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The IPO market continues to sizzle in the second half of 2025. Are FIG and MNTN the next two new issues to create parabolic gains? Read on to learn more.
Shares of electric vehicle pioneer Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) jumped 4% in the afternoon session after CEO Elon Musk announced that its Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, will open to the public next month, a significant milestone for the program. This development follows a limited launch of the service in June and comes as the company is also seeking approval to operate autonomous vehicles in Arizona. Adding to the positive sentiment, Tesla applied to British regulators to become a power supplier in the U.K., signaling a strategic expansion into the energy market and an effort to diversify revenue streams. The optimism around Tesla's autonomous technology was further supported by Musk's comments about the next Full Self-Driving software update, FSD V14, which he teased would be a "dramatic gain" with significant improvements.
Corporate America is in the midst of an unprecedented financial surge, marked by a historic wave of stock repurchases and a significant rebound in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity. In July alone, U.S. companies announced a staggering $166 billion in stock buybacks, setting a new monthly record and
Shares of cosmetics company e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE:ELF)
jumped 7.7% in the morning session after it received a key upgrade from investment bank Morgan Stanley, which expressed renewed confidence in the company's performance. The investment bank upgraded the stock from an “Equal-Weight” to an “Overweight” rating and raised its price target to $134 from $114. Morgan Stanley cited an “attractive entry point” for investors after the shares lost half their value from last year's peak. The bank argued that Wall Street is underestimating the profit boost from recent price increases and the acquisition of Rhode, a fast-growing cosmetics brand. This positive sentiment is echoed by other firms; Deutsche Bank also recently upgraded the stock to a "buy" rating, and Goldman Sachs maintained its "buy" rating while raising its price target to $137. The upgrades follow a period of stock volatility after the company's fiscal first-quarter report.
Japan's Softbank Group Corp. (OTC: SFTBY) is reportedly in talks with major U.S. investment banks regarding an initial public offering for its payments platform, PayPay.
The move comes at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump’s stringent immigration policies have hurt the growth of remittance transactions in North America.
Shares of cosmetics company e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE:ELF)
jumped 3.9% in the morning session after Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock to a 'Buy' rating from 'Hold'. The upgrade came after the stock dropped 9.5% on Thursday, a price level Deutsche Bank called "an attractive entry point with compelling 20%+ potential upside," while maintaining its $121 price target. The prior day's decline followed the company's first-quarter earnings report. While e.l.f. Beauty beat earnings expectations, with revenue growing 9% year-over-year to $353.7 million, investors were concerned after executives pulled the full-year forecast due to uncertainty over Chinese tariffs. The upgrade suggests a belief in the company's fundamentals despite the market's recent reservations.
Shares of electric vehicle pioneer Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) jumped 3.7% in the morning session after Morgan Stanley upgraded its rating on the stock to 'overweight' from a previous dropped coverage and set a price target of $410. The upgrade was part of a wave of positive developments for the electric vehicle maker. CEO Elon Musk also announced that the company is testing a new Full Self-Driving (FSD) model with significant improvements, which could be released by the end of September.
Shares of construction equipment company Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT)
fell 3% in the afternoon session after an analyst at Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock to "Underweight" from "Equal-weight," citing concerns over the company's valuation and weakening fundamentals. The analyst warned the stock was "priced for perfection" amid deteriorating pricing trends and margin pressures, and cut the price target to $350. This downgrade followed the company's recent second-quarter earnings report, which missed analyst expectations. In that report, Caterpillar revealed its earnings per share fell 21% from the previous year, hurt by lower revenues and higher costs. The company's operating profit margin also dropped significantly compared to the same period last year.
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. has launched an AI CEO powered by ChatGPT to provide guidance to employees. Similar moves by other banks showcase the growing trend of AI in the financial industry.
Shares of personal care company Edgewell Personal Care (NYSE:EPC)
jumped 8.3% in the afternoon session after Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock to Equalweight, suggesting the shares may have bottomed out after a steep post-earnings decline. The upgrade followed a steep plunge in the stock's price after the company reported disappointing third-quarter results and lowered its full-year guidance. Edgewell's sales and earnings per share both missed analyst expectations, which the company blamed on a weak sun care season. Morgan Stanley noted that the stock's valuation became compressed after its significant drop. Separately, analysts at Canaccord Genuity maintained a Buy rating, and they believed the stock was oversold, even as they reduced their price target.
Shares of online education Stride (NYSE:LRN)
jumped 16.7% in the afternoon session after the company reported robust fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 financial results that significantly surpassed analyst expectations. For its fourth quarter, revenue climbed 22% to $653.6 million, beating forecasts, while adjusted earnings per share of $2.29 soared past the $1.76 analysts predicted. The strong quarter concluded a record fiscal year, with total revenue growing 18% to $2.4 billion. This growth stemmed from a sharp increase in enrollments, particularly in its Career Learning segment, which saw revenue jump 34.6%. Following the impressive report, Morgan Stanley raised its price target on the stock.
Shares of discount grocery store chain Grocery Outlet (NASDAQ:GO)
jumped 38.9% in the afternoon session after the company reported second-quarter earnings that surpassed analyst expectations and raised its full-year profit forecast. The discount grocer posted an adjusted profit of $0.23 per share, which outpaced projections. In response to the strong quarter, management lifted its full-year adjusted earnings guidance to a range of $0.75 to $0.80 per share, above its prior outlook and Wall Street's estimates. The company attributed the better-than-expected performance to improved operational efficiency and increased comparable store sales. Following the results, Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock to Equalweight from Underweight and increased its price target, noting that the company's fundamentals appeared to be turning around.
