As U.S. investors head into a crucial Federal Reserve week, trading activity is clustering around a familiar set of mega-cap tech names, AI chipmakers, streaming giants and high‑beta fintech stocks. Real‑time “most active stocks today” lists for U.S. markets show Nvidia (NVDA), Tesla (TSLA), Meta Platforms (META), Netflix (NFLX), Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Broadcom (AVGO), Amazon (AMZN), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), SoFi (SOFI), Micron (MU), Intel (INTC), Oracle (ORCL), Coinbase (COIN) and Robinhood (HOOD) among the most heavily traded names by both volume and dollar value on Monday, December 8, 2025. [1]
Below is a breakdown of what’s driving today’s activity, plus how Wall Street is framing the outlook for these high‑traffic tickers.
Macro backdrop: Fed week, easing worries and risk‑on tone
U.S. stock futures were modestly higher early Monday, with Nasdaq 100, S&P 500 and Dow futures up roughly 0.25%, 0.16% and 0.02% respectively as traders focus on the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting starting December 9. Markets are pricing in about an 88% probability of a 25‑basis‑point rate cut, according to CME FedWatch, after softer‑than‑expected core PCE inflation data last week. [2]
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq each logged a four‑day winning streak into Friday and sit within about 1% of record highs. Meanwhile, the 10‑year Treasury yield is hovering around 4.14%, crude oil is near $60 per barrel, and spot gold is trading just above $4,200 an ounce.
Risk appetite is also visible in crypto: Bitcoin is trading above $91,000, with the broader crypto market up just over 1% in the past 24 hours, as traders bet that easier Fed policy could extend the digital‑asset rebound. [3]
This risk‑on but cautious backdrop is shaping where liquidity concentrates — and today, that’s in AI chips, streaming media, big‑tech platforms, and fintech names tied to retail trading and crypto.
Where the volume is: Today’s most active U.S. stocks
Different platforms rank “most active stocks” by share volume or by dollar volume:
- By share volume across all U.S. exchanges, lists from StockAnalysis show Paranovus Entertainment (PAVS) at the top, followed by Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), iRobot (IRBT), Nvidia (NVDA), SoFi (SOFI), Inno Holdings (INHD), Netflix (NFLX), BigBear.ai (BBAI), Intel (INTC), Plug Power (PLUG), American Airlines (AAL) and others. WBD alone is trading nearly 200 million shares, with NFLX above 130 million shares. [4]
- By dollar volume, TradingView’s “Most actively traded U.S. stocks” screen highlights Nvidia, Tesla, Meta Platforms, Netflix, Apple, Microsoft, Broadcom, Amazon, AMD, Palantir, Oracle, Micron, Intel, SoFi, Robinhood, Walmart, Costco, JPMorgan, Coinbase and more — all seeing billions of dollars’ worth of shares change hands. [5]
In other words, today’s most active stocks are not just penny stocks and micro‑caps. The heavyweights that dominate AI, cloud, streaming and fintech are also where the biggest flows are.
AI chipmakers and data‑center plays: NVDA, AVGO, AMD, MU, INTC
Nvidia (NVDA): AI leader remains at the center of the trade
Nvidia is again one of the most actively traded stocks in the U.S., with intraday volume around 140 million shares and the stock hovering near $180–185, down slightly on the day. [6]
Key drivers today:
- A fresh Motley Fool analysis asks whether investors should still “buy Nvidia stock hand over fist” before year‑end, noting Nvidia’s stellar multi‑year performance but more mixed historical returns in December. [7]
- Another recent forecast argues Nvidia could surpass $300 per share in 2026, citing the durability of AI demand and the company’s dominant GPU position. [8]
- Regulatory filings from MarketBeat show some asset managers trimming NVDA positions while others are adding, underscoring how institutional investors are rebalancing around a high‑conviction but richly valued AI name. [9]
Combined, those factors keep NVDA at the heart of both speculative and long‑term AI positioning — and firmly on today’s most‑active lists.
Broadcom (AVGO): AI infrastructure plus earnings countdown
Broadcom is trading actively around $390–395, up roughly 2–3%, with volume close to 25 million shares — a large move for a trillion‑dollar‑plus semiconductor and infrastructure giant. [10]
What’s driving the interest:
- UBS recently raised its price target to $472 and reiterated a Buy rating, pointing to Broadcom’s status as one of the most profitable AI‑linked chipmakers. [11]
- Broadcom reports fiscal Q4 results on December 11, with options markets implying roughly an ±8% move on earnings — a big catalyst that tends to attract event‑driven traders. [12]
- Commentary from AI‑focused analysts highlights Broadcom’s role in custom ASICs and its deepening partnership around Google’s TPU chips, framing AVGO as an “AI infrastructure backbone” rather than just one more chip stock. [13]
Those expectations, paired with elevated implied volatility, are pushing AVGO into the upper tier of today’s most‑active names.
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD): Chasing Nvidia with aggressive AI roadmap
AMD is trading around $215–220, modestly higher on the day, on volume north of 30 million shares.
Key themes:
- Analysts and company commentary are emphasizing AMD’s forthcoming Helios AI architecture and its push to capture a double‑digit share of what could become a $1 trillion data‑center TAM by 2030.
- A new MarketBeat note on Monday details institutional shifts in AMD holdings and highlights recent target price hikes up to $310 from HSBC and even higher from other brokers, reinforcing a broadly bullish street view.
- Earlier this month, coverage focused on AMD’s “half‑price cloud” strategy versus Nvidia — effectively undercutting NVDA pricing in certain cloud AI deployments to win market share.
The result is heavy two‑way flow: investors positioning for an AI “supercycle” while also weighing execution and valuation risk.
Micron Technology (MU): Memory becomes an AI story
Micron is among today’s notable gainers and most active names, with shares around $235–240, up roughly 4–5%, and strong intraday volume.
Catalysts:
- Fresh coverage from multiple outlets highlights Micron’s record revenue and its pivot toward high‑bandwidth memory (HBM) and AI data‑center solutions as the key growth engine.
- The company is exiting its Crucial consumer memory business to focus on higher‑margin AI chips, a shift that has been welcomed by many analysts.
- MarketBeat filings show large institutions actively trading the name, with California’s public employees’ retirement system and others adjusting positions at prices around $210–$220.
As investors look beyond GPUs to the broader AI hardware stack, MU has quietly become a core “AI infrastructure” play — and the volume today reflects that.
Intel (INTC): Foundry hopes vs. lingering skepticism
Intel trades heavily today with volume above 100 million shares, changing hands around the low $40s. [14]
Recent developments:
- Intel recently reported earnings that beat expectations and guided modestly higher for Q4, but the stock still carries a “Reduce” consensus rating with an average target near $35, below current levels — a sign many analysts see limited upside from here.
- A series of articles continues to debate Intel’s long‑term AI positioning, with bulls focusing on its contract chipmaking / foundry business and potential new tier‑one customers, while bears question whether its big capital expenditures will generate sufficient returns.
That tension between an improving story and skepticism on execution helps explain why INTC is both active and volatile heading into the Fed meeting.
Big‑tech platforms: MSFT, AAPL, META, AMZN
Microsoft (MSFT): Monetizing AI at scale
Microsoft is trading near $480–485, modestly higher on the day, with volume in the low 20‑million‑share range. [15]
What’s in focus:
- Barclays reaffirmed an Overweight rating and flagged “strong monetization potential” from Microsoft’s AI offerings, particularly Copilot‑enabled Office and Azure services. [16]
- Fresh 13F filings show institutional holders like Dorsey & Whitney Trust and Empowered Funds increasing their MSFT positions, a sign that large asset managers still see Microsoft as a core AI compounder. [17]
- A pre‑market note specifically framed “What to know before the market opens” for MSFT today, underlining its role as a bellwether ahead of the Fed and a relatively defensive way to play AI. TechStock²
Apple (AAPL): iPhone 17 and the next AI upgrade cycle
Apple is slightly lower today, trading around $280 after recent gains, on active but not extreme volume. [18]
Drivers:
- Star tech analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush lifted his price target on AAPL to $350, implying about 26% upside, citing strong early demand for iPhone 17 and a coming AI‑driven hardware upgrade cycle. [19]
- Other brokers, including Bank of America and Tigress Financial, have also raised targets into the low‑$300s and maintained “Buy” or “Strong‑Buy” ratings. [20]
- At the same time, some institutional investors are trimming positions — MarketBeat notes reduced stakes from certain large holders — demonstrating that even high‑conviction winners see rotation. [21]
The push‑pull between profit‑taking and bullish AI‑upgrade narratives is keeping Apple firmly on traders’ radar.
Meta Platforms (META): Heavy AI and metaverse spend, but still in demand
Meta is trading actively around the low $670s, up about 1–2% on the day. [22]
Narrative today:
- Meta has guided 2025 capex up to $70–72 billion, with heavy spending on AI infrastructure and Reality Labs mixed‑reality projects — which has worried some investors but is still broadly supported by analysts expecting strong long‑term returns. [23]
- While several brokers have trimmed price targets (often still with “Overweight” ratings), new filings show funds like Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel boosting their META holdings by nearly 38%, underscoring continuing institutional conviction. [24]
With Meta remaining a top beneficiary of AI‑driven ad optimization and content recommendation, it’s no surprise to see it among today’s most active large‑cap tech names.
Amazon (AMZN): AI, retail and cloud all in one
Amazon is trading around $230, up slightly, with volume above 30 million shares. [25]
What traders are watching:
- New 13F filings show Empowered Funds and other institutional players sharply increasing their AMZN stakes, making the stock one of their top positions. [26]
- Jim Cramer recently criticized the post‑re:Invent sell‑off as “ridiculous,” arguing that Amazon’s new AI agent capabilities could modernize retail and logistics from top to bottom. [27]
- Fresh analysis asks if investors should “buy Amazon before 2025 is over,” noting that while AMZN has lagged the S&P 500 this year, long‑term cloud and retail AI opportunities remain significant. [28]
As with Microsoft, Amazon’s combination of cloud, AI and e‑commerce ensures deep liquidity and constant debate — perfect ingredients for high trading activity.
Streaming & media: Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery dominate the tape
Netflix (NFLX) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD): A mega‑deal in the spotlight
The single biggest story driving today’s volume is Netflix’s agreement to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming business, including HBO, in a deal valued at around $82–83 billion (enterprise value), or roughly $27.75 per WBD share in cash and stock. [29]
Market reaction:
- WBD is among the top U.S. volume leaders, trading nearly 200 million shares and rising about 6% as shareholders effectively receive a large premium and ownership in a combined streaming powerhouse. [30]
- NFLX volumes are also elevated above 130 million shares, with the stock down around 3% as investors digest the price tag, leverage and regulatory risk. [31]
Key debate points:
- Morningstar and other analysts argue the deal could reshape the entertainment industry, but warn that Netflix may trade at a valuation discount until the market sees a clear deleveraging path and regulatory clarity.
- Official announcements highlight that the transaction is expected to close after WBD completes a previously announced spin‑off of its Global Networks business in 2026.
- Politically, the deal has already drawn attention: reports indicate former President Trump has said he expects to be involved in reviewing the merger, and separate coverage notes that Netflix’s market share could raise antitrust concerns.
Taken together, it’s a classic event‑driven setup: huge strategic implications, complex financing, and real regulatory risk — exactly the kind of cocktail that pushes both WBD and NFLX to the very top of today’s most‑active lists.
Fintech and crypto proxies: SoFi, Robinhood and Coinbase
SoFi Technologies (SOFI): Big equity raise hits the stock
SoFi is one of the most heavily traded U.S. stocks today, with volume around 135–140 million shares and the stock down about 6% to the high‑$20s.
The catalyst is straightforward:
- SoFi is closing a $1.5 billion underwritten public offering of roughly 54.5 million shares of common stock today, with underwriters having a 30‑day option to buy an additional ~8.2 million shares.
- The company plans to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, including bolstering capital, adding flexibility and funding growth opportunities.
Large secondary offerings often weigh on share prices in the short term, but they also tend to concentrate trading, as new investors step in while others take profits or adjust risk.
Robinhood (HOOD): Global expansion plus meme‑stock sentiment
Robinhood is also a fixture on today’s active lists, with heavy dollar volume and a modest price decline of about 3–4%.
Drivers:
- The company is entering Indonesia by acquiring two local regulated fintech firms, giving it an instant footprint in a fast‑growing, crypto‑friendly market.
- Jim Cramer recently called Robinhood a proxy for “all the young investors,” suggesting its share price often reflects sentiment among the app’s retail user base as much as fundamentals.
That combination of global expansion, crypto exposure and meme‑stock history makes HOOD a natural magnet for speculative flows when markets are risk‑on.
Coinbase (COIN): Riding Bitcoin back above $90k
While not always at the very top of the volume leaderboard, Coinbase is trading actively as Bitcoin’s surge above $91,000 reignites interest in crypto‑linked equities.
Recent analysis from Zacks points to:
- Stronger‑than‑expected earnings this year, but an expected dip in profitability in FY26 as Coinbase spends heavily on expansion and product development — though EPS estimates are still drifting higher.
COIN effectively functions as a listed proxy for crypto adoption, so it tends to feature prominently anytime Bitcoin makes a decisive move, as it has this week.
High‑growth AI software: Palantir in the spotlight
Palantir (PLTR) is another AI‑driven name drawing significant trading interest today.
Key points:
- The stock has more than doubled year‑to‑date in 2025, fueled by enthusiasm for its AI‑driven data‑mining platforms and strong reported growth.
- Palantir is teaming up with Nvidia and CenterPoint Energy on a “Chain Reaction” software platform designed to speed up construction and optimization of power‑intensive AI data centers, tying it directly into the physical infrastructure that supports AI compute.
- Several analysts have recently raised price targets into the $170–200 range, and bullish scenario analyses circulating online project potential prices above $200 by late 2025 — though those forecasts come with high uncertainty.
With that backdrop, PLTR is a classic example of how the “AI narrative” is now extending well beyond chipmakers to software and infrastructure orchestration.
Oracle (ORCL): Big backlog, big expectations
Oracle is also very active today as traders position ahead of its Q2 FY26 earnings, scheduled for December 10 after the close.
Highlights:
- Options markets are pricing in roughly an 11% move around earnings, according to TipRanks, reflecting the potential for a meaningful surprise.
- Bullish analysts emphasize Oracle’s massive $500+ billion backlog, including about $65 billion in cloud deals signed in just the last three months, much of it tied to OpenAI‑related workloads.
- Others flag valuation concerns and have trimmed price targets, even while maintaining “Buy” ratings.
That mix of strong fundamentals, concentration risk (OpenAI) and high expectations is generating significant positioning ahead of Wednesday’s earnings release.
What today’s most active stocks signal for investors
Across sectors, today’s most active U.S. stocks are sending a few clear messages about where the market’s attention is:
- AI remains the core narrative.
From Nvidia, Broadcom, AMD and Micron on the hardware side to Microsoft, Meta, Palantir and Oracle on the software and cloud side, AI‑related names dominate both volume and headlines. - Event‑driven catalysts are driving outsized flows.
- The Netflix–Warner Bros. Discovery mega‑deal is reshaping the media landscape and creating huge two‑way trade in NFLX and WBD.
- SoFi’s $1.5 billion equity raise and Oracle’s upcoming earnings are similarly pulling in short‑term traders.
- Crypto and retail risk appetite are alive and well.
Bitcoin above $91,000, combined with active trading in Coinbase and Robinhood, shows that speculative sentiment is far from dead, even after a volatile year. - Fed expectations are supportive — for now.
With markets widely expecting a quarter‑point rate cut this week and indexes near record highs, dips in many of these names are being treated more as opportunities to trade around catalysts than as the start of a broader risk‑off move.
Final word and disclaimer
Today’s most active U.S. stocks are clustered around a few powerful themes: AI infrastructure, streaming consolidation, fintech and crypto, and mega‑cap cloud platforms. High volume doesn’t automatically mean a stock is a buy or a sell — it simply tells you where liquidity and attention are concentrated right now.
If you’re considering trading any of these names, it’s important to:
- Look beyond the day’s headlines to underlying earnings, balance sheets and valuations.
- Understand the specific catalysts and timelines (earnings dates, deal approvals, secondary offerings, regulatory risks).
- Size positions appropriately for your risk tolerance and investment horizon.
References
1. stockanalysis.com, 2. www.investopedia.com, 3. www.livemint.com, 4. stockanalysis.com, 5. www.tradingview.com, 6. www.tradingview.com, 7. www.fool.com, 8. www.nasdaq.com, 9. www.marketbeat.com, 10. www.tradingview.com, 11. www.insidermonkey.com, 12. www.tipranks.com, 13. www.ainvest.com, 14. stockanalysis.com, 15. www.tradingview.com, 16. www.insidermonkey.com, 17. www.marketbeat.com, 18. robinhood.com, 19. www.benzinga.com, 20. www.marketbeat.com, 21. www.marketbeat.com, 22. robinhood.com, 23. seekingalpha.com, 24. www.marketbeat.com, 25. www.tradingview.com, 26. www.marketbeat.com, 27. www.insidermonkey.com, 28. www.aol.com, 29. www.investopedia.com, 30. stockanalysis.com, 31. www.tradingview.com
