As Wall Street begins its final trading day of 2022 on Friday, stocks appeared to be headed for a weaker opening. On Thursday, the major U.S. equity indexes increased, recovering from recent weakness. The following stocks to watch gained attention on Friday:
Stocks to Watch
- Following a Christmas week marked by tens of thousands of flight cancellations, Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) stated it anticipates returning to “regular operations.” The company released a statement saying, “With another holiday weekend full of crucial connections for our cherished customers and workers, we are eager to return to a state of normalcy.” The Dallas-based carrier intended to expand its operation by more than doubling its size in a single day. How successfully Southwest has been able to put itself back together after a winter storm and related operational issues that caused it to cancel over 16,000 flights will be put to the test by the jump from running 1,600 flights on Thursday to the roughly 4,000 it has scheduled for Friday.
- Chinese regulators have made a favorable decision regarding Merck’s (NYSE:MRK) molnupiravir, an oral COVID-19 treatment. The medication, which was created in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, received approval for emergency use in China.
- After issuing a mixed earnings report, Mesa Air (NASDAQ:MESA) experienced a decline in premarket activity. The company’s Q4 loss was higher than expected by experts. Initial after-hours trading on Thursday saw the stock rise, adding to a 14% gain experienced during the trading day. The stock had started to decline by Friday morning’s premarket trade, dropping more than 7%.
- On the back of the news of a significant leadership shift, Enovix (NASDAQ:ENVX) saw rises in premarket trade. Shares of the lithium-ion battery manufacturer increased 4% on the appointment of Raj Talluri as president and CEO by the company. Talluri previously held the positions of senior vice president and general manager of Micron Technology’s mobile business unit.
See why Thomas Hayes, head of investment management company Great Hill Capital, believes that China can boost global markets as long as the nation can achieve its aim of 5% GDP growth for more information about general markets.
4 Stocks To Watch On Thursday Include Tesla, Goldman Sachs, And More
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Author Jowi Kwasu 
