Thursday's big stock stories: What’s likely to move the market in the next trading session

United Airlines shares declined 2% in after-hours trading despite exceeding profit estimates, due to a revenue miss, though it remains the best-performing major airline year-to-date. In contrast, J.B. Hunt surged over 11% in extended trading after beating earnings expectations, offering a positive turn for its year. Looking ahead, investors await earnings reports from Travelers, Charles Schwab, and Taiwan Semiconductor, with the latter anticipated to deliver strong results given its robust year-to-date performance and strategic importance in the semiconductor industry.

Analysis

United Airlines (UAL) shares declined 2% in after-hours trading despite exceeding profit outlook, due to a revenue shortfall. This contrasts with its year-to-date performance, where UAL is up 7% and remains the best performer among major airlines. J.B. Hunt (JBHT) saw its shares surge over 11% in extended trading after reporting an earnings beat, providing a significant positive reversal for a stock that was down approximately 19% year-to-date.

Travelers (TRV) is set to report earnings, following a challenging day for the insurance sector with Progressive (PGR) and Allstate (ALL) experiencing significant declines. While TRV closed down 2% and is on track for its worst monthly performance since December 2024, it maintains a strong long-term trajectory, up over 120% over seven years. Charles Schwab (SCHW) also reports, having lagged competitors Robinhood (HOOD) and Interactive Brokers (IBKR) with a 27% gain in 2025 compared to HOOD's 260% and IBKR's 58%.

Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) is anticipated to deliver positive figures in its upcoming earnings report, as suggested by analyst Jim Cramer, given its critical role as a chip manufacturer for industry leaders like Nvidia and AMD. TSM has demonstrated robust market performance, climbing 54% year-to-date and outperforming both Nvidia and Broadcom. This highlights its strategic importance and strong operational execution within the semiconductor industry.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Investors should closely monitor United Airlines' upcoming revenue guidance for signs of sustained recovery, despite its profit beat and year-to-date outperformance.
• Consider J.B. Hunt's earnings beat as a potential inflection point, but assess whether the positive momentum can be sustained given its prior year-to-date underperformance.
• For Travelers, evaluate the earnings report for insights into broader insurance sector headwinds and the company's ability to maintain its strong long-term performance trajectory.
• Examine Charles Schwab's competitive positioning and growth strategies in light of its underperformance compared to high-growth fintech peers like Robinhood and Interactive Brokers.
• Taiwan Semiconductor's earnings should be watched for confirmation of its strong market position and as a key indicator for the broader semiconductor and technology sectors.