Benzinga examined the prospects for many investors' favorite stocks over the last week — here's a look at some of our top stories.

U.S. markets finished the week with a mixed tone as major benchmarks showed modest moves ahead of the long weekend, while smaller stocks continued to outperform. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 edged lower late in the week, with the Nasdaq also slipping, but small-cap stocks tracked by the Russell 2000 bucked the broader trend with a slight daily gain and meaningful weekly advance.

Semiconductor and AI-linked tech names helped steady markets earlier in the week, with Taiwanese chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (NYSE:TSM) lifting related stocks and encouraging a rebound from back-to-back losses. Bank earnings, notably from Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), also supported trading, while Treasury yields rose and oil prices climbed modestly. Despite this, weakness in some blue-chip names and unease about macro policy capped broader gains and underscored the uneven nature of the rally.

Over the full week, the rally broadened beyond large caps as the Russell 2000 notched fresh record highs and extended its outperformance streak versus the S&P 500 — a pattern not seen since 2008. Strong economic data, including low initial jobless claims and resilient consumer indicators, underpinned confidence in smaller and mid-cap earnings prospects, even as political and policy uncertainties — including debate over credit-card rate caps and a DOJ probe into Federal Reserve leadership — weighed on certain sectors.

Benzinga provides daily reports on the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week's most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look.

The Bulls

"TSMC Blowout Q4 Starts A Chain Reaction — CoreWeave, Nebius Lead The FOMO Flood", by Erica Kollmann, reports that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (NYSE:TSM) posted a blowout fourth-quarter earnings performance with a roughly 35% jump in net profit, signaling robust and growing AI demand that crushed estimates and sent ripples through related tech and AI infrastructure stocks. The blockbuster results ignited a fresh rally in neocloud and AI compute names including CoreWeave, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWV) and Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS) as the record capacity guidance from TSMC eased supply concerns and reinforced long-term orders for cutting-edge GPUs, prompting heightened trading activity and sector FOMO among investors betting on sustained AI infrastructure growth into 2026.

"Space Stocks Rip Into 2026 With Firefly In The Lead", by Anusuya Lahiri, reports that space-focused equities have been among the top performers in early 2026 as investors ramp up exposure to the sector, with Firefly Aerospace Inc. (NASDAQ:FLY) standing out as a leader after strong year-to-date gains and renewed enthusiasm around space commercialization. Broader sector strength — supported by geopolitical tailwinds, technical milestones and optimism about a potential SpaceX IPO — helped propel AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) higher, even as some players like Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SPCE) lag behind. Traders said the rally reflects both retail and institutional interest in space infrastructure and satellite growth stories as the industry builds momentum beyond 2025.

"Venus Concept Stock Explodes Over 500% After Major Investor Takes Control", by Vandana Singh, reports that Venus Concept Inc. (NASDAQ:VERO) stock surged more than 500% Friday as Madryn Asset Management disclosed it now controls a roughly 91% stake, fueling massive trading volume and renewed investor interest. The dramatic move came with trading volume vastly exceeding its average, and Madryn signaling it plans an active role in operational, financial and strategic initiatives as the medical aesthetic technology company explores potential strategic alternatives. Despite Venus Concept's recent revenue declines and a third-quarter sales miss, the stock's spike reflects speculative momentum tied to the controlling ownership shift and optimism around the company's next-generation Venus NOVA platform and other catalysts.

For additional bullish calls of the past week, check out the following:

Micron And 6 Chip Stocks Surge As AI Data Explosion Breaks The Memory Market

Uranium Could Soar 50% In 2026 — Bank Of America Names Top Nuclear Stock To Buy

Velo3D Stock Hits 52-Week High On US Army Deal

The Bears

"Rocket Lab Stock Gets a Rare Downgrade — Here's Why", by Alexandra Skores, reports that Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (NASDAQ:RKLB) shares fell after Loop Capital analysts issued a rare Sell rating on the space-industry stock, citing concerns about valuation and near-term execution risks despite recent momentum in the sector. The downgrade reflected Loop's view that Rocket Lab's current multiples don't fully discount potential mid-cycle macro headwinds, competitive pressures in launch cadence and uncertainties around longer-term services revenue growth, leading traders to pare positions. The report also highlighted shifting sentiment as other space names continue to trade with strength, underscoring how the valuation reset could weigh on sentiment for Rocket Lab heading into the first quarter of 2026.

"J.B. Hunt Reports Mixed Q4 Earnings, Shares Skid", by Adam Eckert, reports that J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) delivered mixed fourth-quarter results that sent its stock lower, with revenue of about $3.097 billion slightly missing expectations while earnings per share of $1.90 beat forecasts. Total operating revenue declined about 2% year-over-year on softer freight demand, even as segments such as truckload volume and productivity helped offset some weakness, and the company repurchased roughly 843,000 shares under its buyback program as cash remained solid. J.B. Hunt's shares slid more than 4% in extended trading as investors digested the uneven top-line performance amid ongoing freight market challenges.

"Penny Cancer Stock Plus Therapeutics Raises $15 Million At Discount, Stock Plunges", by Vandana Singh, reports that Plus Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:PSTV) saw its stock tumble as the clinical-stage oncology company priced an underwritten public offering to raise approximately $15 million at a discounted unit price of about $0.38 — moves that weighed on the penny stock and sent shares sharply lower in premarket trading. The offering, which includes one share and one warrant per unit and is expected to close mid-January 2026, is aimed at bolstering working capital and advancing its CNS cancer pipeline, including plans to incorporate recent FDA feedback into a revised trial protocol; technical indicators also reflected bearish momentum as the stock traded well below key moving averages.

For more bearish takes, be sure to see these posts:

Analyst Warns Super Micro's Margin-Dilutive Deals Are Killing Profits

Impinj Stock Tumbles After The Bell: Here's Why

Verizon Outage Ends — And The Stock Is Bracing For The Damage

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Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.