Happy Monday! The Nasdaq 100 has more than tripled since the Covid crash, but not every blue chip joined the party. These 10 mega-cap stocks are still trading below their pre-pandemic levels more than six years later — see which household names made the list.

And a proposed $110 billion media merger just cleared another major hurdle. Paramount Skydance secured fresh regulatory approvals for its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery — here's what comes next.

Plus, if you’re looking for new stock ideas generating attention before the crowd catches on, check out Benzinga’s Stock Whisper Index.

In Today's Edition

• MARKET RECAP

• MARKET HEATMAP

• FIVE ZINGERS

The Nasdaq 100 Has Tripled Since 2020, But These 10 Mega-Caps Are Still Underwater

Wall Street has staged one of the strongest rebounds in history since the Covid crash, with the Nasdaq 100 soaring more than 200%. But not every market giant came along for the ride.

Here’s a look at the 10 mega-cap stocks that are still trading below their pre-pandemic levels more than six years later.

Five Stocks Showing Early Signals This Week

Each week, Benzinga’s Stock Whisper Index surfaces five stocks beginning to attract attention beneath the surface. Using proprietary data and pattern recognition, it highlights under-followed names showing early signals before they become widely discussed. These are the names worth watching as the next moves take shape.

Last Week: Stocks traded near record highs as investors weighed a hawkish debut from new Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, continued enthusiasm around artificial intelligence spending and escalating tensions in the Middle East. The Fed held interest rates steady but signaled that inflation remains a concern. Nvidia, Microsoft and other AI-linked names remained in focus as Wall Street. SpaceX also stayed on investors' radar following its blockbuster Nasdaq debut and the launch of new products tied to the stock. Meanwhile, oil prices remained volatile as traders monitored developments involving Iran, Israel and Lebanon. By week's end, the major indexes were hovering near all-time highs despite geopolitical uncertainty and questions about the path of interest rates.

On Our Radar: Monday's economic calendar is relatively quiet, with no major U.S. economic reports or scheduled Federal Reserve speakers. Investors may instead focus on developments from the BIO International Convention, where biotech companies including Genprex (GNPX), Silexion Therapeutics (SLXN) and BioHarvest Sciences (BHST) are expected to participate. On the earnings front, investors will be watching Australia's largest energy producer, Woodside Energy Group (WDS), for updates on commodity markets and project activity.

Shares of Intel (INTC), SanDisk (SNDK), Nvidia (NVDA), and Micron (MU) were among the notable winners on Thursday as technology stocks led a broad market rebound. On the other side of the trade, shares of Kroger (KR), Accenture (ACN), and Lennar (LEN) came under pressure and ranked among the session's notable laggards. But those weren’t the only big movers. Here’s a look at some of the biggest winners and losers on Thursday. 

Discover how the market is moving with our interactive heatmap. Filter by market cap, or click on any box to explore specific sectors or assets in more detail.

Peace Or Peril?: A newly signed U.S.-Iran peace agreement is already facing fresh challenges after intelligence officials reportedly warned that Israel could undermine the deal amid mounting political pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Find out why investors are keeping a close eye on the Middle East this week.

Metal Rush: The Pentagon is backing Energy Fuels with a $725 million commitment, putting rare-earth stocks back in the spotlight. See the five companies investors are watching as the battle for critical minerals intensifies.

Future Flight: The electric air taxi industry could be headed for a major shakeout. One Nvidia-backed company says most eVTOL players won't survive — discover which names may have the best chance of making it to commercial scale.

Saylor Speak: Michael Saylor believes Bitcoin's path from $70,000 to $7 million is inevitable if one key condition is met. Read what could fuel the cryptocurrency's next massive move.

Stock Of The Day: Robinhood is approaching a major technical level after a powerful rally that has traders on breakout watch. See why the stock's next move could determine whether the momentum continues or stalls.

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