In a robust trading session on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, U.S. stock markets closed higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average surging more than 480 points, or 0.99%, to finish at 49,462.08. The NASDAQ Composite climbed 0.65% to 23,547.17, while the S&P 500 advanced 0.62% to 6,944.82. Amid this upbeat momentum, five stocks captured significant attention from retail investors and traders: SanDisk Corporation, Alumis Inc., Micron Technology Inc., Ventyx Biosciences Inc., and Western Digital Corporation. These companies saw sharp gains driven by a mix of corporate developments, analyst insights, and sector-wide trends in technology and biotechnology.
SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) led the pack with a dramatic 27.56% increase, closing at $349.63 after touching an intraday high of $352 and a low of $288.50. The stock's 52-week range spanned from a low of $27.90 to the new high of $352, reflecting its volatile path since spinning off from Western Digital in 2025. In after-hours trading, shares continued to climb, rising 2.3% to $357.75. According to market observers, the surge was sparked by comments from Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang during his keynote at CES 2026 in Las Vegas. Huang emphasized the growing demand for advanced computing infrastructure, stating that the industry requires "both memory and storage" to support the explosive growth in artificial intelligence applications.
Huang's remarks resonated particularly with memory chip makers, as Nvidia's dominance in AI chips has ripple effects across the semiconductor supply chain. SanDisk, known for its flash memory and storage solutions, benefited from this spotlight. Recent options trading activity underscored the bullish sentiment, with 110 trades detected on the day, 40% of which were opened with optimistic expectations. Analysts, however, offered mixed views on the stock's future. Price targets issued after the 2025 spin-off varied widely, ranging from $235 to $300, according to reports from Benzinga. This divergence highlights ongoing uncertainty in the post-spin-off landscape, even as short-, medium-, and long-term price trends for SanDisk appeared favorable in Benzinga Edge rankings.
Shifting to the biotech sector, Alumis Inc. (NASDAQ: ALMS) delivered one of the day's most eye-catching performances, with shares skyrocketing 95.31% to close at $16.23. The stock fluctuated between an intraday high of $22.30 and a low of $15.27, establishing a new 52-week high of $22.30 against a previous low of $2.76. After-hours trading added nearly 2.6% to the gains, pushing the price to $16.65. The catalyst was Alumis's announcement of positive topline results from its Phase 3 ONWARD1 and ONWARD2 clinical trials for envudeucitinib, an investigational treatment for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.
The trials met all primary and secondary endpoints with high statistical significance, Alumis reported. Across both studies, 74% of patients achieved PASI 75—a 75% improvement in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index—and 59% reached sPGA 0/1, a score of clear or almost clear skin, at Week 16.Responses continued to improve over time, with rapid separation from placebo observed as early as Week 4. By Week 24, approximately 65% of patients hit PASI 90, and more than 40% achieved PASI 100, complete clearance. Envudeucitinib also outperformed Amgen's Otezla on all PASI endpoints, according to the company. The drug was generally well-tolerated through Week 24, with no new safety signals reported. Alumis plans to present additional data at upcoming medical conferences and submit a New Drug Application to the FDA in the second half of 2026.
This breakthrough comes at a pivotal time for psoriasis treatments, a market projected to exceed $20 billion globally by 2030. Alumis, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on immune-mediated diseases, has been racing to differentiate its selective TYK2 inhibitor from established therapies. Investors reacted enthusiastically to the data, viewing it as a potential game-changer that could accelerate Alumis's path to commercialization.
Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) also posted solid gains, rising 10.02% to close at $343.43, with an intraday high of $344.55 and a low of $318.06. The 52-week range for Micron stretched from $61.54 to the new high of $344.55. The advance aligned with a broader rotation into technology stocks, which Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives described as slipping toward "attractive valuations." Ives suggested that the sector could see as much as 25% upside if a valuation rerating materializes, pointing to improving earnings visibility amid AI-driven demand.
Within the Nasdaq-100, several tech names, including Micron, traded at low forward price-to-earnings multiples despite strong fundamentals. Micron's forward P/E stood at about 9.8x, a level Ives and others viewed as undervalued given the company's position in memory chips. The stock's rally into year-end 2025 had already priced in an anticipated earnings reset, fueled by recovering memory prices and surging demand for high-bandwidth memory in AI data centers. This momentum carried into early 2026, as investors looked beyond short-term cyclical pressures toward long-term growth in cloud computing and edge devices.
Ventyx Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ: VTYX) rounded out the biotech highlights, with shares jumping 28.52% to $10.05. The stock hit an intraday high of $25 and a low of $7.08, marking a new 52-week high of $25 from a low of $0.78. Extended-hours trading amplified the excitement, with a nearly 62.6% surge to $16.34 overnight. The buzz stemmed from reports that Eli Lilly and Co. is in advanced talks to acquire Ventyx for more than $1 billion, according to a Wall Street Journal article citing sources familiar with the matter.
The potential deal would bolster Lilly's immunology portfolio by adding Ventyx's pipeline, which includes candidates targeting inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, as well as treatments for Parkinson's disease. Ventyx, a San Diego-based clinical-stage biotech, has been developing oral therapies for autoimmune conditions, and an acquisition by Lilly—a pharma giant with a market cap exceeding $800 billion—could provide the resources to fast-track these assets through late-stage development. Neither company has commented publicly on the reports, leaving the talks unconfirmed but fueling speculation among investors.
Finally, Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC) climbed 16.77% to $219.38, reaching an intraday high of $221.23 and a low of $188.36. The 52-week range ran from $28.83 to the new high of $221.23. Like SanDisk, Western Digital's gains were tied to the memory chip sector's rally, driven by expectations of rising prices amid a global supply crunch. Peers such as Seagate Technology also benefited, as investors anticipated tighter inventories for NAND flash and hard disk drives in the face of booming data storage needs.
The broader market advance encouraged rotation into cyclical and blue-chip tech names, with memory stocks emerging as early 2026 leaders. Benzinga Edge rankings positioned Western Digital favorably against competitors in price trends, though analysts cautioned that supply chain dynamics remain fluid. This sector upswing echoes patterns from 2023-2024, when AI hype first ignited memory demand, but current valuations suggest room for further appreciation if demand sustains.
These stock movements occurred against a backdrop of macroeconomic resilience, with inflation cooling and interest rate cut expectations supporting risk assets. The focus on AI and biotech innovations underscores how technological advancements are reshaping investment priorities. For SanDisk and Western Digital, Nvidia's CES endorsements signal sustained tailwinds from the AI boom, potentially extending into 2026 as data center expansions accelerate.
In biotech, Alumis's trial success and Ventyx's rumored buyout highlight the high-stakes race for novel therapies in immunology. Micron's valuation appeal, meanwhile, reflects a maturing AI narrative where fundamentals are catching up to hype. As traders prepare for Wednesday's session, premarket movers and ongoing news flow will likely keep these names in focus. Investors should monitor upcoming earnings reports and regulatory updates, which could dictate the next phase of this momentum.
Overall, Tuesday's action illustrates the interconnectedness of tech and health sectors in driving market sentiment. With global supply chains still recovering from pandemic disruptions and geopolitical tensions, the path forward for these stocks hinges on execution amid evolving demand. Market participants remain optimistic, but volatility is inherent in such rapid gains.