Thursday’s Insider Activity: GameStop CEO’s $21M Buy Stands Out

Investing.com -- UBS revealed in a note to clients on Friday that it has raised its palladium price forecast by $300 per ounce to $1,800, citing a sharp pickup in investment flows into the metal. 

Analyst Giovanni Staunovo stated that UBS made the upgrade “driven by solid investment demand in recent months,” noting that palladium’s relatively small market size “often results in large price swings.”

UBS said recent price momentum has been led not by traditional industrial uses but by investors positioning for lower U.S. interest rates, a weaker dollar and heightened geopolitical uncertainty. 

Staunovo highlighted that “if investment demand stays strong, prices could move even higher,” though he cautioned that “without investment demand, we see the market being largely balanced,” which is why UBS prefers exposure to gold.

Palladium demand has shifted in recent years as autocatalyst consumption peaked in 2019, when prices surged past platinum and triggered substitution. 

The rise of electric vehicles, which do not use autocatalysts, also weighed on demand. 

However, the bank noted that palladium has rallied alongside platinum and silver since mid-2025, and with palladium now “significantly cheaper than platinum,” UBS expects autocatalyst producers “will likely switch back… in due course.”

Investment activity has been building. UBS pointed to rising ETF holdings since mid-2025 and a jump in speculative futures positioning after being net short for much of last year. 

China may also be supporting demand, with Staunovo noting that new yuan-denominated platinum futures in Guangzhou have “likely supported palladium demand” as part of broader trading activity in the platinum-group metals.

Investing.com -- Aptera Motors Corp (NASDAQ:SEV) shares tumbled 40.3% in premarket trading Friday after the company announced the pricing of a public offering that would raise approximately $9 million.

The electric vehicle maker priced its offering of 4,500,000 shares of Class B common stock at $2.00 per share. Each share comes with an accompanying warrant to purchase an additional share at the same price, exercisable immediately and valid for five years.

If all warrants are exercised, Aptera could receive up to an additional $9 million in gross proceeds, potentially bringing the total to $18 million. A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners is serving as the sole placement agent for the offering.

Aptera intends to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes and to advance its manufacturing readiness. This includes vehicle validation testing, design-for-manufacturability efforts, production planning, initiating supplier engagements, and beginning long-lead tooling to support planned production timing.

The significant stock decline reflects investor concerns about potential dilution from the new share issuance. The offering is expected to close around January 26, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Investing.com -- European media stocks came into 2026 after a bruising year, with the sector emerging as the weakest performer in the Stoxx Europe 600 in 2025.

The damage was driven mainly by valuation derating rather than earnings downgrades, leaving fundamentals broadly intact while pushing the sector to one of its widest relative discounts in a decade, Kepler Cheuvreux analyst Conor O’Shea said in a Friday note. 

O’Shea says perceived vulnerability to generative AI was the dominant driver behind the sell-off. He argues that investors have focused too narrowly on fears of disruption, even though earnings expectations have not been materially cut.

"As a result, the media sector has the second-largest discount between current forward P/E multiples and the ten-year median, exceeded only by the food sector," O’Shea wrote. 

In this regard, O’Shea reshuffled ratings and preference lists across the sector. Notably, Pearson and ProSiebenSat1 were upgraded from Reduce to Hold after share price underperformance brought valuations back in line with target prices.

The analyst also raised target prices for Canal+, Havas, ITV, Publicis, and RTL Group, reflecting what they see as a better balance between risk and reward following last year’s derating.

Moreover, RELX was added to the Most Preferred list. O’Shea argues the stock is “more a beneficiary of GenAI than vulnerable, despite the recent de-rating.” MTG Group also entered the Most Preferred list, described as “cheap and low-risk,” replacing JCDecaux and Springer Nature.

On the downside, Pearson and UMG exited the Least Preferred list, while M6 and Ubisoft were added. M6 "is wholly exposed to a weakening French TV advertising market, has made a huge commitment to buy FIFA World Cup rights, and trades at a premium to peer TF1," O’Shea noted. 

Looking ahead, Kepler expects 2026 phasing to be broadly supportive for the sector, helped by a mini-quadrennial year with ad-rich events such as the FIFA World Cup, U.S. mid-term elections, and the Winter Olympics in Cortina. 

However, O’Shea warns that pricing pressure in linear TV advertising, particularly in France and the U.K., could offset some of that cyclical support, reinforcing their preference for companies with visible market share gains and more resilient business models, such as Publicis. 

Investing.com -- Diginex Inc (NASDAQ:DGNX) stock surged 31.9% in premarket trading Friday after the ESG technology company announced a framework agreement with the Brazilian State of Mato Grosso to support large-scale sustainability initiatives.

The agreement establishes a joint venture with BGlobal and the State of Mato Grosso to develop a digital infrastructure platform focused on decarbonization reporting, sustainability data standardization, and implementation of a "Digital Green Passport" concept. The initial focus will be on the beef sector with potential expansion to other industries.

Mato Grosso represents a significant opportunity for Diginex as one of Brazil’s most important agricultural regions, covering over 900,000 km² with approximately 60% of its territory preserved. The state plays a critical role in global food supply and climate outcomes.

The framework aims to strengthen existing initiatives including the State’s "Passaporte Verde" program by providing digital infrastructure for disclosure and reporting across agricultural value chains.

Brazil’s decarbonization market was valued at approximately $43.1 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $76.8 billion by 2030, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 10.1%. The sustainability management software market in Brazil is expected to grow from $141.4 million in 2024 to $341.4 million by 2030.

"The Framework Agreement reflects our ambition to support real-world sustainability at scale. Mato Grosso is a globally significant region for agriculture, natural capital, and climate, and we see a strong opportunity for robust data and ESG infrastructure to play a constructive role," said Miles Pelham, Chairman of Diginex.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Investing.com -- Erayak Power Solution Group Inc (NASDAQ:RAYA) stock jumped 7% in premarket trading Friday after the company reported a surge in demand for its portable quiet inverter generators amid severe winter storms affecting the U.S. East Coast.

The power solutions manufacturer said it has experienced a twentyfold increase in daily unit sales beginning around January 20, 2026, compared to average daily sales in preceding weeks. The company shipped nearly 1,000 units over a two-day period as consumers prepared for potential power outages during extreme weather conditions.

This unexpected demand spike has tightened U.S. inventory positions, prompting Erayak to coordinate with supply chain partners to expedite replenishment through accelerated production schedules and prioritized logistics. However, the company cautioned that inventory levels might not fully meet ongoing demand if adverse weather persists.

Looking ahead, Erayak plans to introduce additional home emergency power solutions during the first quarter of 2026, including gasoline inverter generators in the 4 kW to 13 kW range and multi-fuel generator models. These products are expected to enter the U.S. market during the second quarter, subject to regulatory certifications and market conditions.

The company is also evaluating expansion into adjacent power-dependent product categories that align with its core expertise, potentially including pressure washers, electric or gas-powered chainsaws, and camping-related equipment.

Erayak formally expanded into the U.S. market in 2024 and has seen growing momentum through e-commerce channels throughout 2025, according to CEO and Chairman Lingyi Kong.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Investing.com -- Morgan Stanley said Latin American retail and eCommerce should see selective growth in 2026 as rate cuts in Brazil provide a tailwind, but weak consumption limits a broad-based recovery.

The bank said its approach favours stock-specific drivers rather than top-down consumption, which it expects to slow to under 1% real growth in Brazil as still-high interest rates and a decelerating wage mass weigh on demand.

The bank kept an Overweight rating on MercadoLibre, Lojas Renner and Vivara, upgraded C&A Modas to overweight, and downgraded Azzas 2154 to equal weight and GPA, also known as CBD, to underweight.

It reiterated underweight ratings on Magazine Luiza and Grupo Casas Bahia.

Morgan Stanley said falling rates should support Brazil retail, but not enough to lift the sector as a whole. Instead, it pointed to “pockets of growth” in eCommerce and shopping malls, where it sees room for multiple winners.

For eCommerce, the bank forecast 16% year-on-year growth in U.S. dollar terms in 2026, taking the market to more than $230 billion and lifting penetration to 15.4% of retail volumes. It said improvements in selection, logistics and technology should continue to support online demand.

MercadoLibre remains the firm’s top pick, supported by scale, logistics density and fintech integration. Morgan Stanley forecast a reacceleration in profitability in 2026, with EBIT growth of 43%, driven mainly by advertising and credit, despite higher logistics losses.

In apparel, Morgan Stanley highlighted resilient mall traffic in Brazil and Mexico and a fragmented market that leaves room for share gains. It upgraded C&A Modas, citing improved execution and valuation, and reiterated its overweight view on Lojas Renner and Vivara.

On the cautious side, the bank downgraded Azzas 2154, citing operational disruptions and limited visibility on integration benefits. It also cut GPA to underweight, pointing to leverage and contingencies that it expects to continue to pressure net income.

Argentina exposure offers upside optionality if macro conditions normalize after October 2025 midterm elections, the bank said, benefiting companies such as MercadoLibre and Cencosud, though it stressed that its base case remains selective rather than broad-based growth.