Stock Markets February 27, 2026

Markets See Wide Moves; Netflix, Dell Lifted While Several Names Slide

Mega-cap tech, big banks and a range of mid- and small-cap names register large intraday swings across sectors

By Ajmal Hussain NFLX MRK NVDA ORCL C
Markets See Wide Moves; Netflix, Dell Lifted While Several Names Slide
NFLX MRK NVDA ORCL C

Equity markets experienced broad intraday volatility on Friday, with select large-cap and smaller-cap stocks showing sharp gains or notable declines. Streaming-related shares and select enterprise hardware names led upward moves, while several financial and technology names traded lower. The day’s action spanned mega-cap, large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap lists, reflecting event-driven headlines and earnings-related reactions.

Key Points

  • Company-specific headlines and corporate actions produced sharp intraday moves across mega-, large-, mid- and small-cap stocks.
  • Winners included Netflix, Dell, Applied Optoelectronics and several upgraded or earnings-beating names; heavy losses appeared among major banks and several technology and small-cap firms.
  • Sectors most visibly affected included media/streaming, semiconductors, financial services, enterprise technology and specialty healthcare/bio names.

Stocks moved unevenly on Friday as company-specific developments and headlines drove pronounced swings across market-cap buckets. Some well-known names rallied strongly, while others recorded steep losses. Below are the most significant movers within mega-cap, large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap groups, organized by the market-cap thresholds noted.


Mega-Cap Movers (Market Cap: $200 billion USD or higher)

  • Netflix (NFLX) - WBD board deems Paramount’s $31/share bid superior to Netflix deal +12.36%
  • Merck & Co (MRK) +3.76%
  • Nvidia Corp (NVDA) - Meta’s Internal Chip Design Efforts Hit Roadblocks -3.45%
  • Oracle Corp (ORCL) -5.02%
  • Citigroup (C) -5.25%
  • Wells Fargo (WFC) -5.99%
  • American Express (AXP) -6.95%
  • Morgan Stanley (MS) -6.26%
  • Goldman Sachs Group (GS) -7.05%
  • Bank Of America (BAC) -4.68%

Within the largest-cap bracket, streaming-related headlines pushed Netflix notably higher after a third-party bid was judged superior to its offer, while a mix of major financial names and enterprise technology stocks booked declines tied to separate developments.


Large-Cap Stock Movers (Market Cap: $10-$200 billion USD)

  • Viacom Cl B (PSKY) +22.85%
  • Dell Inc (DELL) +21.1%
  • Square Inc (XYZ) - Morgan Stanley upgrades Block stock rating on product expansion +14.54%
  • Arlo Technologies (ARLO) - Arlo Technologies surges on earnings beat and strong guidance +28.2%
  • Flutter Entertainment PLC (FLUT) -14.68%
  • Yandex (NBIS) -14.82%
  • Zscaler Inc (ZS) -13.16%
  • Vector Acquisition (RKLB) - Rocket Lab acquires New Zealand manufacturer for $1.85B backlog -10.06%
  • Leucadia Natl (JEF) -10.44%
  • Iris Energy (IREN) -9.87%

Large-cap activity featured a mix of double-digit rallies and pullbacks. Hardware and media-related names posted the largest gains, while several software, aerospace-related and diversified financial firms traded lower.


Mid-Cap Stock Movers (Market Cap: $2-$10 billion USD)

  • Applied Opt (AAOI) - Applied Optoelectronics surges on Q4 beat, strong revenue outlook +48.92%
  • Figs (FIGS) - Goldman Sachs upgrades Figs stock rating on strong sales momentum +24.62%
  • Sunrun Inc (RUN) - Sunrun jumps on earnings beat and strong cash guidance -37.73%
  • Figure Technology Solutions Ltd (FIGR) - Figure partners with Agora Data to add auto loans to marketplace -21.52%
  • Generate Biomedicines Inc (GENB) - Generate Biomedicines prices IPO at $16 per share -19.31%
  • Ambarella Inc (AMBA) -17.9%
  • Duolingo (DUOL) - BofA downgrades Duolingo stock rating on marketing strategy concerns -17.22%
  • Brinks Comp (BCO) - NCR Atleos soars on $6.6 billion Brink’s acquisition deal -14.28%
  • Elastic (ESTC) -14.76%
  • Sezzle Inc PK (SEZL) -14.99%

Mid-cap winners were driven by earnings beats, upgrades and strategic partnerships, whereas several companies reacted negatively to downgrades, IPO pricing, and acquisition-related moves.


Small-Cap Stock Movers (Market Cap: $300 million - $2 billion USD)

  • Portfolio Recover (PRAA) +26.21%
  • Aquinox Pha (NGNE) - FDA grants breakthrough therapy status to Neurogene’s Rett drug +25.2%
  • Brp Group Inc (BWIN) - Raymond James upgrades Baldwin Insurance stock rating on valuation +25.15%
  • Fulgent Genetics Inc (FLGT) -38.31%
  • PAR Technology Corp (PAR) -29.43%
  • Soaring Eagle Acquisition (DNA) -29.4%
  • Emergent Biosolutions Inc (EBS) - Emergent BioSolutions secures $140M contracts with Canada -25.23%
  • AEABridges Impact (LVWR) -27.14%
  • Apt Inv Manage (AIV) +0.42%

On the smaller-cap spectrum, regulatory designations and analyst upgrades supported notable upticks, while other names plunged sharply, reflecting idiosyncratic drivers and contract announcements.


What to watch

Friday’s list of outsized moves underscores how event-specific news - including takeover bids, earnings beats, analyst rating changes, regulatory decisions and acquisition activity - can translate into concentrated volatility across market-cap segments. These swings affected a range of sectors, from media and semiconductors to banking, software and renewable/energy-related firms.

This article focuses on the market-driven moves and the reported company-specific headlines that accompanied them.

Risks

  • Event-driven volatility - Headlines such as takeover bids, earnings results and analyst rating changes can cause rapid share-price swings, impacting both large and smaller capitalization groups.
  • Analyst actions and downgrades - Downgrades or changes in ratings, as noted for names like Duolingo and others, can lead to material downside pressure.
  • Concentration risk in affected sectors - The movement of multiple banks and technology stocks highlights sector concentration risk for portfolios overweight those industries.

More from Stock Markets

SpaceX Plans Confidential IPO Filing as Soon as Next Month, Aiming for June Listing Feb 27, 2026 Bovespa Retreats 1.26% as Utilities, Power and Real Estate Lead Decline Feb 27, 2026 QIA, Visa and ADIA Poised to Anchor SoftBank-Backed PayPay U.S. IPO, Sources Say Feb 27, 2026 Goldman’s Private Credit Business Sees Lower Redemptions as AI Concerns Roil Sector Feb 27, 2026 UK Mortgage Firm Collapse Sends Shockwaves Through Wall Street Lenders and Private Credit Market Feb 27, 2026