Major U.S. indexes ended Wednesday mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 0.35% to 51,848.90, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.10% to 7,358.22 and the Nasdaq declined 0.43% to 25,476.63.
These are the top stocks that gained the attention of retail traders and investors through the day:
Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU)
Micron Technology’s stock dipped 0.37%, closing at $1,047.92. The stock reached an intraday high of $1,083.32 and a low of $991.10, with a 52-week range between $103.38 and $1,213.56. In the after-hours session, the stock popped 15.84% to $1,213.96.
Micron Technology reported fiscal third-quarter revenue of $41.46 billion and adjusted earnings of $25.11 per share, exceeding analyst expectations, while revenue increased approximately 346% year over year. The company also generated $25.39 billion in operating cash flow and $18.3 billion in adjusted free cash flow.
The chipmaker forecast fourth-quarter revenue of $50 billion, plus or minus $1 billion, and adjusted earnings of $31 per share, plus or minus $1, both above Wall Street estimates. The strong results and outlook reinforced expectations of continued demand growth for memory and storage products, particularly in AI-related markets.
Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM)
Qualcomm shares fell 3.33%, closing at $197.33. The stock fluctuated between $202.97 and $191.02 during the day, with a 52-week high of $259.92 and a low of $121.99. The stock gained 13% to $222.97 in extended trading.
Qualcomm raised its long-term outlook at its 2026 Investor Day, projecting $40 billion in non-handset revenue by fiscal 2029, including more than $15 billion from data centers, over $14 billion from IoT, and $10 billion from automotive businesses. The company also said it was targeting more than $18 in adjusted earnings per share by fiscal 2029.
The chipmaker highlighted its expanding diversification strategy, including a new AI data center roadmap and a push into robotics and industrial AI platforms. CEO Cristiano Amon said Qualcomm was positioning itself to capitalize on growing demand for AI computing across devices, the edge, and cloud infrastructure.
The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN)
Wendy’s stock surged 25.74%, closing at $7.87, with an intraday high of $8.89 and a low of $7.50. The stock’s 52-week range is between $6.07 and $12.33. In the after-hours session, the stock rose 4.76% to $8.24.
The fast-food chain attracted significant attention from retail investors, driven by high short interest and speculation of a potential takeover. Discussions on platforms like Reddit’s WallStreetBets further fueled the stock’s momentum.
SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK)
SanDisk shares declined 2.15%, ending the day at $1,921.42. The stock hit a high of $2,021.50 and a low of $1,861.01, with a 52-week range of $40.10 to $2,354.39. In the after-hours trading, the stock shot up 11.94% to $2,150.83.
SanDisk shares rebounded after a sharp decline in the previous session, as investors shifted focus to upcoming fiscal third-quarter results from Micron Technology, a key bellwether for the memory chip industry. Analysts expected Micron to report earnings of $20.76 per share on revenue of $35.75 billion, with options markets pricing in a roughly 14% move following the report.
Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC)
Western Digital’s stock fell 3.93%, closing at $644.38. The stock’s intraday range was between $665 and $612.41, with a 52-week high of $799.87 and a low of $62.13. The shares rose 12.36% to $724 in extended trading.
Micron’s stronger-than-expected third-quarter results and upbeat fourth-quarter forecast bolstered confidence in the memory and storage market recovery, supporting expectations of improved demand and pricing trends for companies such as Western Digital.
Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings indicate Micron stock has a Momentum score in the 99th percentile and a Value score in the 9th percentile.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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