U.S. equity markets witnessed sharp stock-specific movements on January 12, 2026, with several small-cap names recording extreme gains and losses, while large-cap tech stocks dominated trading activity by value.
Envirotech Vehicles Inc. (EVTV) emerged as the top gainer of the session, soaring nearly 442%, making it the most advanced stock of the day. Other notable gainers included Lavoro Limited (LVROW), Lulu’s Fashion Lounge (LVLU), Vivid Seats (SEATW), and Southland Holdings (SLND), each posting strong double-digit percentage gains.
On the downside, Atara Biotherapeutics (ATRA) led the losers’ pack, tumbling almost 57%. NuVation Bio (NUVB), Lyra Therapeutics (LYRA), Butterfly Network (BFLY), and Nvni Group (NVNIW) also witnessed steep declines, reflecting continued volatility in select biotech and small-cap segments.
In terms of trading activity, EVTV topped the list by share volume, with more than 675 million shares exchanged, highlighting heightened speculative interest. Other heavily traded stocks by volume included Oriental Culture Holding (OCG), Mingteng International (MTEN), Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear ETF (SOXS), and Datavault AI (DVLT).
By dollar volume, mega-cap stocks dominated. Tesla (TSLA) led value-based trading, followed by SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), NVIDIA (NVDA), Invesco QQQ (QQQ), and Apple (AAPL), indicating sustained institutional participation in large-cap and index-linked counters.
