NEW YORK, Feb 8, 2026, 07:00 EST — Market shut its doors.
- BigBear.ai bounced back Friday, closing the week with strong gains following a steep drop earlier.
- Traders loaded up on call options, tilting the flow in that direction—betting on further gains.
- The next immediate flashpoint: shareholders are set to vote on authorized shares Feb. 18.
BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. finished Friday up 15.7% at $4.72, recouping a slice of the week’s declines after getting hit by two sharp selloffs. Shares barely budged after hours. 1
The rebound is notable—BBAI’s turned into a rapid-fire trading play, reacting sharply to even minor headlines, with options offering plenty of leverage. U.S. markets go dark for the weekend, so traders are eyeing whether Friday’s action sticks once liquidity comes back on Monday.
U.S. stocks bounced Friday, snapping back as traders dove back into AI-related shares and semis following recent losses. The Dow pushed past 50,000 for the first time ever. Software players like Palantir and CrowdStrike also staged a comeback alongside the broader tech space. 2
On Friday, traders piled into call options for BigBear.ai, with the put/call ratio coming in notably low, per a GuruFocus breakdown of options activity. That ratio, measuring puts against calls, suggested call buyers clearly outnumbered those picking up puts. 3
After slipping for two sessions, the stock snapped back on Friday but remains a bit below where it started the week. Roughly 56 million shares changed hands, matching the brisk trading pace that’s turned BBAI into a favorite among fast-moving traders. 4
Company headlines haven’t faded from view. BigBear.ai, at the end of last month, announced a strategic tie-up with Maqta Technologies, the digital arm of AD Ports Group, eyeing new AI-driven systems for customs and border ops. “This partnership combines BigBear.ai’s extensive domain expertise in AI and customs with AD Ports Group’s global leadership in ports management and logistics,” CEO Kevin McAleenan said in the release. 5
BigBear.ai in January picked up select CargoSeer technologies geared toward boosting cargo scanning and trade-risk management in customs, though financial details weren’t released. CargoSeer CEO and co-founder David Smason said their tech should “scale rapidly” inside BigBear.ai. McAleenan characterized the purchase as a move that aligns with the company’s customs modernization plans. 6
Corporate moves are taking the spotlight for now. BigBear.ai is pushing to double its authorized common shares, from 500 million to 1 billion, according to a recent filing. Shareholders will vote at a special meeting set for Feb. 18, while the company’s voting site lists an online deadline of 11:59 p.m. ET on Feb. 17. 7
That vote isn’t a one-way street. Authorizing more shares hands a company extra leeway, whether it’s stock for employee compensation, acquisitions, or raising new funds. On the flip side, though, it can easily trigger dilution worries among investors if they suspect new shares are about to hit the market—particularly for a stock known for sudden swings.
Insider filings have surfaced lately, too. According to a recent Form 4, McAleenan had some shares withheld, covering taxes on vesting restricted stock units. The shares were logged at $6.26 apiece. 8
Once trading picks back up, eyes will be on AI and defense-tech stocks for any momentum carryover, plus any new details tied to the share authorization plan. The key date ahead: the Feb. 18 shareholder meeting.
