Benzinga·2026-01-03 13:01Core Insights - Retail investors have shown significant interest in five stocks this week, driven by retail hype, AI advancements, and corporate news [1] Group 1: Target Corp. (NYSE:TGT) - Target was highlighted after activist investor Toms Capital Investment Management acquired a significant stake, which is seen as a potential catalyst for operational changes [5] - The stock is trading around $97 to $99 per share, with a 52-week range of $83.44 to $145.08, and has declined by 28.75% in 2025 and 7.30% in the last six months [6] Group 2: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (NYSE:TSM) - Retail investors are bullish on TSM ahead of its earnings release later this month [4] Group 3: Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) - GOOG is trading around $303 to $305 per share, with a 52-week range of $134.25 to $313.98, and has returned 50.75% in 2025 and 30.09% in the last six months [10] - The stock has shown strong performance driven by AI advancements, cloud growth, and progress in Waymo, outperforming its peers [10] Group 4: IREN Ltd. (NASDAQ:IREN) - IREN gained attention due to discussions about using Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant for cryptocurrency mining, which could impact U.S. bitcoin production [16] - The stock is trading around $36 to $38 per share, with a 52-week range of $5.12 to $76.87, and has risen 261.09% in 2025 [17] Group 5: Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) - MSTR announced the purchase of 1,229 Bitcoin for approximately $108.8 million, increasing its holdings to 672,497 BTC [17] - The stock is trading around $150 to $152 per share, with a 52-week range of $151.42 to $457.22, and has declined by 49.35% in 2025 [19] Group 6: Market Context - The retail focus has combined meme-driven narratives with earnings outlooks and corporate news, amidst negative market action in the S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq [18]