Several publicly traded companies experienced notable stock price movements during pre-market trading on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. The changes were linked to a series of rating upgrades from financial analysts and reports of new corporate developments, including acquisitions and service agreements.
A number of companies saw their stock values increase following positive assessments from investment banks and research firms.
Salesforce Inc. (CRM) shares increased by 4% after Bank of America issued a double upgrade on the stock, changing its rating from “underperform” to “buy.” The bank’s report stated that artificial intelligence is expected to “deepen dependence” on the software company.
In the renewable energy sector, First Solar Inc. (FSLR) shares gained 2.4%. The movement followed an upgrade from Truist, which raised its rating on the stock to “buy” from “hold.” The firm’s analysis cited expected growth and strong demand in the solar market, as well as First Solar’s pricing power.
Biogen Inc. (BIIB) stock rose 2% after JPMorgan analysts upgraded the biotechnology company to “overweight” from “neutral.” A report from the firm identified several clinical readouts scheduled for 2027 as potential catalysts for the company.
SLM Corp., a company that administers education loans, saw its shares increase by 2%. Morgan Stanley raised its rating on the stock to “overweight” from “equal weight.” The investment bank noted that the stock’s 15% year-to-date decline represented a buying opportunity, citing its current valuation.
Toymaker Mattel Inc. shares increased by more than 1% after analysts at Seaport upgraded the stock to “buy” from “neutral.” The research firm’s note mentioned speculation about a potential takeover, adding that it believes “investors are taking a closer look at toy stocks and realizing that there’s underappreciated value.”
Other stock movements were tied to reports of corporate activity.
Australia-based Iren saw its stock increase by 5.3%. The change followed a Sunday report from The Information, which stated that the renewable energy company signed a multiyear cloud computing deal with Anthropic.
Conversely, shares of IonQ Inc. decreased by more than 2%. The decline followed a report in The Wall Street Journal that the company had acquired cybersecurity firm Elisity for a price of up to $1.3 billion.
