Unusually High Volume Points to Upside in These Stocks

Key Points

• Candel Therapeutics volume spikes quadruple digits after positive results from a mid-stage trial. 
• MSP Recovery volume spikes after Palantir reveals a stake in the company. 
• Perma-Fix Environmental Services surges on successful results from a pilot plant. 

If investing were easy, everybody would do it, and we would all be rich. But that isn't the case. Investing takes time, patience and effort, which is the focus now. Among the investment tools Marketbeat provides is a screener for unusual volume activity. Unusually high volume is often a precursor to accelerating share price movement, so it is a valuable tool. 

However, investors will find the list of unusual activity chock full of duds, such as SPACS and ETFs with no business and hope other than that inspired by a surge in volume. A surge in volume is one thing, but a 1000% increase doesn't mean much if only a few people are buying. However, applying a little due diligence will yield numerous opportunities with true value; all it takes is a little effort. Here's a look at three recently featured stocks with triple-digit or better volume spikes. 

Candel Therapeutics has Quadruple Digit Spike in Volume

Candel Therapeutics NASDAQ: CADL develops immunotherapies for cancer patients and is advancing its technology. This biopharma company recently posted a quadruple-digit surge in its trading volume, a 2500% spike from 140,000 to over 3.75 million, due to positive results from a clinical trial. 

A mid-stage test of its leading candidate showed a significant increase in survivor rates at the critical 24- and 28-month marks for non-metastatic pancreatic cancer. Survivorship at 24 months exceeded 70% compared to only 17% for the control group. Additionally, no new safety concerns were raised, suggesting the drug can be used in multiple doses with no toxicity. 

This is the third surge in price and volume for this stock since Q4 2023, and the cumulative result is a bottom and market reversal. The latest surge is on track to put the volume at a record level and has the price action up nearly 35%. Because the volume is so strong and the technical signals solid, the stock price will likely advance to $3 and possibly move above it. Technical indications include bullish stochastic and MACD, both still low in their ranges, and support at the convergence of the 30- and 150-day EMAs. 

Marketbeat tracks only one analyst with a rating on Candel, but the sentiment is bullish, and the price action aligns with the forecast. HC Wainwright has the stock pegged at Buy with a price target of $11 or nearly 400% upside.

MSP Recovery has a Recovery in Progress

MSP Recovery NASDAQ: LIFW is a health-oriented data solutions platform whose volume recently spiked more than 500%. The cause is the revelation Palantir NYSE: PLTR had taken a 6.5% stake in the company. There is no news on Palantir's intent, but the message is clear: the market-leading AI-powered data analytics firm thinks this stock is a good buy. 

MSP Recovery is generating revenue but has yet to turn a profit. The outlook for 2024 and 2025 is for growth to accelerate at a hyper pace and for profits to follow soon. Among the opportunities for investors is an MSP Recovery buyout by Palantir or another AI data processor. Palantir is an obvious choice because it leans toward private-sector operations that include healthcare. 

Perma-Fix Environmental Solutions Volume Spikes 400%

Perma-Fix Environmental Solutions NASDAQ: PESI volume has ramped higher since the start of the year and recently spiked by 400%. The cause is a pivot to profits that precedes what the company CEO described as a transformative year. Recent news includes successfully testing a pilot plant for destroying "forever chemicals," a potentially billion-dollar business. No analysts rate this stock, but the institutional side is getting interested. Institutional inflows have outpaced outflows for over two years, and activity has ramped up over the last three quarters. Institutions own about 25% of the stock; ownership is broad and growing.