The Rally Looks Strong... But There’s a Catch

US stocks showed a mixed performance on Thursday as investors digested fresh economic data and a wave of corporate earnings, with optimism around AI demand helping buoy sentiment. The Nasdaq slipped 0.4% due to losses in major tech names, while the Dow surged over 500 points and the S&P 500 edged slightly higher.

Oil prices jumped to their highest level since 2022 amid geopolitical tensions involving Iran. Earnings from tech giants highlighted continued strong AI spending expectations, though market reactions were uneven.

Meanwhile, inflation data showed moderate price increases, jobless claims came in lower than expected, and major central banks, including the Federal Reserve, held interest rates steady.

Top Movers: Under $10 

OSR Holdings Inc (OSRH) is up 52.35% today to trade at the current level of $0.7. The company will present at the Emerging Growth Conference on May 7, 2026, sharing a brief overview of its VXM01 global licensing agreement and its impact on OSRH shareholders.

Xerox Holdings Corp (XRX) zoomed 39.49% in today’s trade to $2.19 after releasing first-quarter results.

In current trading, Hertz Global Holdings Inc (HTZ) stock is at $6.97 after teaming up with Uber Technologies to accelerate autonomous robotaxi and driver-powered fleet operations

Ranpak Holdings Corp (PACK) rose 18.40% in the early hours of today's trading to move at $4.66 after reporting first quarter 2026 financial results.

In the current trading session, Can-Fite Biopharma Ltd ADR (CANF) jumped 8.03% to $3.23 over a previous close of $2.99 after announcing positive clinical data from its Phase 2a study of namodenoson in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Ex-Dividend Stocks

Eagle Bancorp Inc (MD) (EGBN) is about to trade ex-dividend Monday, meaning that investors who buy the stock after Monday will not be eligible for the next dividend payment. The company's next dividend payment will be $0.01 per share. It has fixed May 04 as the record date for the same and will pay the actual dividend on May 15. Last year, the company distributed a total of $0.35 to its shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, EGBN has a trailing yield of 1.36% on the current stock price of $25.8.

Another stock that is shelling out dividends Monday is Ameriserv Financial Inc (ASRV), having a market capitalization of $64.46M. It will pay a dividend of $0.03 per share, the payment date of which is May 18. Currently, the stock is trading at a trailing dividend yield of 3.16%.

Shares of Sierra Bancorp (BSRR) will be the talk of the stock market on Monday as the stock will turn ex-dividend. The company's next dividend payment will be $0.26 per share, and in the last 12 months, it paid a total of $1.01 per share. Last year's total dividend payments show that BSRR has a trailing yield of 2.85% on the current share price of $35.5.

Citizens & Northern Corp (CZNC) is also set to go ex-dividend Monday. The next dividend payment from CZNC will amount to $0.28 per share. May 04 has been designated as the record date for this dividend, with the actual payout scheduled for May 15. In the previous year, CZNC distributed a total of $1.12 to its valued shareholders. Considering the cumulative dividend payments from last year, the trailing yield for CZNC stands at 4.87% based on the current stock price of $23.0.

Eagle Financial Services Inc (EFSI) will be paying out a dividend of $0.31 per share to shareholders holding their shares as of the close of business hours on the record date of May 04. Over the past 12 months, EFSI has paid out a total of $1.24 per share in dividends. Based on the total dividends paid out last year, EFSI boasts an impressive trailing yield of 3.27% on the current share price of $37.9.

Crypto Market Highlights

• Meta has launched USDC payouts for creators on its platforms in the Philippines and Colombia, with plans to expand to more markets.

• A Dubai police-led global crackdown on scam rings led to 276 arrests and the shutdown of at least nine crypto scam centers, in coordination with the US Department of Justice, FBI, China’s Ministry of Public Security, and Thai authorities.

• KuCoin EU has appointed a new AML chief and expanded its compliance team in Vienna after Austrian regulators restricted the exchange under MiCA rules.

• Visa has expanded its stablecoin settlement pilot to include Polygon and four additional blockchain networks, continuing its exploration of crypto-based payments.

• MoonPay has acquired crypto security firm Sodot for $100 million, marking a push into institutional crypto services under new leadership.

Most Shorted Stocks

IREN Ltd (IREN) was one of the most shorted stocks as of latest short interest figures, with 18.74% short interest. The days to cover ratio, a measure of how long it would take for all the short positions to be covered based on average trading volume, is 1.9. This represents a change of 3258656 shares, which corresponds to a 5.83% increase in short interest. The total value of the shares held short is estimated to be around $2.53 billion. The average daily volume stands at 36.61M shares, and the market capitalization of the company is $14.22B.

The Cheesecake Factory Inc with the symbol CAKE currently has a short interest of 19.32%. The short interest has changed by 925723 shares. The days to cover ratio stands at 9.5. The estimated value of the shares held short is approximately $554.62 million. On an average day, 1.31M shares are traded, with the company's market capitalization totaling $3.12B.

For the stock uniQure NV (QURE), the current short interest is at 18.64%. This represents a significant short interest change of 116167 shares, corresponding to a short interest percentage increase of 1.06%. The days needed to cover the short positions amount to 7.4. The approximate worth of the shares held short is $185.66 million.

With the symbol PK, the stock currently has a short interest of 18.14%. The short interest change is -1601339 shares, compared with a short interest percentage change of -4.30%. It would take approximately 8.2 days to cover all the short positions. The shares' short value is estimated to be around $125.85 million. The company boasts an average daily volume of 3.91M shares, contributing to a market capitalization of $2.28B.

The stock AEHR has a current short interest of 18.93%. The short interest percentage increased by 35.75%, while short interest rose by 1,461,681 shares. The ratio indicating the time required to cover short positions is 1.1. The calculated worth of the shorted shares amounts to around $406.38 million. Trading activity averages at 2,321,110 shares per day, while the company's market capitalization stands at $2.57B.

Biotech Stocks to Watch

According to our ST Score evaluation, Climb Bio Inc (CLYM) emerges as a high-quality stock in the Biotech industry, attaining an impressive score of 59. The stock's performance and financial strength are strong. However, its growth and Piotroski Score are weak. Additionally, it is neutral in terms of profitability, stock sentiment, and forecast.

Our ST Score also classifies Minerva Neurosciences Inc (NERV) as a high-quality Biotech stock today, presenting a Score of 58. The stock has strong fundamentals in terms of performance and financial strength. However, it has weak stock sentiment, Piotroski Score, and forecast. The profitability and growth are neutral.

Another stock in the category, GH Research PLC (GHRS) has the ST Score of 57, which means that the stock carries the potential for higher returns. The stock is strong in performance and financial strength, but weak in growth, and the Piotroski Score. Profitability, stock sentiment, and forecasts suggest a neutral outlook.

Amylyx Pharmaceuticals Inc (AMLX) stock has the ST Score of 57, which implies that the Biotech company has a high probability of beating the market. The stock's strengths lie in its performance and financials, but its weaknesses are its growth and Piotroski Score. However, it shows a neutral outlook in profitability, stock sentiment, and forecast.

Context Therapeutics Inc (CNTX) currently has the ST Score of 57, which signifies a huge upward potential. The Biotech stock's strong points are its performance and financial strength, while its weak points are its growth and Piotroski Score. The stock's profitability, stock sentiment, and forecast indicate a neutral outlook.

That's it for today. Thanks for reading. Good luck out there!

Best Regards,

Stocks Telegraph Team

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