U.S. stocks traded mostly flat on Monday as Wall Street headed into a crucial Federal Reserve meeting, but under the surface the tape was anything but quiet. While the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average hovered around unchanged and the Nasdaq 100 eked out a small gain, small‑cap and high‑beta names ripped higher, led by a wave of biotech catalysts and a blockbuster AI‑data takeover.
According to StockAnalysis.com’s real‑time “Gainers Today” screen, Cemtrex, Structure Therapeutics, Wave Life Sciences, Fulcrum Therapeutics and iBio sat atop the leaderboard by early afternoon, each posting gains of nearly 50% or more. Many of the day’s biggest movers were driven by fresh clinical‑trial data, licensing deals or M&A headlines released Monday, December 8, 2025.
Below is a breakdown of the top U.S. stock gainers today, why they’re moving, and what analysts are signaling about their outlooks.
Market snapshot: Calm indexes, wild winners
- Indexes: As of an intraday snapshot, the S&P 500 and Dow were down about 0.03%, while the Nasdaq 100 was up roughly 0.07%. The Russell 2000 small‑cap index outperformed with a gain of about 0.55%, underscoring the risk‑on tilt into smaller, more volatile names.
- Macro backdrop: Global equities were broadly steady as investors looked ahead to the Fed’s final meeting of 2025, where markets broadly expect a modest rate cut following softer U.S. PCE inflation readings.
That combination—stable macro, easing‑bias Fed, and investors hunting for “event” stories—helped fuel dramatic moves in a handful of individual stocks.
Today’s 15 biggest U.S. stock gainers (intraday snapshot)
From StockAnalysis’ U.S. market movers page (all data intraday, Monday, December 8, 2025):
- Cemtrex (NASDAQ: CETX) – +134.5% to $7.20
- Structure Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GPCR) – +97.0% to $68.08
- Wave Life Sciences (NASDAQ: WVE) – +92.1% to $14.39
- Fulcrum Therapeutics (NASDAQ: FULC) – +54.5% to $13.75
- iBio (NYSEAM: IBIO) – +47.5% to $1.77
- Top Wealth Group (NASDAQ: TWG) – +44.8% to $8.70
- Kymera Therapeutics (NASDAQ: KYMR) – +44.5% to $96.27
- Paranovus Entertainment Technology (NASDAQ: PAVS) – +42.9% to $0.0523
- SU Group Holdings (NASDAQ: SUGP) – +37.1% to $7.68
- Biodexa Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: BDRX) – +30.8% to $6.59
- Immutep (NASDAQ: IMMP) – +28.9% to $2.32
- Confluent (NASDAQ: CFLT) – +28.5% to $29.74
- HWH International (NASDAQ: HWH) – +26.2% to $2.31
- Ocular Therapeutix (NASDAQ: OCUL) – +23.2% to $15.50
- Murano Global Investments (NASDAQ: MRNO) – +20.5% to $2.00
The common threads: obesity drugs, immunology, oncology, and generative‑AI infrastructure.
Obesity and metabolic drugs steal the show
Structure Therapeutics (GPCR): Oral GLP‑1 data lights up the stock
Move: GPCR jumped roughly 97% to about $68, making it one of the day’s most explosive large‑cap gainers.
Catalyst: Before the U.S. market open, Structure Therapeutics released Phase 2 data from its ACCESS clinical program for aleniglipron, a once‑daily oral GLP‑1 receptor agonist targeting obesity.
Key points from the ACCESS program:
- In the Phase 2b trial, 120 mg aleniglipron delivered double‑digit placebo‑adjusted mean weight loss at 36 weeks.
- In the ACCESS II exploratory study, a 240 mg dose achieved over 15% placebo‑adjusted mean weight loss (about 35.5 lbs) at 36 weeks, with no clear plateau in weight loss at that point.
- The company reported improved tolerability with a lower starting dose and no treatment discontinuations in the extension study at that starting level.
Structure plans to seek an End‑of‑Phase 2 meeting with the FDA in the first half of 2026 and aims to begin Phase 3 trials by mid‑2026.
Analyst outlook:
- MarketBeat and other forecast services show a 12‑month consensus price target in the high‑$60s and a rating between “Moderate Buy” and “Strong Buy.”
- Those targets were set before today’s near‑doubling; at an intraday price around $68, GPCR now trades very close to its prior consensus fair‑value band.
Why it matters: Aleniglipron’s data strengthens the narrative that oral GLP‑1s could expand the weight‑loss market beyond injectables, a core theme in healthcare investing heading into 2026.
Wave Life Sciences (WVE): Early obesity data boosts “first‑in‑class” story
Move: WVE shares surged over 90% to about $14.39, vaulting Wave into the top three U.S. gainers.
Catalyst: In a “Before the Bell” note, RTTNews reported positive interim results from Wave’s first‑in‑human INLIGHT trial for WVE‑007, its obesity candidate.
Highlights from the INLIGHT interim readout:
- A single 240 mg dose of WVE‑007 led to:
- 9.4% reduction in visceral fat,
- 4.5% reduction in total body fat,
- and a 3.2% increase in lean mass at three months versus baseline, with no comparable changes in placebo.
- The drug was generally safe and well‑tolerated, with only mild adverse events and no meaningful lab‑parameter changes.
- Wave plans Phase 2 trials of WVE‑007 both as a monotherapy and as an add‑on to injectable incretins, with additional INLIGHT data due in Q1 2026.
Analyst outlook:
- MarketBeat and other trackers show an average 12‑month price target around $19–20, implying meaningful upside from pre‑rally levels.
- Consensus ratings cluster around “Strong Buy.”
Given Monday’s 90%+ move, those targets will likely be revisited, but they underscore that WVE was already favored by Wall Street ahead of the obesity update.
Rare‑disease and immunology names surge
Fulcrum Therapeutics (FULC): Sickle‑cell bet draws aggressive targets
Move: Fulcrum climbed about 54% to $13.75, keeping it firmly in the day’s top five gainers.
Catalysts:
- GuruFocus and other outlets flagged Fulcrum’s rally on promising trial data for its genetic‑disease pipeline, including early‑stage work in sickle cell disease.
- On Monday morning, HC Wainwright reiterated a “Buy” rating and hiked its price target from $18 to $25, a 38.9% increase, citing improved conviction in Fulcrum’s long‑term opportunity.
Analyst outlook:
- Across nine covering analysts, GuruFocus reports an average one‑year target of about $15.11, with estimates spanning $5 to $23 and an overall “Outperform” / Moderate‑Buy profile. Those numbers were calculated at a reference price of $8.90, implying ~70% upside from pre‑rally levels.
After Monday’s jump into the mid‑teens, the gap to those targets has narrowed sharply, but sentiment remains broadly constructive.
Kymera Therapeutics (KYMR): Oral STAT6 degrader impresses
Move: KYMR gained about 44.5% to $96.27, landing it firmly among the top 10 movers.
Catalyst:
- Kymera released clinical results from its BroADen Phase 1b trial in atopic dermatitis for KT‑621, a first‑in‑class oral STAT6 degrader targeting Type 2 inflammatory diseases.
- TipRanks highlighted that KT‑621 matched or exceeded dupilumab’s efficacy after four weeks in certain measures, with no serious adverse events reported.
- Kymera has already started a Phase 2 trial in moderate‑to‑severe atopic dermatitis and plans a Phase 2b asthma study in early 2026, positioning KT‑621 as a potential oral alternative in a market dominated by injectables.
Analyst outlook:
- TipRanks data show a “Strong Buy” consensus based on 21 Buy ratings and an average price target of $76.35, which earlier in the day implied roughly 15% upside from pre‑market prices.
- With the stock now trading near $96, shares sit well above that average target, suggesting analysts may need to revisit their models—or investors may be pricing in more ambitious peak‑sales assumptions than Wall Street had penciled in.
Immutep (IMMP): Major oncology licensing deal
Move: IMMP advanced nearly 29% to $2.32, putting it just outside the top‑10 gainers list by percentage.
Catalyst:
- Immutep and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories announced a strategic licensing and commercialization deal for eftilagimod alfa (“efti”), an immunotherapy candidate for multiple cancers. The agreement grants Dr. Reddy’s exclusive rights in all regions outside North America, Europe, Japan and Greater China.
- Immutep will receive:
- $20 million upfront,
- up to $349.5 million in regulatory and commercial milestone payments, and
- double‑digit royalties on sales in the licensed territories.
The deal significantly strengthens Immutep’s cash position while preserving rights in key Western markets—a structure investors often view favorably for late‑stage biotech.
Biodexa Pharmaceuticals (BDRX): Thin float, Phase 3 visibility
Move: BDRX jumped about 31% to $6.59, on volume more than 40x its average.
Context:
- MarketBeat notes that Biodexa recently activated its first European sites and began enrolling patients into the pivotal Phase 3 Serenta trial in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), a rare genetic condition that dramatically raises colorectal‑cancer risk.
- Despite today’s powerful move, the stock still carries a consensus “Sell” rating, based on the limited analyst coverage it receives.
This combination—deep pipeline, very small market cap (around $4 million), and skeptical coverage—makes BDRX a classic high‑risk, high‑volatility biotech trade.
Confluent (CFLT): Biggest large‑cap winner on IBM’s $11B AI data deal
Move: Confluent shares rose around 28.5% to $29.74, making it the most prominent large‑cap gainer on U.S. exchanges today.
Catalyst:
- IBM announced it will acquire Confluent in an all‑cash deal valued at about $11 billion, paying $31 per share, a roughly 34% premium to Confluent’s last close.
- The move is aimed at strengthening IBM’s cloud and data infrastructure offerings as demand for real‑time data streams to power generative and agentic AI surges. Confluent specializes in streaming data based on Apache Kafka, widely used for processing banking transactions, web activity and other high‑volume event data.
- The deal is expected to close by mid‑2026, funded with IBM’s existing cash. IBM says it should be accretive to adjusted EBITDA in the first full year and to free cash flow in year two after closing.
Why it matters:
- The acquisition continues a multi‑year strategy under CEO Arvind Krishna to pivot IBM toward software and hybrid cloud, following deals like Red Hat and HashiCorp.
- Confluent’s premium take‑out reinforces investor interest in companies providing data “plumbing” for AI, a theme likely to remain central into 2026.
Consumer & specialty names: Caviar, insurance and eye‑disease bets
Top Wealth Group (TWG): From loss‑making to profitable
Move: TWG spiked about 45% to $8.70, after nearly doubling in pre‑market trade.
Catalyst:
- Top Wealth Group, a premium caviar and winery business, issued updated guidance for 2025, telling investors it now expects net profit of at least $4 million, versus a $2 million net loss in 2024.
- TipRanks notes that TWG said profit growth stems from “ongoing improvements across its business operations” but gave limited segment detail; importantly, the stock lacks significant analyst coverage, leaving traders to price the story largely on their own.
Thin liquidity and a sharply negative year‑to‑date performance have amplified today’s move, pushing the micro‑cap into day‑trader territory.
SU Group Holdings (SUGP) and Paranovus (PAVS): Micro‑cap volatility cluster
Moves:
- SUGP advanced about 37% to $7.68, after already appearing among pre‑market gainers with a 15% jump.
- PAVS rallied roughly 43% to just over 5 cents per share, on nearly 800 million shares traded—massive turnover relative to its small market cap.
Both companies have seen prior bouts of extreme volatility and corporate actions (including share consolidations and capital‑raising efforts) over the past year. Recent coverage highlights thin floats, limited institutional ownership and ongoing listing‑compliance pressures—classic ingredients for outsized percentage swings. [1]
Ocular Therapeutix (OCUL): Fast‑tracking an FDA filing
Move: OCUL gained more than 23% to $15.50.
Catalyst:
- Reuters, via a TradingView summary, reported that Ocular Therapeutix shares rose after the company said it plans to fast‑track a U.S. FDA filing for its eye‑disease therapy Axpaxli (for neovascular age‑related macular degeneration).
- TipRanks notes that while insider selling has weighed on sentiment in recent months, analysts remain generally optimistic on Axpaxli’s prospects, and the stock still carries a technical “Buy” signal with a market cap around $2.7–3.3 billion.
For investors, OCUL is a reminder that regulatory‑timeline headlines can move mid‑cap biotech stocks sharply even without full pivotal data in hand.
Cemtrex (CETX): Top percentage gainer with no fresh fundamental news
Move: CETX was the single biggest gainer, soaring about 135% to $7.20 on volume north of 49 million shares, versus a market cap of just $5.3 million.
Context:
- RTTNews flagged Cemtrex as the top pre‑market gainer, with the stock up over 280% before the opening bell.
- TradingView data show elevated volatility, a tiny market cap and technical indicators that still classify the stock as high‑risk and speculative, with no new fundamental filings cited Monday morning.
In other words: today’s move appears to be momentum‑driven in a thin, micro‑cap name rather than tied to a specific earnings or product event.
How to read today’s biggest gainers: 4 takeaways
- Differentiate “event‑driven” vs. “momentum‑driven” rallies
- Names like GPCR, WVE, FULC, KYMR, IMMP and OCUL are reacting to tangible news—trial data, licensing deals, or regulatory plans that change the underlying value story.
- Others—including CETX, SUGP, PAVS and some of the lower‑priced micro‑caps—are moving largely on liquidity and sentiment, where gains can evaporate quickly once buying pressure fades. [2]
- Biotech remains a source of both opportunity and risk
- Monday’s tape was dominated by obesity and immunology stories, continuing 2025’s trend of investors rewarding breakthrough trial readouts with huge one‑day pops.
- At the same time, data providers show that several of today’s big winners still carry highly speculative ratings, wide ranges of analyst targets, or even “Sell” consensus ratings in the case of BDRX—clear reminders of how binary biotech outcomes can be.
- AI data infrastructure continues to consolidate
- IBM’s $11 billion all‑cash takeover of Confluent highlights how major tech incumbents are willing to pay rich premiums for data streaming and governance platforms viewed as critical for enterprise AI.
- That dynamic could keep M&A premiums elevated in adjacent areas—observability, data‑quality tooling, and infrastructure software—well into 2026.
- Analyst forecasts lag fast‑moving prices
- For several names—GPCR, WVE, FULC, KYMR—today’s rallies have pushed share prices close to or even above prior 12‑month price targets, compressing the implied upside and increasing the importance of future data readouts.
- Investors tracking these moves should watch for analyst revision cycles over the coming days, as coverage is updated to reflect new information and price levels.
Bottom line
Today’s biggest U.S. stock gainers are a who’s‑who of 2025 market themes: obesity drugs, immune‑system modulators, oncology partnerships, and AI data infrastructure. While some moves are grounded in transformational clinical or M&A news, others are classic micro‑cap momentum spikes that can reverse with little warning.
For traders and longer‑term investors alike, the key is not just spotting the day’s largest percentage gain, but understanding the catalyst, the quality of the underlying business, and how current prices compare with realistic long‑term expectations.
This article is for informational and news purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Always do your own research or consult a licensed financial advisor before making investment decisions.
