AI on the Rise: High-Growth Plays & $10 Stock Surprises

The S&P 500 extended its decline on Wednesday as traders searched for a bottom after days of intense market volatility. Concerns deepened with China and the European Union unveiling fresh retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, fueling the latest flare-up in global trade tensions.

As of 11:29 AM ET, the Dow was up 82.03 points, or 0.2179%, at $37727.63. The Nasdaq Composite added 183.498 points, or 1.07369%, at $17273.9. The S&P 500 rose 18.63 points, or 0.37389%, at $5001.41. Among the 11 major S&P 500 sectors, 7 showed positive movement, with Information Technology leading the way with a 1.4% increase.

Meanwhile, U.S. tariffs on imports officially took effect. Canada reaffirmed plans to enforce a 25% levy on U.S.-made vehicles, targeting those not compliant with the USMCA agreement or made outside of North America.

There was a glimmer of optimism as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled he would lead upcoming tariff negotiations—an appointment welcomed by Wall Street over alternatives like Howard Lutnick or Peter Navarro.

Top Movers: Under $10 

Venus Concept Inc (VERO) is up 211.64% today to trade at the current level of $9.10. This comes after the company filed an 8-K form with the SEC.

iCoreConnect Inc (ICCT) zoomed 34.05% in today’s trade to $4.37. The company has announced a strategic Channel Partner agreement with J&R Dynasty Corporation, dba Florida Merchant Services.

In current trading, Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp (PHIO) stock is at $1.48 after announcing that the Safety Monitoring Committee (SMC) recommended dose escalation in Phio's Phase 1b clinical trial for Phio's lead product candidate, PH-762.

Hub Cyber Security Ltd (HUBC) rose 19.11% in the early hours of today's trading to move at $2.93 after announcing that it has been selected by Cassa di Risparmio della Repubblica di San Marino S.p.A. to execute a comprehensive €20 million digital banking and infrastructure modernization initiative.

In the current trading session, Pacific Biosciences of California Inc (PACB) jumped 12.40% to $1.35 over a previous close of $1.20 after announcing preliminary first quarter 2025 revenue and reiterated 2025 revenue guidance of $155 million to $170 million.

Ex-Dividends Stocks

Intuit Inc (INTU) is about to trade ex-dividend tomorrow, meaning that investors who buy the stock after tomorrow will not be eligible for the next dividend payment. The company's next dividend payment will be $1.04 per share. It has fixed April 10 as the record date for the same and will pay the actual dividend on April 18. Last year, the company distributed a total of $3.88 to its shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, INTU has a trailing yield of 0.72% on the current stock price of $540.03.

Shares of Omega Flex Inc (OFLX) will be the talk of the stock market on Thursday as the stock will turn ex-dividend. The company's next dividend payment will be $0.34 per share, and in the last 12 months, it paid a total of $1.35 per share. Last year's total dividend payments show that OFLX has a trailing yield of 4.41% on the current share price of $30.63.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc (CBRL) is also set to go ex-dividend tomorrow. The next dividend payment from CBRL will amount to $0.25 per share. April 11 has been designated as the record date for this dividend, with the actual payout scheduled for May 14. In the previous year, CBRL distributed a total of $2.05 to its valued shareholders. Considering the cumulative dividend payments from last year, the trailing yield for CBRL stands at 5.77% based on the current stock price of $35.52.

Marvell Technology Inc (MRVL) will be paying out a dividend of $0.06 per share to shareholders holding their shares as of the close of the business hours on the record date of April 11. Over the past 12 months, MRVL has paid out a total of $0.24 per share in dividends. Based on the total dividends paid out last year, MRVL boasts an impressive trailing yield of 0.48% on the current share price of $49.87.

Crypto Market Highlights

• Binance is launching a new "reward-bearing margin asset" called LDUSDt, which is not a stablecoin.

• The European Central Bank is ramping up warnings on stablecoin adoption, with a top official advocating for a digital euro to limit the influence of US dollar-pegged stablecoins in Europe.

• Core, a proof-of-stake blockchain built on Bitcoin, has surpassed $260 million in dual-staked assets, reflecting growing institutional interest in Bitcoin-based DeFi.

• Swiss crypto fintech Taurus has launched an interbank network designed for regulated institutions involved in digital asset operations.

• Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has partnered with Mastercard to issue crypto debit cards across the UK and Europe.

 Most Shorted Stocks

Bloom Energy Corp (BE) was one of the most shorted stocks as of latest short interest figures, with 24.25% 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 8.4. This represents a change of 7280000 shares, which corresponds to a +15.76% increase in short interest. The total value of the shares held short is estimated to be around $818.24 million. The average daily volume stands at 6.86M shares, and the market capitalization of the company is $3.53B.

The Fuelcell Energy Inc with the symbol FCEL currently has a short interest of 23.26%. The short interest has changed by 50000 shares. The days to cover ratio stands at 4.9. The estimated value of the shares held short is approximately $18.57 million. On an average day, 830.63K shares are traded, with the company's market capitalization totaling $80.14M.

For the stock Sunrun Inc (RUN), the current short interest is at 24.26%. This represents a significant short interest change of 3850000 shares, corresponding to a short interest percentage increase of +7.93%. The days needed to cover the short positions amount to 4.9. The approximate worth of the shares held short is $301.65 million.

With the symbol RIOT, the stock currently has a short interest of 24.75%. The short interest change is 650000 shares, compared with a short interest percentage change of +0.83%. It would take approximately 2.7 days to cover all the short positions. The shares short value is estimated to be around $341.98 million. The company boasts an average daily volume of 28.67M shares, contributing to a market capitalization of $2.29B.

The stock ASPI has a current short interest of 29.97%. The short interest percentage has experienced an increase of +2.14% while there was a change of 340000 shares in short interest. The ratio indicating the time required to cover short positions is 8.6 Days to Cover. The calculated worth of the shorted shares amounts to around $332.81 million. Trading activity averages at 1.93M shares per day, while the company's market capitalization stands at $302.69M.

AI Stocks to Watch

According to our ST Score evaluation, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ADR (TSM) emerges as a high-quality stock in the AI industry, attaining an impressive score of 60. The stock's profitability and Piotroski Score are strong. However, its financial strength is weak. Additionally, it is neutral in terms of performance, growth, stock sentiment, and forecast.

Our ST Score also classifies Twilio Inc (TWLO) as a high-quality AI stock today, presenting a Score of 56. The stock has strong fundamentals in terms of profitability, financial strength, and Piotroski Score. However, it has weak growth. The performance, stock sentiment, and forecast are neutral.

Another stock in the category, RELX Plc ADR (RELX) has the ST Score of 55, which means that the stock carries the potential for higher returns. The stock is strong in profitability, performance, and Piotroski Score but weak in financial strength. Growth, stock sentiment, and forecast suggest a neutral outlook.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) stock has the ST Score of 54 which implies that the AI company has a high probability of beating the market. The stock's strengths lie in its profitability, growth, and Piotroski Score, but its weaknesses are in its performance. However, it shows a neutral outlook in financial strength, stock sentiment, and forecast.

Sap SE ADR (SAP) currently has the ST Score of 54, which signifies a huge upward potential. The AI stock's strong points are its profitability, performance, and Piotroski Score, while its weak points are its growth and financial strength. The stock's 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

P.S. Want my daily watchlists sent to your cell phone too? Join our WhatsApp Exclusive Community for real-time alerts on hot stocks. Stay ahead with instant updates and exclusive insights!