Weekly Winners | Dayforce Soars 31%; Paramount Skydance Surges 17%; Royal Caribbean Jumps 10%

This week, which stocks lagged or dragged? Weekly Winners column keeps up with market trends, helping Tigers sort out the week's hottest sectors, stock winners and important news.

Below are top 10 S&P 500 stock gainers for the week ended Aug. 22:

Dayforce Shares Pop on Report of Talks With Private Equity Firm Thoma Bravo

HR software firm Dayforce said on Wednesday it was in advanced discussions to be acquired by Thoma Bravo for $70 per share, as private equity firms look to software as growth drivers in an uncertain economy.

Dayforce's shares popped 30.9% this week.

The offer represents a premium of 32.4% based on the stock's closing price on August 15, before the talks were first reported, and a deal value of $11.18 billion, according to Reuters calculations.

If finalized, the deal will mark another private equity buyout of a software firm, with Thoma Bravo betting on the build-out of artificial-intelligence software and the resilience of recurring revenue in an economy pressured by trade tariffs and erratic spending.

Paramount Skydance Shares Surge, With Market Watchers Comparing It to a "Meme Stock"

Paramount Skydance shares surged 16.6% this week, as investors continued to pile into the newly merged company.

It wasn’t immediately clear what was driving the surge, though excitement among retail investors might be part of the equation. Paramount and Skydance merged Aug. 7 to form a new company officially called Paramount, a Skydance Corporation. After floundering for its first couple of trading sessions, the stock spiked 37% on Aug. 13 —drawing suspicions of a GameStop-style meme stock craze.

Earlier this month, the company’s second-quarter earnings came in better than expected as its streaming division saw an unexpected profit.

EPAM Systems Jumps as TD Cowen Upgrades, Citing "Recovering Growth"

EPAM Systems shares were in the spotlight on Monday as investment firm TD Cowen upgraded the software company, citing its “recovering growth.” Shares jumped 10.9% this week.

“We think EPAM's share price gives little to no credit for the company's recovering growth trajectory & meaningful completion of its global delivery reorganization,” TD Cowen analyst Bryan Bergin wrote in a note to clients. "While Services sector sentiment is poor, EPAM's accelerating organic growth, trough in profitability, active capital allocation, and discounted valuation make for an attractive risk-reward (2:1), in our view."

Bergin upgraded EPAM shares to Buy from Hold and upped the price target to $205 from $192.

LyondellBasell Industries Gains on Regulatory Tailwinds and Green Hydrogen Breakthroughs

LyondellBasell Industries shares gained 10.1% this week.

Vietnam’s new chemical law and green hydrogen advancements drive sector momentum

Royal Caribbean Shares Climb as Analysts Express Confidence

Stifel has reiterated its Buy rating on Royal Caribbean Cruises with a price target of $420.00. Stifel notes that new cruise ships will support yield improvements in FY26, while progress in loyalty programs and precruise booking penetration should drive continued strong onboard revenue performance.

William Blair has reiterated its Outperform rating on Royal Caribbean Cruises, maintaining a positive outlook on the cruise operator’s growth prospects. The investment firm based its continued confidence on structural factors driving healthy growth for the company, including a broadening consideration set for cruise vacations and favorable demographic trends.

Royal Caribbean Cruises shares gained 9.8% this week.

Enphase Energy Surges After Powell Appears to Open Path for Rate Cuts

Enphase Energy shares jumped 9.6% this week as Federal Reserve Chair Powell hinted that policymakers may cut interest rates soon, which would benefit companies that depend on lower borrowing costs, including solar providers.

Enphase Energy was upgraded to Hold from Underperform with a $36 price target at Jefferies on Thursday, in anticipation of better than expected near-term revenues while acknowledging lingering concerns on the state of residential solar in outer years.

Analog Devices Shares Jump After Blowout Quarter and Upbeat Forecast

Analog Devices forecast fourth-quarter revenue above analysts' expectations on Wednesday, as the company anticipates stable demand for its products despite tariff uncertainty. The chipmaker rose 8.9% this week.

The company forecast fourth-quarter revenue of $3.00 billion, plus or minus $100 million, above analysts' estimates of $2.82 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.

On an adjusted basis, the company expects fourth-quarter, profit per share to be $2.22, plus or minus 10 cents, above analysts' estimates of $2.03.

The company posted third-quarter revenue of $2.88 billion, above analysts' estimates of $2.77 billion.