Friday’s trading session is expected to be dominated by several key stocks and sectors. Apple continues an impressive nine-week winning streak, while Dell saw an extraordinary nearly 40% after-hours jump following blowout earnings. The semiconductor and software sectors are also showing strong momentum, though Nike and Buckle present more mixed outlooks.
Welcome to Stocks @ Night, your essential daily briefing delivered after hours, offering a crucial first glance at tomorrow's potential market movers and a final review of today's key developments. Sign up free to get this direct to your inbox. As the S&P 500 once again closed at a record high, CNBC TV's producers are already sifting through what's set to capture investors' attention in the upcoming trading session.
Apple continues its remarkable ascent, now logging an impressive nine consecutive winning weeks. As highlighted by CNBC TV's Carl Quintanilla on "Squawk on the Street," the iPhone giant's stock is on track for yet another positive week, boasting a more than 15% gain over the past month and approximately 24% since March 16, with shares hitting a fresh all-time high this week. The juice is certainly with Apple right now.
Following Snowflake's significant jump earlier in the week, Dell Technologies stole the spotlight with an extraordinary nearly 40% surge in after-hours trading. This explosion came after the company decisively beat earnings estimates in its Thursday evening release, reporting a staggering 88% year-over-year revenue growth. Including this after-hours rally, Dell shares have rocketed by 111% in the past month, trading around $437 overnight.
Friday morning will feature Johnson & Johnson CEO Joaquin Duato joining the "Squawk Box" team – Becky Quick, Joe Kernen, and Andrew Ross Sorkin – just ahead of the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Chicago. While J&J's stock is down 8% from its March high, it has still seen an 11.5% gain over the past six months.
The semiconductor sector remains in overdrive. CNBC TV's Kristina Partsinevelos will delve into the powerful runs for chip stocks. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) has climbed 18% in May and a formidable 47% over the last three months. Within this robust sector, Astera Labs leads the charge, up almost 80% in May, followed by Micron (up 78%), Arm Holdings (up 59%), Intel (up 28%), and Nvidia (up 7%) in the same period.
Software stocks are also demonstrating strong momentum, with the team on "Fast Money" dedicating an hour to their performance. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV) is up 14% in May, though it remains 19% below its September high.
Nike experienced a 3% bump on Thursday, pushing its May gains to nearly 7%. However, the athletic apparel giant's shares are significantly down, trading 40% below their August 2025 high, making it the second-worst Dow performer year-to-date in 2026 and the worst over the past three months.
Finally, retailer Buckle, with stores across more than 40 states, including Minnesota's Ridgedale Center, is set to report earnings Friday morning before the bell. The stock has fallen 5.7% in the past three months and is 18% off its September high. Investors will be keen to hear executive commentary on how higher fuel prices and inflation are influencing consumer spending patterns at Buckle.
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