Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Palantir, Hims & Hers Health, Clorox and more

After-hours trading reflected diverse reactions to Q3 earnings, with Palantir Technologies gaining 1% on an earnings and revenue beat, strong government sales, and improved Q4 guidance driven by its AI platform. Upwork surged nearly 14% after raising its 2025 revenue forecast following robust Q3 results, and Clorox rose over 4% on exceeding Q1 estimates. Conversely, IAC dropped over 7% due to a revenue miss and lowered 2025 EBITDA guidance, citing AI search summaries impacting traffic, while Lattice Semiconductor fell nearly 6% on a disappointing Q4 forecast despite beating Q3 expectations.

Analysis

Palantir Technologies (PLTR) demonstrated robust performance, with shares rising 1% after exceeding Q3 analyst estimates, reporting $0.21 adjusted EPS on $1.18 billion revenue, driven by a significant 52% year-over-year growth in government sales. The company also issued better-than-expected Q4 guidance, highlighting the increasing traction of its AI platform in the commercial sector. Upwork (UPWK) surged nearly 14% following strong Q3 results, including $0.36 non-GAAP EPS and $201.7 million revenue, and subsequently raised its 2025 revenue forecast, signaling continued optimism. Clorox (CLX) also saw a 4% increase after beating Q1 estimates with $0.85 adjusted EPS on $1.43 billion revenue and reaffirming its full-year guidance.

Conversely, several companies experienced declines despite some positive metrics. Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) fell 4% as its adjusted EPS of $4.80 missed analyst forecasts, overshadowing a revenue beat. Diamondback Energy (FANG) dropped 2% despite exceeding Q3 profit and revenue estimates, with the market reacting to its announcement of selling Viper Energy's non-Permian assets for $670 million, a transaction set to close in Q1 2026. The Williams Companies (WMB) moved lower by 3% due to an adjusted EPS miss, despite revenue beating estimates.

IAC (IAC) plummeted over 7% after missing Q3 revenue estimates with $589.8 million and lowering its 2025 adjusted EBITDA estimate, explicitly citing AI search summaries as a factor siphoning off website traffic. Lattice Semiconductor (LSCC) declined nearly 6% despite beating Q3 earnings, as its Q4 revenue and EPS forecasts fell below analyst consensus, indicating a weaker near-term outlook. Hims & Hers Health (HIMS) jumped over 6% on a revenue beat but missed EPS estimates, suggesting investor focus on top-line growth.

The overall market reaction reflects a nuanced assessment of earnings, with strong guidance and clear growth drivers like AI (Palantir, Upwork) being rewarded, while companies facing structural headwinds (IAC) or issuing cautious outlooks (Lattice Semiconductor) are penalized, even if current quarter results were mixed or positive.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Investors should consider Palantir (PLTR) for its strong government sales growth and positive Q4 guidance driven by AI, while monitoring the commercial segment's ramp-up.
• Evaluate Upwork (UPWK) and Clorox (CLX) for sustained performance, given Upwork's raised 2025 revenue forecast and Clorox's reaffirmed full-year guidance after beating estimates.
• Exercise caution with IAC (IAC) due to reported impacts from AI search summaries on traffic and lowered 2025 EBITDA guidance, signaling potential structural headwinds.
• For companies like Vertex (VRTX) and Lattice Semiconductor (LSCC) that reported mixed results or disappointing forecasts despite some beats, a deeper dive into forward guidance and margin trends is warranted.