News

Five Stocks That Captured Investor Attention: From Gaming Chips to Defense Contracts

MarketDash Editorial Team
1 day ago
Applied Digital, Innovative Eyewear, RTX Corp, Northrop Grumman, and Intel dominated retail investor interest Wednesday as markets closed mixed, driven by earnings beats, government contracts, and new product launches.

Wednesday delivered one of those mixed market sessions where the major indexes couldn't agree on a direction. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.9% to settle at 48,996.08, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.3%. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq decided to be different, inching up 0.16% to 23,584.27.

But forget the indexes for a moment. Here's what actually had retail traders buzzing throughout the day.

Applied Digital: When Beating Expectations Actually Matters

Applied Digital Corp. (APLD) shares declined 2.33% during regular trading to close at $29.56, bouncing between an intraday high of $31.45 and a low of $29.52. The stock trades in a 52-week range of $3.31 to $40.20. After hours told a different story though, with shares climbing 3.69% to $30.65.

The real story here is the second-quarter results that absolutely crushed expectations. Applied Digital posted break-even earnings per share when analysts were bracing for a 10-cent loss. Revenue came in at $126.6 million, which looks even more impressive when you realize that's up from just $36.2 million a year earlier.

What's driving this growth? The company pulled in $85 million from HPC hosting revenue and another $41.6 million from data center hosting. Management pointed to rising demand from hyperscalers in the Dakotas and mentioned ongoing discussions with another investment-grade customer. Translation: the AI infrastructure boom is still very much alive.

Innovative Eyewear: The Smart Glasses Play You Probably Missed

Innovative Eyewear, Inc. (LUCY) had the kind of day traders dream about, rocketing 47.46% higher to close at $1.74. The stock hit a high of $2 and a low of $1.59, operating within a 52-week range of $0.95 to $6.19. The excitement cooled slightly in extended trading, with shares falling 6.25% to $1.63.

The catalyst was preliminary unaudited fourth-quarter 2025 sales of roughly $1 million, marking a 45% year-over-year increase. Full-year 2025 revenue came in at an estimated $2.7 million, representing a solid 65% jump from 2024.

Here's what makes this interesting: the company claims it controls about 44% of Amazon's smart safety glasses market. And in a classic show of confidence, the CEO and senior executives announced plans for open-market share purchases, signaling they believe in the growth trajectory.

RTX Corporation: Upgrading America's Air Traffic System

RTX Corporation (RTX) finished the day down 2.45% at $185.73, after reaching a high of $193.79 and a low of $185.61. The 52-week range spans $112.27 to $193.79. The after-hours session brought some relief, with shares gaining 3.2% to $191.69.

The company landed a substantial $438 million contract from the FAA for next-generation air traffic radars designed to enhance the U.S. National Airspace System. This isn't just another government contract—it's part of a broader modernization effort.

RTX said the program will replace multiple legacy radar systems with a unified architecture built to improve air traffic safety, boost efficiency, and reduce long-term operating costs. Think of it as finally upgrading from your aging computer system to something that actually works.

Northrop Grumman: The Defense Stock Rollercoaster

Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) experienced a wild ride, tumbling 5.5% to close at $577.01. During the session, shares hit an intraday high of $617.99 and a low of $574.51, within a 52-week range of $426.24 to $640.90. The stock recovered in after-hours trading, jumping 5.5% to $608.90.

The initial drop came after President Donald Trump took to social media to criticize defense contractors over executive compensation and production timelines, calling for a halt on dividends and buybacks. That's the kind of post that sends defense stocks into a tailspin.

But then came the plot twist. According to the Associated Press, the president proposed $1.5 trillion in defense spending for 2027 on Wednesday. To put that in perspective, the 2026 military budget was $901 billion. That's the kind of spending increase that gives defense stocks a serious boost, explaining the after-hours recovery.

Intel: Finally, A Gaming Strategy

Intel Corp. (INTC) rose 6.52% to close at $42.63, with an intraday high of $44.57 and a low of $40.12. The stock's 52-week range is $17.66 to $44.57.

The surge came as Intel announced its entry into the handheld gaming market with a new processor and platform, unveiled at CES. After years of watching competitors dominate gaming hardware, Intel is finally making its move to capture a slice of the growing gaming industry.

According to market data, Intel stock has a Value ranking in the 56th percentile, positioning it somewhere in the middle of the pack when compared to chip rivals like Nvidia and AMD.