Stocks on the Move: Key Pre-Market Movers Including Domino’s, Alibaba, Palantir & More

The stock market opened the week with a wave of activity as several major companies experienced notable price swings in pre-market trading. Earnings reports, analyst upgrades, and broader investor sentiment played a key role in shaping early movements.

Domino’s Pizza faced a tough start, with shares falling over 3% after reporting weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter results. Despite growth in U.S. same-store sales, the company’s revenue of $1.44 billion failed to meet forecasts. Earnings per share came in just shy of estimates at $4.89 versus the expected $4.90. This modest miss underscored how competitive pressures and high expectations can negatively impact stock prices.

Nike, on the other hand, enjoyed early gains, rising 2% after receiving an upgrade from Jefferies. Analysts at the firm upgraded Nike’s stock from “hold” to “buy,” citing the company’s ability to strengthen product innovation and expand globally. The positive endorsement fueled investor confidence, providing a strong start to the week for the sportswear giant.

Palantir Technologies extended its recent decline, dropping another 3%. This follows last week’s steep 14.9% drop, marking its worst performance since January. Analysts suggest retail investors may be offloading shares, causing short-term volatility.

Alibaba also saw a 3% pullback after last week’s strong 15% rally. Despite a bullish upgrade from Morgan Stanley, profit-taking appeared to drive the decline. Analyst Gary Yu upgraded Alibaba to “Overweight,” emphasizing the company’s growing strength in the AI-cloud sector. However, investors opted to lock in profits rather than continue pushing the stock higher.

Meanwhile, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway saw a positive start to the day, with Class B shares rising over 1% after reporting stellar earnings. Operating profit surged 71% to $14.5 billion, driven by a 302% jump in insurance underwriting gains. The performance reaffirmed Buffett’s strategy of investing in stable, long-term businesses.

Robinhood saw a 2% pre-market gain after the SEC ended its investigation into the company’s cryptocurrency operations. This decision helped ease regulatory concerns surrounding the trading platform, providing a boost to investor confidence.

Energy companies, including Vistra, Talen Energy, and GE Vernova, faced slight declines of less than 1% following a report from TD Cowen. Analyst Michael Elias noted Microsoft had recently canceled leases representing hundreds of megawatts across private data center operators. This move raised concerns about future energy demand linked to cloud infrastructure.

Rivian’s stock also struggled, slipping after Bank of America downgraded it from “Neutral” to “Underperform.” Analyst John Murphy highlighted increasing competition, softening demand for electric vehicles, and uncertainty around government incentives as factors challenging Rivian’s future growth. While the company remains one of the more stable EV startups, cautious sentiment weighed on investor enthusiasm.

Freshpet delivered one of the strongest performances of the morning, jumping 4% following an upgrade from Jefferies. The firm labeled the stock undervalued and projected potential upside of 50%. With estimated sales growth of 23% through 2027, Freshpet’s stock gained momentum despite a rocky start to the year.

Overall, today’s pre-market session reflected a mix of earnings disappointments, positive analyst sentiment, and broader economic factors influencing investor decisions. While companies like Domino’s, Alibaba, and Rivian faced setbacks, names such as Nike, Robinhood, and Freshpet benefited from renewed optimism. As the trading session unfolds, attention will remain on key earnings reports and macroeconomic trends shaping market direction.