Apellis Pharmaceuticals (APLS) +129% — $5.6B Buyout DealApellis surged after agreeing to be acquired by Biogen in a deal worth about $5.6 billion. Shareholders are set to receive $41 per share in cash plus up to $4 per share in milestone payments tied to Syfovre sales, with the deal expected to close in Q2 2026.
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Investors reacted to the size of the premium and the fact that the deal locks in value far above where the stock had been trading. The acquisition also brings Biogen two commercial drugs, Syfovre and Empaveli, which generated about $689 million of combined revenue last year and are expected to keep growing.
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Franklin Covey (FC) +45.82% — Earnings Strength + BuybackFranklin Covey jumped after reporting fiscal Q2 2026 results that showed $59.6 million in revenue, 7% growth in Enterprise North America invoiced amounts, deferred revenue up 7% to $101.5 million, and adjusted EBITDA up 99% to $4.1 million. The company also bought back $17.0 million of stock during the quarter and kept full-year guidance unchanged.
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Investors focused less on the headline net loss and more on the improvement underneath the business. Better invoicing, higher deferred revenue, stronger free cash flow, and a meaningful buyback all pointed to improving demand and better execution, which helped drive the sharp move higher.
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Lantern Pharma (LTRN) +10.93% — Earnings Update + Pipeline ProgressLantern moved higher after reporting fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results alongside updates across its AI-driven cancer pipeline. The company highlighted continued progress in its LP-300 Phase 2 trial, completion of Phase 1a for LP-184, and a 19% year-over-year reduction in total operating expenses.
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Investors responded to the combination of lower costs and real pipeline progress. In this market, small biotech names need to show both discipline and momentum, and Lantern did that with tighter spending, multiple clinical milestones, and a broader push to grow the commercial reach of its RADR AI platform. Cash remains something to watch, but the update was strong enough to support the stock’s move higher.

Other Company News

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Intel Rallies on Factory Buyback

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Intel’s ~18% move last week followed its decision to spend about $14B to buy back a previously sold stake in its Ireland manufacturing facility. That stake had been sold in 2024 to raise cash during a weaker period, so reversing the transaction signals a stronger balance sheet and improved financial flexibility.
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The deal is also expected to be accretive to earnings and gives Intel full control over the facility rather than sharing economics with a partner. That increases its direct exposure to any improvement in demand tied to servers and data center chips, including those connected to AI spending.
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Importantly, this doesn’t represent a new shift into AI, but rather a continuation of Intel’s existing effort to rebuild its manufacturing and compete more directly in that market.
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The move stood out because it was concrete. At a time when parts of the AI trade have been more sensitive to expectations around timing and returns, Intel’s update pointed to balance sheet improvement, earnings impact, and operational control—factors that tend to drive more immediate re-pricing.