Stock market investors have faced a tough environment to navigate. Between all the macroeconomic factors at play and news at the individual company level, it has been difficult to get a sense of the overall direction of the financial markets. After solid gains earlier in 2023, stocks seem to be limping their way toward year-end with plenty of uncertainty.

Yet a couple of forces have benefited certain stocks. Improving financial results have sometimes been a catalyst for gains, as shipping giant FedEx (NYSE: FDX) is seeing Thursday morning. An acquisition bid can also give a stock a huge lift all at once, and shareholders in Splunk (NASDAQ: SPLK) are seeing firsthand what can happen when a major player in the technology industry like Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) gets interested in a smaller peer.

Shares of FedEx rose nearly 5% early Thursday morning. The delivery company reported fiscal first-quarter financial results for the period ended Aug. 31, and investors were generally satisfied with the mixed numbers from the company.

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Source Fool.com