Benzinga Bulls And Bears: Intel, FedEx, Cracker Barrel — And Markets Close At Record Highs

Benzinga Senior Editor

September 20, 2025

Benzinga examined the prospects for many investors' favorite stocks over the last week -- here's a look at some of our top stories.

Wall Street posted record-high closes after the Fed's first interest-rate cut of 2025 and news that Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) will invest $5 billion in Intel (NASDAQ:INTC). Intel surged nearly 23%, its largest one-day gain since 1987, while Nvidia rose about 3.5%. The rally lifted the Nasdaq, S&P 500, and small-cap indexes like the Russell 2000.

The rate cut came amid signs of a softening jobs market and lower unemployment claims, which bolstered hopes for more easing. Treasury yields ticked up as investors parsed inflation persistence vs economic cooling.

Looking ahead, markets will be watching future Fed guidance closely, especially signals around subsequent rate cuts. Tech and semiconductor sectors are likely to remain key drivers, while inflation data and labor trends will test whether current valuations are sustainable.

Benzinga provides daily reports on the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week's most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look.

The Bulls

"Intel stock has best day ever: Jensen Huang says Nvidia will be a ';very large customer'", by Erica Kollmann, reports that Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) soared ~23% -- its biggest single-day gain ever -- after Jensen Huang of Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) revealed a partnership in which Nvidia will become "a very large customer" of Intel CPUs, while also supplying "GPU chiplets" for integration into Intel's products, combining Intel's x86 hardware with Nvidia's graphics and AI components.

"FedEx stock jumps on Q1 earnings beat", by Adam Eckert, reports that FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX) beat expectations with Q1 fiscal 2026 revenue of $22.2 billion and adjusted earnings per share of $3.83 (vs $3.62 expected), driven by cost savings, stronger U.S. domestic parcel volumes and higher yields -- while also completing $500 million in buybacks and reaffirming a 4–6% revenue growth outlook for the year.

"IonQ signs DOE deal to advance quantum technologies in space, shares jump to all-time highs", by Adam Eckert, reports that IonQ Inc. (NYSE:IONQ) jumped after signing a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Energy to demo quantum-secure communications from space, a deal that came as the company acquired Vector Atomic, furthered its quantum sensing capabilities, and hit new record share prices.

For additional bullish calls of the past week, check out the following:

Russell 2000 Hits All-Time Highs: 8 Stocks Power Small-Cap Comeback

Tesla Stock Surged 1,350% After Musk's Last Pay Plan -- New Package Could Ignite Gains, Analyst Says

The Bears

"Cracker Barrel stock falls on Q4 earnings: revenue beat, EPS miss, soft guidance and more", by Adam Eckert, reports that Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. (NASDAQ:CBRL) shares dropped sharply after its fiscal Q4 showed revenue of $868.09 million beating expectations, but adjusted earnings of $0.74 per share missed the $0.80 analyst estimate; comparable restaurant sales rose 5.8% while retail sales fell 0.8%, and guidance for fiscal 2026 was soft with revenue projected between $3.35–$3.45 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $150–$190 million -- pressured further by backlash over a logo rebrand, traffic declines, and weaker investor sentiment.

, by Adam Eckert, reports that Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAY) shares dropped about 15.25% after the Q2 results showed revenue of $557.41 million, missing consensus of $562.78 million, and adjusted earnings per share of $0.40, falling well short of the $0.92 expected, while comparable store sales fell 3%.

"Nucor stock dives after steelmaker cuts Q3 earnings outlook", by Adam Eckert, reports that Nucor Corp. (NYSE:NUE) stock plunged after it forecasted third-quarter earnings of $2.05 to $2.15 per share, well below the $2.61 Wall Street estimate, citing expected earnings declines across all three of its operating segments -- even its steel-products and raw materials businesses -- due to volume drops, metal price compression, and higher costs.

For more bearish takes, be sure to see these posts:

ATyr Pharma Stock Sinks, Plans FDA Review After Mixed Phase 3 Results

Oscar Health Stock Is Tumbling Tuesday: What's Going On?

Rocket Lab Stock Is Sliding Tuesday: Here's Why

Keep up with all the latest breaking news and trading ideas by following Benzinga on X.

Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

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