U.S. stock indexes closed lower on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 0.8% to 49,191.99. The S&P 500 slipped nearly 0.2% to 6,963.74, while the Nasdaq edged down 0.1% to 23,709.87.

But beneath the surface, certain stocks made big moves that had retail traders and institutional investors talking. Here's what caught everyone's attention.

Intel Rides the AI Wave

Intel Corporation (INTC) saw a notable rise of 7.33%, closing at $47.29. The stock reached an intraday high of $48.24 and a low of $45.22, with its 52-week range between $48.24 and $17.67.

The surge came after KeyBanc upgraded the chipmaker on the back of strong AI server demand. Analyst John Vinh pointed to weakness in traditional servers but highlighted the growing opportunity in AI infrastructure as a key driver for the upgrade. It's the kind of narrative investors love right now: legacy tech company pivots to AI and suddenly looks relevant again.

Moderna Gets a Boost from Updated Guidance

Moderna Inc. (MRNA) experienced a significant increase of 17.02%, closing at $39.60. The stock's intraday high was $39.71, with a low of $34.05, and its 52-week high and low are $45.40 and $22.29, respectively.

Shares of Moderna jumped sharply after the company updated investors on its outlook and pipeline at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. The biotech firm now expects 2025 revenue of about $1.9 billion, which is $100 million above the prior midpoint. Even better, the company is cutting projected GAAP operating expenses by $200 million and lifting its expected year-end cash balance to roughly $8.1 billion.

That's the trifecta investors want to hear: higher revenue, lower costs, and more cash on the balance sheet.

Adobe Faces Apple Competition

Adobe Inc. (ADBE) stock fell 5.41% to close at $309.93, with an intraday high of $323 and a low of $307.91. The 52-week range is $307.91 to $465.70.

The drop came after Apple announced the launch of Apple Creator Studio, a new bundled subscription for creative apps across Mac, iPad and iPhone. The $12.99-per-month service launches January 28 on the App Store and combines Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro and other tools. That positions it as a significantly lower-cost alternative to Adobe's Creative Cloud, at least within Apple's ecosystem.

Adobe stock reacted negatively to the news, and it's not hard to see why. When a tech giant with Apple's resources decides to compete directly in your core market with aggressive pricing, that's a problem worth worrying about.

BitMine Goes Big on Ethereum

BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) stock edged up by 0.29%, closing at $31.22. It reached an intraday high of $32.24 and a low of $30.96, with a 52-week range of $161 to $3.20. The stock gained 3.6% to $32.35 in after-hours trading.

The company recently acquired 24,266 Ethereum (ETH), making a significant bet on the second-largest cryptocurrency. However, Chairman Tom Lee warned that further accumulation depends on shareholder approval, suggesting the company wants to keep buying but needs investors to sign off on the strategy first.

Strategy's Bitcoin Buying Spree Continues

Strategy Inc. (MSTR) shares rose by 6.63%, closing at $172.99. The stock's intraday high was $173.76, with a low of $159.93, and its 52-week range is $457.22 to $149.75. The stock rose 2.3% to $177 in the after-hours session.

Strategy Inc. disclosed that it purchased 13,627 Bitcoin (BTC) for $1.25 billion at an average price of $91,519 per coin, marking its largest BTC acquisition since July 2025. The purchase lifted total holdings to 687,410 Bitcoin, acquired for $51.8 billion at an average price of $75,353 per coin. The company funded the purchase through sales of preferred and common shares.

Despite the aggressive accumulation, Strategy shares were testing key technical support near $150 as investors weighed dilution concerns against the company's expanding Bitcoin exposure. It's the classic tension with Michael Saylor's strategy: buy more Bitcoin, issue more shares, repeat. Believers love the exposure; skeptics worry about the dilution.

Market data shows that Strategy stock currently has a low Momentum score, particularly when compared against Tom Lee-backed BMNR, highlighting the different investor sentiment around these two cryptocurrency-focused plays.