As Palantir Technologies (PLTR) fires up — and fires back on a negative report on its prototype battlefield communications network — the artificial intelligence powerhouse leads a slew of stocks to watch in or near a buy zone. Palantir stock earns a spot on the Investor's Business Daily Leaderboard, alongside DoorDash (DASH), Emcor (EME), GE Vernova (GEV), Vertiv (VRT) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM). Showing the continued strength of AI stocks within the market indexes, an additional nine IBD Leaderboard compon ...

Group 1: Health Insurance Sector - Humana (HUM) shares surged nearly 11% after the company affirmed its outlook and provided insights into the quality ratings of its Medicare Advantage plans, leading to strong performance in the S&P 500 [4][9] - Other health insurers also experienced gains, with Centene (CNC) and Cigna (CI) rising by 5.1% and 4.7%, respectively, following Humana's positive update [4] Group 2: Technology Sector - Palantir Technologies (PLTR) shares fell 7.5% after reports indicated vulnerabilities in a battlefield communications network being developed by the company, leading to concerns about security [6][9] - Zebra Technologies (ZBRA) saw a 3% increase in shares after completing the acquisition of Elo Touch Solutions, which is expected to expand its addressable market [5] Group 3: Casino and Gaming Industry - Shares of casino operators declined as Tropical Cyclone Matmo posed a threat to Macau, a key gaming destination, with Las Vegas Sands (LVS) and Wynn Resorts (WYNN) both dropping over 7% [7] Group 4: Retail Sector - Nike (NKE) stock decreased by 3.5% despite reporting better-than-expected sales and profits for its fiscal first quarter, as the company warned of higher tariff costs and declining sales in its classic footwear lines [8]