Quanex shares surge as U.S. stocks fall despite strong payrolls report

Sep 4, 2026 15:26 (49d ago)

Quanex Building Products shares rose as much as 23% after quarterly earnings exceeded analyst expectations.
Quanex reported 79 cents per share and $501.845 million in quarterly sales, versus consensus estimates of 66 cents and $497.507 million.
U.S. stocks declined despite August job growth of 162,000, while semiconductor and memory stocks rallied and Concrete Pumping Holdings announced its first-ever dividend.

U.S. stocks traded lower Friday despite the economy adding 162,000 jobs in August, well above estimates of 56,000. The Dow Jones index fell about 250 points, while the Dow, Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 declined 0.56%, 0.44% and 0.43%, respectively, midway through the session. Quanex Building Products shares rose as much as 23% to $23.08 after quarterly earnings exceeded estimates, while semiconductor and memory stocks including SanDisk benefited from a broader technology rally and optimism about artificial-intelligence demand. Most non-AI stocks declined, with several companies moving sharply after earnings, guidance updates or corporate announcements.