Trending Tickers: $NMAX IPO Frenzy, $RKT Acquisition Spree, $TSLA’s Delivery Decline
This week, several stocks caught investors’ attention, driven by significant developments and market momentum. Here’s the breakdown of this week’s trending stocks:
Newsmax ($NMAX) IPO Turns into a Trading Frenzy
Newsmax ($NMAX), the conservative cable news network known for its growing audience and outspoken programming, made headlines with its dramatic stock market debut. On March 31, 2025, the company began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker NMAX, raising $75 million through the sale of 7.5 million shares priced at $10 each. The stock’s extreme volatility quickly attracted significant attention across the market, with a rollercoaster of gains and losses playing out in just a few sessions.
Stock Price Movement
On its first day of trading, shares opened at $14 and surged to $83.51 by the close, a 735% gain. On April 1, the frenzy continued, with shares peaking at $265 intraday and closing at $232—pushing Newsmax’s market cap to nearly $30 billion, briefly valuing the company above media giants like Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox Corp.
However, the rally proved short-lived. On April 2, the stock plummeted nearly 80%, closing at $52.71 and wiping out the majority of its earlier gains. Newsmax’s market cap dropped to roughly $4.7 billion in a single session. The sharp decline was seen by many as a textbook case of speculative excess unwinding, exacerbated by the stock’s low float and lack of institutional support.
Rocket ($RKT) to Acquire Mr. Cooper ($COOP)
Just one week after announcing plans to acquire Redfin ($RDFN), Rocket Companies ($RKT) has revealed a second major move: a $9.4 billion all-stock deal to acquire Mr. Cooper Group ($COOP), the country’s largest mortgage servicer. According to the company, the two acquisitions together are intended to build a fully integrated, AI-powered homeownership platform, spanning real estate search, mortgage origination, closing services, and loan servicing.
According to Rocket, the deal is expected to generate $500 million in annual synergies, boost long-term client retention, and increase recurring revenue. Mr. Cooper’s CEO Jay Bray will become President and CEO of Rocket Mortgage once the deal closes, while Rocket CEO Varun Krishna will continue to lead the parent company.
- Scale and Recapture Strength: Rocket’s origination-servicing recapture system, which already boasts an 83% retention rate, will be integrated with Mr. Cooper’s platform and nearly 7 million clients, enabling deeper automation and personalization using a larger data set.
- Financial Impact: The company said the transaction will be immediately accretive to adjusted earnings per share, and that the combined servicing portfolio generated $4 billion in fee revenue in 2024.
- Deal Structure: Mr. Cooper shareholders will receive 11 Rocket shares for each COOP share, valuing Mr. Cooper at $143.33 per share, a 35% premium to its 30-day average. The deal is expected to close in Q4 2025, pending shareholder and regulatory approvals.
- Dividend: Mr. Cooper will pay a $2.00 per share dividend upon closing.
Stock Price Movement
$COOP shares rose 14.5% on the day of the announcement, with additional gains in the days that followed. Meanwhile, $RKT initially dropped 7.4%, but sentiment shifted as investors digested the details of the deal—shares rebounded with gains of 4.4% and 10% over the next two sessions.
Tesla ($TSLA) Q1 Deliveries Drop 13%
Tesla ($TSLA) reported Q1 2025 vehicle deliveries of 336,681 units, marking a 13% year-over-year decline and falling short of Wall Street expectations. Production also slipped, with 362,615 vehicles built during the quarter—down from 433,371 units in Q1 2024.
According to the company, the dip in production was primarily due to downtime across all four Gigafactories—in Texas, Fremont, Shanghai, and Berlin—related to the ramp-up of the refreshed Model Y. Tesla noted that the transition is progressing, though it caused several weeks of disruption.
- Model 3/Y Deliveries: Tesla delivered 323,800 units, down around 13% year-over-year, but still making up the vast majority of total sales.
- Other Models: Deliveries of the Model S, X, and Cybertruck totaled 12,881 units, a 24% drop compared to the same quarter last year.
- Production Breakdown: Tesla produced 345,454 Model 3/Y units and 17,161 other models during the quarter.
Tesla’s delivery figures fell well below analyst forecasts, raising concerns about near-term demand and the impact of production changes. The company has not yet provided updated full-year delivery guidance.
Stock Price Movement
Tesla shares fell sharply in pre-market trading, hitting a low of $251.27, as investors reacted to weaker-than-expected delivery numbers and broader market concerns.
Recovery: Sentiment shifted after a Politico report suggested Elon Musk might step away from his involvement with (DOGE). Despite denials from both the White House (calling the report “nonsense”) and Musk himself (“fake news”), the speculation appeared to calm markets. $TSLA rebounded during regular trading, gaining roughly 5% by the close.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell securities. The content is based on publicly available information and reflects the author’s opinions as of the publication date, which may change without notice. All investments carry inherent risks, including the potential loss of principal, and past performance is not indicative of future results. Forward-looking statements, including references to projected revenues, market trends, or business developments, are based on current expectations and assumptions. Actual results may differ due to various factors, including regulatory changes, economic conditions, competitive pressures, and unforeseen market fluctuations. Readers should conduct their own research or consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions. BBAE holds no position in the securities mentioned, nor are they compensated by the companies mentioned.
