Premarket movers: CarMax, ASTS, chips rebound 2026

Why premarket moves mattered this session

Premarket trading set the tone for a busy news cycle driven by earnings, satellite and space-sector headlines, and a quick rebound in semiconductors after a sharp prior-day sell-off. Several individual stocks posted large percentage moves before the opening bell, reflecting how quickly positioning can change when fresh company updates hit the tape.

The session included a clear earnings reaction in retail and consumer names, event-driven volatility in space-linked stocks, and a recovery bid in chipmakers. There were also notable premarket gainers across the broader market, and a separate set of movers tied to guidance changes, analyst upgrades, arbitration outcomes, and merger speculation.

CarMax rises after an earnings beat

CarMax shares climbed over 3.5% after the company reported stronger-than-expected earnings and revenue for its first quarter. The company posted earnings of $1.31 per share, beating the 95 cents per share expectation from analysts surveyed by LSEG.

The move highlighted how sensitive the stock can be to quarterly execution, especially when expectations are set around consumer demand and vehicle affordability. With the update framed as both an earnings and revenue beat, the initial premarket reaction was constructive.

AST SpaceMobile sees headlines swing sentiment

AST SpaceMobile was linked to multiple premarket narratives. In one update, shares surged 6% after the company said it successfully launched three new satellites into orbit on Wednesday, a step tied to its aim of building a cellular broadband network in space. The launch used SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, and SpaceX shares were also noted as rising by nearly 3%.

In another market snapshot, AST SpaceMobile was described as trading at $15.84 in premarket as of 9:30 AM EST on June 16. That price reflected a decrease of $1.73 (1.98%) versus the previous close of $17.57, with trading reported between a low of $15.60 and a high of $16.84.

Separate premarket coverage also described space-sector weakness after a Blue Origin rocket exploded during a ground test in Florida on Thursday night. In that context, AST SpaceMobile, described as collaborating with Blue Origin, fell by nearly 15%.

AST SpaceMobile premarket snapshot (June 16)

La-Z-Boy jumps on retail sales growth

La-Z-Boy shares jumped 16% after the company reported an 11% rise in retail sales for its fiscal fourth quarter compared to the prior year. The company also exceeded earnings expectations, while revenue was described as closely in line with FactSet consensus forecasts.

The magnitude of the premarket move showed investors placing weight on the sales growth figure and the earnings delivery, even with revenue largely tracking the Street’s estimates.

Lionsgate drops after Netflix denies acquisition interest

Lionsgate Studios fell over 5% after Netflix refuted claims that it was interested in acquiring Lionsgate. The decline followed a nearly 14% rise on Tuesday that was driven by speculation around a potential merger.

This sequence underscored how quickly merger talk can lift a stock and how quickly that move can reverse when a key party publicly pushes back.

Chipmakers rebound after a sharp prior-day sell-off

A group of semiconductor names recovered in premarket trading after a sell-off on Tuesday. Intel shares were up more than 3% in premarket on Wednesday after dropping 8.5% the previous day. Advanced Micro Devices rose over 2.5%, while Broadcom and Qualcomm were each up more than 1.5%.

The moves were framed as investors reconsidering positions in a sector that had previously been described as “hot.” The rebound suggested dip-buying interest, although the prior-day decline provided context that positioning had been stretched.

Other large premarket moves: hardware and software

Dell Technologies was highlighted as rising nearly 37% after updating its full-year forecasts. In the same theme, Hewlett Packard Enterprise was up over 17%, Super Micro Computer rose nearly 10%, and HP gained almost 7%.

Snowflake was also noted as up 1.5% in premarket trading on Friday after surging 36% the prior day, described as its best trading day ever following earnings.

Clean energy, media, and platform stocks: mixed reactions

Plug Power rose more than 7% after reporting a narrower first-quarter loss of 8 cents per share, better than the 10 cents loss expected by analysts. Another reference described Plug Power up 8% after reporting double-digit revenue growth, linked to progress in material handling and electrolyzer segments.

Webtoon Entertainment fell 10% after forecasting second-quarter revenue of USD 332 million to USD 342 million, below an analyst expectation of USD 348 million. Cleanspark was also mentioned as down 9%.

Deal, legal, and analyst-driven catalysts

QXO agreed to buy TopBuild for USD 17 billion. Following the announcement, TopBuild rose 20% in premarket trading, while QXO fell about 2%.

Venture Global rose 10.39% in premarket after winning an ICC arbitration ruling against Repsol related to Calcasieu Pass LNG deliveries. Arm Holdings gained 5.6% after Susquehanna upgraded the stock to Positive from Neutral with a price target of 150.

Alibaba rose 3.55% in premarket following a Bloomberg report that it is preparing to pursue an IPO of its AI chipmaking unit, T-Head.

Key premarket movers at a glance

What investors tracked alongside the headlines

The mix of catalysts shows why premarket data can be noisy. Earnings beats (CarMax, La-Z-Boy) and formal statements (Netflix denying interest in Lionsgate) tended to produce more direct reactions. Event-driven stories in the space complex created sharper, faster swings for names like AST SpaceMobile, depending on which headline investors were focusing on.

For semiconductor stocks, the premarket bounce was framed as a reassessment after a sell-off, rather than a single-company announcement. That distinction matters because sector rebounds can fade quickly if broader risk appetite changes once regular trading begins.

Conclusion

Premarket trading centered on earnings strength at CarMax and La-Z-Boy, shifting space-sector sentiment around AST SpaceMobile, and a rebound in chipmakers led by Intel and AMD. Investors will keep watching for follow-through in regular trading, especially in names where moves were driven by guidance updates, merger speculation, or event risk in the space supply chain.