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Here is a look at the most-searched stocks on Benzinga Pro for the month of December, ranked in order. Year-to-date values and the current price are calculated based on Dec. 31, 2022, and do not include dividends.
1. SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY
YTD Return: -20.0%
Market Cap: $357 billion assets under management
Current Price: $382.43
The leading ETF tracking the S&P 500 Index is widely seen as a gauge of overall market health and often used with top market-moving and macroeconomic news items. The ETF topped the list for many months in 2022 on Benzinga Pro, including in November.
2. Tesla Inc TSLA
YTD Return: -69.2%
Market Cap: $389 billion
Current Price: $123.18
Leading electric vehicle company Tesla ranked second for the second straight month. The stock hit new 52-week lows in December but was among the most searched tickers on Benzinga Pro as investors weighed if further downside was ahead.
3. Summit Therapeutics Inc SMMT
YTD Return: +50.7%
Market Cap: $897 million
Current Price: $4.25
Biopharmaceutical company Summit had a big December with the announcement of a licensing agreement for its cancer program that could be worth up to $5 billion. The stock was widely searched as the share price went from under $1 at the beginning of the month to over $5 during the month.
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4. Kala Pharmaceuticals Inc KALA
YTD Return: -44.3%
Market Cap: $61 million
Current Price: $38.15
For most of the month of December, shares of Kala Pharmaceuticals traded under $5. The company announced its investigational new drug application for KPI-012 had been accepted by the FDA late in the month and shares exploded into the double digits.
5. Ra Medical Systems Inc RMED
YTD Return: -93.0%
Market Cap: $13 million
Current Price: $5.89
Medical device company Ra Medical saw shares trade higher in December as the company regained compliance listing requirements. The result came after a reverse split happened in September.
6. IceCure Medical Ltd ICCM
YTD Return: -50%
Market Cap: $69 million
Current Price: $1.55
Medical device company IceCure Medical saw shares surge in December after reporting interim results for its ICESECRET study. The company develops and markets liquid-nitrogen-based cryoablation therapy called ProSense, used for the freezing of tumors.
7. Ambrx Biopharma Inc - ADR AMAM
YTD Return: -74.8%
Market Cap: $88 million
Current Price: $2.27
Shares of Ambrx were up over 400% in December after the company reported preliminary safety and efficacy data from its Phase 2 study for a treatment for breast cancer. The study showed no serious adverse events in patients. The company was expected to have several Phase 2 and Phase 3 results reported in 2023.
8. Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 QQQ
YTD Return: -33.7%
Market Cap: $146 billion assets under management
Current Price: $266.28
The only other returning stock in the top 10 from the month of November was the Invesco QQQ, which covered the Nasdaq 100 Index. With technology stocks continuing to slide into the end of the year, the ETF remained a popular search pick from investors.
9. Top Ships Inc TOPS
YTD Return: -93.1%
Market Cap: $13 million
Current Price: $1.27
Shares of oil tanker vessel company Top Ships continued their fall in December. The major news item from the company in the month was the announcement of pricing for a public offering. The company said it would offer 6.75 million units at a price of $2, with each unit representing one common share and a warrant to purchase a common share at an exercise price of $2.
10. Carvana Co CVNA
YTD Return: -98.0%
Market Cap: $906 million
Current Price: $4.74
Online car buying and selling platform Carvana saw shares continue their slide in December. Analysts weighed in with their thoughts on the company’s future, including Wedbush lowering the price target to $1 and citing a higher risk of bankruptcy.
Honorable Mentions: The following stocks were the 11th to 20th most-searched for on Benzinga Pro in December.
Pharvaris NV PHVS
Cosmos Health Inc COSM
Apple Inc AAPL
180 Life Sciences Corp ATNF
TG Therapeutics Inc TGTX
Nkarta Inc NKTX
Camber Energy Inc CEI
Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN
AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc AMC
HTG Molecular Diagnostics Inc HTGM
The top searched-for stocks on Benzinga Pro in December were different than in past months with many small cap biotechnology stocks with catalysts during the month and volatile shares making their way on the list.
Only the SPY, Tesla and Invesco QQQ returned from the November top 10. Outside of the top 10, Apple and Amazon joined the top 20, after ranking fourth and third, respectively, in the month of November.
For more insights into what Benzinga readers are searching for and stocks seeing increased sentiment, check out the recently launched Moneymaker Index, which highlights stocks to watch.
Photo: MaxxiGo via Shutterstock
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