Orion, nLIGHT, Quest Resource, AeroVironment, and Northwest Pipe Shares Are Soaring, What You Need To Know

What Happened?

A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after the Trump administration postponed military action against Iran's following 'very good and productive' talks. 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average responded with a significant jump as the news sent a wave of optimism through trading floors. This type of broad market rally is often led by cyclical sectors, such as industrials, which are sensitive to global economic stability. Companies like construction equipment firm Caterpillar and manufacturing conglomerate 3M, which have large international operations, were among the top performers. A decrease in geopolitical risk can lead to lower oil prices and a more stable outlook for global trade and large-scale projects, directly benefiting these firms.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

• Construction and Maintenance Services company Orion (NYSE:ORN) jumped 8%. Is now the time to buy Orion? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
• Electronic Components company nLIGHT (NASDAQ:LASR) jumped 6.7%. Is now the time to buy nLIGHT? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
• Waste Management company Quest Resource (NASDAQ:QRHC) jumped 13.1%. Is now the time to buy Quest Resource? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
• Defense Contractors company AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) jumped 6.8%. Is now the time to buy AeroVironment? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
• HVAC and Water Systems company Northwest Pipe (NASDAQ:NWPX) jumped 6.9%. Is now the time to buy Northwest Pipe? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.

Zooming In On Quest Resource (QRHC)

Quest Resource’s shares are extremely volatile and have had 63 moves greater than 5% over the last year. But moves this big are rare even for Quest Resource and indicate this news significantly impacted the market’s perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 3 days ago when the stock gained 18.6% on the news that a company director purchased 11,000 shares, a move often seen as a sign of strong insider confidence. Quest Resource Holding Corp director Robert J. Lipstein reported the open-market purchase of the common stock on March 18. Following the trade, his direct holdings increased to 48,500 shares. Adding to the positive mood, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposal aimed at clearing millions of abandoned tires by encouraging their use as an energy source. The agency's plan sought to reclassify these scrap tires as non-waste fuel, a move that could streamline their use in industrial settings and potentially benefit companies in the recycling and waste management industry.

Quest Resource is down 40.6% since the beginning of the year, and at $1.18 per share, it is trading 60.6% below its 52-week high of $2.99 from March 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Quest Resource’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at only $305.71.

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