U.S. stock futures are edging higher on Monday, December 8, 2025, as traders head into a pivotal Federal Reserve meeting widely expected to deliver this year’s final rate cut. Nasdaq 100 futures are up around a quarter of a percent, with S&P 500 futures modestly higher as well, and odds of a 25‑basis‑point cut sit near 88% according to derivatives pricing. [1]
Against that macro backdrop, today’s pre‑market gainers are clustered in three big themes:
- M&A and index reshuffles (IBM–Confluent deal talks, Carvana joining the S&P 500)
- Clinical trial and biotech catalysts (Fulcrum, Kymera, Dyne, Ocular, Arcellx, Ultragenyx)
- AI infrastructure, lithium, and retail‑trading plays (Micron, Broadcom, Teradyne, Albemarle, Robinhood, and more)
Below is a breakdown of the most notable movers, why they’re rallying, and what today’s forecasts and analyses are saying as of December 8, 2025. All price moves refer to early U.S. pre‑market trading and can change quickly once regular hours begin.
How “top pre‑market gainers” are being measured today
Because every data vendor ranks movers differently, this article triangulates three live feeds as of the early U.S. pre‑market session on December 8, 2025:
- StockAnalysis “Premarket Gainers” – focuses on U.S. stocks with at least $2M market cap and $1M+ pre‑market volume, sorted by percentage change. [2]
- TipRanks “Pre‑Market Gainers Today – Dec 08, 2025” – highlights large and mid‑caps with meaningful pre‑market moves. [3]
- Investing.com “Pre Market Top Gainers” (U.S.) – emphasizes more liquid, widely held names like Albemarle, Micron, Oracle, GM, Broadcom, and Robinhood. [4]
Put together, they show:
- Micro‑cap rockets like Cemtrex (CETX), Top Wealth Group (TWG), and Paranovus Entertainment Technology (PAVS) jumping 80–120% in thin pre‑market trade. [5]
- Large‑cap and mid‑cap leaders such as Confluent (CFLT), Carvana (CVNA), Micron (MU), Albemarle (ALB), Broadcom (AVGO), Teradyne (TER), and Robinhood (HOOD) posting smaller but highly notable gains on heavy news flow. [6]
Trading note: Pre‑market spreads can be wide and depth can be thin, especially in micro‑caps. Always re‑check live data on your broker before acting. Nothing here is financial advice.
Micro‑cap rockets: CETX, TWG and PAVS top percentage gainers
Cemtrex (CETX): technical squeeze on a ultra‑volatile micro‑cap
Cemtrex (NASDAQ: CETX) tops the StockAnalysis pre‑market list with a move of roughly +115–120%, taking the stock from around $3 at Friday’s close to the mid‑$6 range in early trading. [7]
There’s no fresh, company‑specific catalyst this morning, but technical services site StockInvest notes that:
- CETX has been on a “very high risk” ride, with daily volatility above 20% and intraday swings near 47% even before today. [8]
- Their model actually flags the stock as a “sell candidate” despite projecting large potential short‑term price swings, underscoring how speculative the name has become. [9]
In other words, today’s move looks more like short‑term trading and short‑covering in a tiny, illiquid name than a shift in fundamentals.
Top Wealth Group (TWG): turnaround profit guidance plus listing pressure
Top Wealth Group Holding (NASDAQ: TWG) – a micro‑cap caviar and winery supplier – is up around 90%+ pre‑market. [10]
Two key threads are converging:
- On December 5, TWG projected at least $4 million in net profit for FY2025, a sharp turnaround from a $2 million loss the prior year, after posting $2.4 million net profit in 1H 2025. [11]
- The company previously received a second grace period from Nasdaq to regain minimum $1 bid price compliance, with a final deadline of December 8, 2025 – today. [12]
The profit outlook helps, but the compliance deadline means bid‑price mechanics and low float are almost certainly amplifying the move. This is classic “event‑day” micro‑cap behavior: binary listing risk, plus speculative trading.
Paranovus Entertainment Technology (PAVS): fragile bounce after a 94% monthly collapse
Paranovus Entertainment Technology (NASDAQ: PAVS), which has lost about 94% of its value over the last month and roughly 96% over 12 months, is bouncing nearly 90% in pre‑market trade — from around six‑seven cents to the high single‑digit cents. [13]
A fresh analysis from Simply Wall St on December 7 notes that:
- PAVS trades at a price‑to‑sales ratio near 0.2x, well below many personal products peers.
- Despite this apparent cheapness, the author argues the stock still “may not be attractive enough”, given uncertainty around future revenue quality and the collapse in investor confidence. [14]
Today’s bounce looks more like a reflex rally in a deeply beaten‑down penny stock than a fundamental re‑rating.
Big‑ticket story #1: Confluent (CFLT) soars on IBM’s $11B AI data deal talks
Confluent (NASDAQ: CFLT) is one of today’s most important pre‑market gainers, up roughly 30–32% to the low‑$30s, putting it at the top of TipRanks’ large‑cap pre‑market list. [15]
The driver: multiple reports that IBM is in advanced talks to acquire Confluent for about $11 billion in cash.
- The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg both report that IBM is negotiating to buy Confluent, with a deal that could be announced as soon as today, though talks could still fall apart. [16]
- Confluent’s current market value sits near $8 billion, implying a substantial takeover premium if the deal closes on those terms. [17]
- Confluent’s platform powers real‑time data streaming and governance, a key building block for modern AI systems, cloud analytics, and event‑driven apps – exactly the kind of infrastructure IBM wants as it doubles down on AI and hybrid cloud. [18]
Recent analysis has also argued that Confluent’s AI‑focused expansion and cloud growth have left shares undervalued: one December piece highlighted 24% cloud revenue growth, rising operating margins, and an intrinsic value estimate around $33.94 per share, framing CFLT as 30%+ undervalued before acquisition chatter. [19]
Takeaway: Today’s pre‑market spike is textbook M&A repricing — investors are suddenly valuing Confluent closer to a potential IBM takeout rather than as a standalone growth story, while still pricing in some risk the deal doesn’t close.
Big‑ticket story #2: Carvana (CVNA) jumps on S&P 500 inclusion
Carvana (NYSE: CVNA) is another headline gainer, up roughly 9–10% pre‑market to the mid‑$430s, building on an already explosive rally. [20]
The catalyst:
- S&P Dow Jones Indices announced late Friday that Carvana will join the S&P 500 on December 22, replacing several outgoing names as part of its quarterly rebalance. [21]
- Benzinga and Investing.com both note that Carvana is extending a 10‑day winning streak, with shares up nearly 100% in 2025 and more than 8,000% from their 2022 lows after the company swung back to profitability and aggressively cut costs. [22]
Carvana’s market cap — now around $87 billion — is larger than Ford and GM despite being a much younger company, and it trades at more than 57× forward earnings, according to Reuters calculations. [23]
Index mechanics matter here:
- Passive funds tracking the S&P 500 will need to buy CVNA and sell deleted names, creating forced demand into the rebalance date.
- Active managers benchmarked to the index may also feel pressure to at least “neutralize” underweights, especially after such a huge move.
At the same time, valuation is stretched, and today’s pre‑market surge partly reflects short‑term positioning and index‑related flows, not just a fresh fundamental surprise.
Biotech wave: Fulcrum, Kymera, Dyne, Ocular, Arcellx and Ultragenyx
Biotech names dominate the mid‑cap end of today’s pre‑market gainers: Fulcrum Therapeutics, Kymera Therapeutics, Dyne Therapeutics, Ocular Therapeutix, Arcellx, Ultragenyx, and even smaller players like Immix Biopharma and Biodexa all appear on pre‑market screens with mid‑ to high‑single‑digit or double‑digit moves. [24]
Fulcrum Therapeutics (FULC): strong sickle‑cell data and a fresh price‑target hike
On StockAnalysis’s list, Fulcrum Therapeutics (NASDAQ: FULC) is up roughly 45–50% pre‑market to the low‑teens. [25]
Two major updates over the weekend are driving this:
- Positive Phase 1b PIONEER data (20 mg cohort) in sickle cell disease
- Fulcrum reported that its oral HbF inducer pociredir produced a mean absolute fetal hemoglobin (HbF) increase of 9.9% at week 6, with 58% of patients reaching ≥20% HbF — a level associated with very low crisis rates. [26]
- Early data also showed improvements in hemolysis and anemia markers and no treatment‑related serious adverse events, with an investor event held on December 7 to walk through the results. [27]
- Analyst upgrades and higher success probabilities
- This morning, Leerink Partners raised its price target to $24 from $20 and kept an Outperform rating, citing the new PIONEER data and boosting its probability of success for pociredir to 75% from 65%. [28]
The stock had already returned more than 120% over the past year, but this combination of stronger data and upgraded Street assumptions is fueling a momentum‑plus‑fundamentals spike into Fed week. [29]
Kymera Therapeutics (KYMR): anticipation for atopic dermatitis readout
Kymera Therapeutics (NASDAQ: KYMR) appears near the top of TipRanks’ pre‑market list, up roughly 9% to the low‑$70s. [30]
The move builds on:
- Recent announcements that Kymera will present new data for KT‑621 in moderate‑to‑severe atopic dermatitis at a key December meeting, with investor attention focused on whether its targeted protein degradation platform can generate strong, durable efficacy with manageable safety. [31]
- Valuation work from Simply Wall St and other analysts, which shows upside if the pipeline delivers, but also highlights clinical and execution risk typical of early‑stage biotech. [32]
With no full top‑line published yet this morning, the pre‑market gain looks like speculative positioning ahead of the readout, rather than a reaction to new numbers.
Dyne Therapeutics (DYN): muscular disease data in focus
Dyne Therapeutics (NASDAQ: DYN) is up about 8–9% pre‑market in the TipRanks ranks. [33]
- Dyne is preparing to share results from its Phase 1/2 DELIVER trial, which evaluates an antisense oligonucleotide candidate in a neuromuscular disease setting (Duchenne muscular dystrophy). [34]
- Recent analyses highlight the stock’s high event‑risk profile but also the asymmetric potential if data support moving into later‑stage development. [35]
Today’s early bid reflects investors clustering ahead of a binary clinical catalyst. If results or guidance disappoint later in the day or this week, that move can reverse quickly.
Ocular Therapeutix (OCUL): NDA push for AXPAXLI
Ocular Therapeutix (NASDAQ: OCUL) is higher by roughly 9–10% pre‑market, with shares in the mid‑teens. [36]
Key context:
- The company is preparing an NDA filing for AXPAXLI (OTX‑TKI) in wet age‑related macular degeneration (wet AMD), after positive Phase 3 data from the SOL‑1 trial that indicated durable vision outcomes with fewer injections. [37]
- A December 5 inducement‑grant press release isn’t material by itself, but signals active hiring and build‑out ahead of potential commercialization. [38]
The combination of late‑stage ophthalmology data and an upcoming NDA is making OCUL a magnet for biotech‑focused traders this morning.
Arcellx (ACLX) and Ultragenyx (RARE): oncology and rare‑disease momentum
Arcellx (NASDAQ: ACLX) and Ultragenyx (NASDAQ: RARE) are also in TipRanks’ top ten, each up around 6–8% pre‑market. [39]
- Arcellx: Recent Phase 2 results from the iMMagine‑1 trial in multiple myeloma showed very high response rates for its cell therapy candidate, underpinning continued buy‑the‑dip interest even amid volatility. [40]
- Ultragenyx: The company’s Q3 2025 results and pipeline updates (including gene‑therapy and metabolic programs) have reinforced its positioning as a high‑risk, high‑reward rare‑disease platform, even while it remains loss‑making. [41]
Together with smaller jumpers like Immix Biopharma (IMMX) and Biodexa Pharmaceuticals (BDRX) on the StockAnalysis list, the tape shows broad speculative interest in high‑beta biotech going into the Fed meeting. [42]
AI & chips: Micron, Broadcom, Teradyne, ON and Coherent
On the large‑cap side, AI hardware and test equipment remain a major driver of pre‑market strength.
Micron (MU): riding the AI memory super‑cycle
Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) appears among Investing.com’s top pre‑market gainers, up around 1.8–2% to the low‑$240s after a 4.7% surge Friday. [43]
Recent analyses highlight that:
- Micron just delivered record Q4 FY2025 revenue of $11.32B, up about 46% year‑on‑year, and full‑year revenue of $37.4B, up nearly 49%, driven by AI‑focused DRAM and high‑bandwidth memory (HBM). [44]
- Management is shutting down the consumer “Crucial” brand by early 2026 to reallocate capacity toward higher‑margin AI data‑center memory. [45]
- HBM capacity is reportedly sold out through 2026, and several banks have pushed price targets as high as $338 per share. [46]
Today’s modest pre‑market gain thus looks like continuation buying in one of 2025’s flagship AI infrastructure winners, as investors bet the memory up‑cycle still has room to run despite rich valuations.
Broadcom (AVGO): expectations build ahead of earnings
Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) is up a little over 1% pre‑market around the high‑$390s. [47]
- Broadcom reports fiscal Q4 results later this week, with derivatives markets pricing in an ~8% move either way after the print, according to recent analysis. [48]
- UBS just raised its price target to $472 and kept a Buy rating, calling it one of the most profitable large‑cap tech stocks. [49]
AI custom chips, networking, and software still anchor the bull case, and today’s pre‑market bounce reflects positioning ahead of earnings more than new incremental news.
Teradyne (TER) and ON Semiconductor (ON): AI test and power chips
Teradyne (NASDAQ: TER) and ON Semiconductor (NASDAQ: ON) also feature on the large‑cap pre‑market list. [50]
- Teradyne has been hitting all‑time highs near $192, after a series of analyst upgrades that boosted price targets to as high as $225, citing strong demand for test equipment used in AI and custom ASICs. [51]
- ON Semiconductor is in focus after detailing $200–300M of restructuring costs tied to realigning its portfolio, while still benefiting from demand in EVs and power electronics. [52]
Both names are levered to the AI and electrification themes, and today’s modest pre‑market gains look like part of a broader risk‑on rotation into cyclical semis.
Coherent (COHR): lasers and optics for AI and industrials
Coherent (NYSE: COHR) also appears in TipRanks’ top pre‑market list, up roughly 5%. [53]
The stock has been riding a narrative around optical components for AI data centers, industrial lasers, and communications, where investors see potential upside if AI infrastructure spending broadens beyond a handful of mega‑caps. Even without a single fresh headline this morning, COHR is benefiting from sympathy moves alongside MU, AVGO, and other AI hardware plays. [54]
Lithium, autos and infrastructure: Albemarle, GM and Quanta Services
Albemarle (ALB): lithium upgrade fuels pre‑market bounce
Albemarle (NYSE: ALB) is up about 4% pre‑market near $130, extending a multi‑day rally. [55]
Key drivers:
- UBS upgraded Albemarle to “Buy” from “Neutral”, lifting its price target from $107 to $185, and arguing that lithium prices are likely to move into deficit from the second half of 2026, which would support higher earnings. [56]
- The company has been selling non‑core stakes (Ketjen and Eurecat) for roughly $660M and highlighted improved Q3 results, while analysts debate whether the market is underestimating long‑term energy‑storage demand. [57]
At the same time, Simply Wall St models project revenue needing to grow ~11.5% annually to 2028 to justify current long‑term earnings assumptions — with lithium price volatility remaining the central risk. [58]
Today’s pre‑market move is essentially the market repricing ALB for a more bullish lithium scenario, though opinions on fair value remain sharply divided.
General Motors (GM): riding a profitability rebuilding story
General Motors (NYSE: GM) is about 1.5–1.7% higher pre‑market, adding to a strong multi‑month trend. [59]
Recent coverage points out that:
- GM recently hit a new 12‑month high, helped by a Q3 earnings beat and full‑year EPS guidance of $9.75–10.50, above many prior expectations. [60]
- Management targets 8–10% North American operating margins, driven by tariff optimization, warranty cost control, and a more disciplined EV rollout. [61]
With Carvana suddenly valued above both GM and Ford, some investors are rediscovering traditional automakers as “value plus restructuring” plays in a market obsessed with high‑growth disruption.
Quanta Services (PWR): grid and data‑center infrastructure
Quanta Services (NYSE: PWR) is also in the Investing.com pre‑market gainer pack, up around 1.6% to the high‑$460s. [62]
- A recent analysis highlights Quanta’s double‑digit revenue and EPS growth, plus a record ~$39.2B backlog, driven by transmission, renewable energy, and data‑center‑linked grid projects. [63]
In an AI‑ and electrification‑driven cycle, Quanta is increasingly seen as critical “picks and shovels” infrastructure, and today’s pre‑market uptick continues that thesis.
Robinhood (HOOD): crypto‑linked risk appetite and global expansion
Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ: HOOD) is trading roughly 2% higher pre‑market, after a remarkable year in which the stock is up well over 250%, heavily tracking the bull market in equities and crypto. [64]
Several fresh December 8 analyses and news items frame the story:
- Jim Cramer recently commented that Robinhood “goes higher” because it’s seen as a proxy for younger retail investors, noting a roughly 267% gain in the shares. [65]
- A detailed business‑outlook piece from Gotrade notes that:
- Funded customers grew 10% YoY to 26.8 million in Q3.
- Robinhood Gold membership jumped 77%, adding 1.7M new members, which boosts recurring subscription revenue.
- Transaction revenue rose about 129% year‑on‑year to $730M, with crypto trading revenue up roughly 300% to $268M. [66]
- Separately, Robinhood announced it is entering Indonesia by acquiring a local broker and crypto firm, tapping into a market with tens of millions of capital‑market and crypto investors, pending regulatory approval. [67]
The stock now trades at a premium P/E near the mid‑50s, and several commentators warn that sustaining this valuation requires continued bull markets in both equities and crypto, as well as successful diversification into more traditional financial services. [68]
Today’s pre‑market gain fits a broader pattern: when risk appetite and Bitcoin are firm into a Fed meeting, Robinhood tends to catch a bid. [69]
Macro backdrop: Fed week, falling PCE, and global risk‑on
All of this pre‑market action sits on top of a macro narrative that’s helping risk assets:
- U.S. PCE inflation data came in softer than expected, reinforcing expectations for a quarter‑point Fed cut this week, the last meeting of 2025. [70]
- U.S. stock futures are slightly higher, with Nasdaq and S&P 500 futures up between 0.16–0.25% early Monday. [71]
- Global markets are mixed but generally constructive, and Bitcoin is consolidating above $90,000 after a burst of weekend volatility as crypto traders also watch the Fed. [72]
In short, risk sentiment is positive but fragile, which tends to favor high‑beta names — exactly the kind that dominate today’s pre‑market gainers lists.
How traders and investors might think about today’s pre‑market leaders
Again, this is not investment advice, but here are some practical lenses for interpreting today’s moves:
- Differentiate between “event‑driven” and “noise‑driven” moves
- Names like CFLT, CVNA, FULC, ALB, MU and HOOD clearly tie back to concrete news or data (M&A talks, index inclusion, trial results, analyst upgrades, or macro themes).
- Micro‑caps like CETX, TWG, PAVS are seeing outsized percentage gains on low float and thin liquidity; fundamentals may not have shifted nearly as much as the price.
- Check liquidity and spreads before trading pre‑market
- Many of the biggest percentage movers trade hundreds of thousands, not tens of millions, of shares pre‑market. Execution risk and slippage can be extreme compared with regular hours. [73]
- Be mindful of binary catalysts
- Biotech names like DYN, KYMR, OCUL, ACLX, RARE are often moving ahead of data, not after it, which means outcomes can radically reverse intraday as trial details emerge. [74]
- Recognize when you’re trading flows rather than value
- Carvana is rallying partly because index funds must buy it.
- CFLT is repricing toward a potential IBM takeout, and the spread vs. rumored deal value can widen or narrow as confidence shifts. [75]
- Zoom out to the Fed and macro picture
- With a Fed cut largely priced in, surprises on the rate path, dot plot, or Powell’s tone could reverse today’s pre‑market optimism later in the week, especially in crowded trades like AI, crypto, and speculative biotech. [76]
Final word
Today’s pre‑market tape for December 8, 2025 is a snapshot of the market’s current obsessions:
- AI data and infrastructure (IBM–Confluent, Micron, Broadcom, Coherent)
- Index reshuffles and “comeback” stories (Carvana, GM)
- High‑risk biotech innovation (Fulcrum, Kymera, Dyne, Ocular, Arcellx, Ultragenyx)
- Lithium and electrification (Albemarle, Quanta)
- Retail‑trading leverage to crypto and meme‑style risk (Robinhood)
As always, pre‑market price action is only the opening chapter of the day’s story. Traders and investors should track how these narratives evolve once full liquidity arrives and as the Fed meeting approaches mid‑week.
References
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