Why Advanced Micro Devices, Nektar Therapeutics, and Manitowoc Jumped Today

Wednesday was a good day on Wall Street, with the Nasdaq Compositeand Russell 2000indexes both hitting record highs and other major benchmarks also generally posting solid gains. Optimism about the strong U.S. economy was enough to offset geopolitical concerns related to trade even as White House officials reiterated their position on keeping newly imposed tariffs in place.

Some individual companies also had good news that sent their shares sharply higher. Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD), Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NKTR), and Manitowoc (NYSE: MTW)were among the best performers on the day. Here's why they did so well.