Stock Market Action: April 17, 2025 – Hertz and Channel Therapeutics Steal the Spotlight, and Keep Your Eye on KBLB

April 17, 2025

DENVER, Colo., Apr 17, 2025 (247marketnews.com)- The stock market continues to deliver rollercoaster action, with small-cap names driving the narrative amid a broader market pause. The S&P 500 inched up 0.2%, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.4%, buoyed by tech resilience despite lingering tariff concerns. Global markets remained jittery, but U.S. small caps shrugged off the noise, with Hertz Global Holdings (NASDAQ:HTZ) and Channel Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CHRO) emerging as must-watch trades. Meanwhile, Sharps Technology (NASDAQ:STSS), Dominari Holdings (NASDAQ:DMN), and Femto Technologies (NASDAQ:FMTO) might be okay scalps, but Kraig Biocraft Laboratories (OTCQB:KBLB) is shaping up to be a special play.

Hertz (HTZ): Pershing’s $50M Bet Sparks Short-Squeeze Fire

Hertz Global Holdings soared 28.6% to $5.66, hitting a 52-week high of $6.81, after Pershing Square Capital Management, led by Bill Ackman, disclosed a 12.7 million share stake valued at approximately $50 million in a 13F filing on April 15, 2025. This 4.1% position sent shockwaves through the market, with trading volume spiking to 45 million shares, with short interest at 18% of the 306.8 million share float fueling speculation of further upside.

Channel Therapeutics (CHRO): Merger News Ignites Breakout

Channel Therapeutics exploded 28% to $1.85, with 2.8 million shares traded, signaling intense interest, powered by its merger agreement with Ligand Pharmaceuticals’ Pelthos Therapeutics, raising $50 million to launch ZELSUVMI, the first FDA-approved at-home treatment for molluscum contagiosum. The deal, set to close summer 2025, creates a new NYSE American entity under PTHS. Ligand’s 13% royalty on ZELSUVMI sales, which targets a $5 billion molluscum market for 16.7 million U.S. patients.

Skip STSS, DMN, FMTO—Flip to KBLB

Traders eyeing Sharps Technology (NASDAQ:STSS), Dominari Holdings (NASDAQ:DMN), and Femto Technologies (NASDAQ:FMTO) might want to pivot to Kraig Biocraft Laboratories (OTCQB:KBLB) for superior upside potential.

KBLB is the smarter flip. Its April 15 gene-splicing platform news and new transgenic silkworms will turbocharge spider silk production, targeting $200 billion technical textiles, $500 billion apparel, $50 billion biomedical, $100 billion defense, and $300 billion consumer goods markets (estimates).

Market Context and Outlook

Today’s action, Nasdaq up 0.4%, reflects cautious optimism as Trump’s tariff pause to 10% eases pressure. Fed rate cuts loom, boosting small caps, so keep HTZ, CHRO, and KBLB on radar.

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