Trending stocks in mixed week for U.S. market

Wall Street ended the week mixed as investors weighed geopolitical tensions and the Federal Reserve’s steady stance on interest rates.

The S&P 500 dipped about 0.3%, the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.2%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average inched down 0.4%. The small-cap Russell 2000 closed the week with a 0.2% gain.

Market sentiment was shaped by a spike in oil prices for the third straight week, amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. This fueled gains in energy stocks, helping to offset weakness in technology and consumer discretionary sectors.

Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged, signaling continued caution and no immediate plans to cut rates. This steadied bond markets but left equities fluctuating as investors reassessed economic growth expectations.

Despite the week’s volatility, major indexes remain near record highs. Investors are now watching developments in the Middle East, oil markets, and economic data closely for direction.

As the market showed cautious resilience this week, these were some of the trending stocks:

U.S. Steel (X) rose 5% after Nippon Steel (OTCPK:NPSCY) received conditional U.S. approval for its $14.1 billion acquisition of the company.

Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT) shares dropped sharply after the company reported a second death connected to its Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy, Elevidys. The latest case involved a non-ambulatory patient who died from acute liver failure, echoing a similar incident reported in March.

Meta Platforms (META) drew attention after announcing plans to introduce ads on WhatsApp for the first time, opening up a significant new revenue stream. The ads will appear in the Updates tab, alongside new monetization features such as channel subscriptions, promoted channels, and Status ads aimed at businesses.

Verve Therapeutics (VERV) rallied after Eli Lilly (LLY) agreed to acquire the gene editing company for up to $1.3B. The company is currently advancing a pipeline of single-course in vivo gene editing programs intended to safely inactivate genes in the liver that contribute to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk.

Solar stocks tumbled after GOP tax bill proposed ending solar, wind credits by 2028, sparking fears over renewable energy subsidies. SolarEdge (SEDG) down over 17%, Enphase (ENPH) -20%, and First Solar (FSLR) -14% were among major decliners.

Visa (V) fell -4.8% and Mastercard (MA) slipped -5.4% on Wednesday after the U.S. Senate passed a stablecoin bill that could enable merchants to bypass traditional card payment rails. In contrast, crypto-related stocks rallied, with Coinbase Global (COIN) jumping 16.3% and Bakkt Holdings (BKKT) rising 4.9%.

Roku (ROKU) shares rose on Monday following the announcement of a new integration with Amazon Ads (AMZN), granting advertisers exclusive access to the largest authenticated connected TV footprint in the U.S. via Amazon DSP.

GMS (GMS) was in the spotlight after receiving a $95.20-per-share all-cash acquisition offer from QXO (QXO), valuing the company at approximately $5 billion. The bid drew further attention as Home Depot (HD) also expressed interest in acquiring the construction products distributor, signaling a potential bidding war for the company.

Oracle (ORCL) shares climbed 11% this week and are up 75% since their April low, driven by strong AI-related revenue growth in last week’s earnings report. However, the rally has pushed the stock to its most overbought level in 25 years and its highest valuation in more than two decades, raising concerns that investors may be growing cautious.