QuantumScape (QS) jumped 8.22% on Monday, reaching $8.29, as traders reacted to the company’s push into AI data center and defense markets.
The move marks a step away from its roots as a pure-play EV battery company. QS is now positioning its solid-state battery technology for use in AI infrastructure and defense applications.
The pivot has given investors a new reason to look at the stock, which is still down 27.64% year-to-date despite Monday’s bounce.
Options traders took notice. A total of 80,729 call options were traded on Monday — 130% above the average daily volume of 35,137. That kind of activity usually signals traders are betting on further upside.
The latest earnings report added fuel to the move. QuantumScape reported a loss of $0.16 per share for Q1, which came in better than the -$0.18 consensus estimate. A year ago, the company lost $0.21 per share, so the trend is moving in the right direction.
Production of the Eagle Line for QSE-5 cells is progressing smoothly. That’s a key milestone for a company that has long faced skepticism about its ability to scale manufacturing.
The Eagle Line ramp suggests QuantumScape is making real progress toward commercial-scale production — something that has been a sticking point for analysts for years.
Analyst sentiment, however, remains mixed. Six firms rate QS as a Hold, and one has a Sell rating. The average price target sits at $11.13, above Monday’s close but well below the 12-month high of $19.07.
HSBC recently upgraded the stock from Reduce to Hold but lowered its target from $10.50 to $8.30. Morgan Stanley cut its target from $12.00 to $8.50 while keeping an Equal Weight rating.
Not everyone is buying in. CTO Timothy Holme sold 127,077 QS stock units in February at an average of $7.10, reducing his position by 10.17%.
Insider Michael McCarthy III also sold 45,000 units in March at $6.73. In total, insiders have sold 716,925 units valued at around $4.88 million over the past three months.
Institutional investors have been more mixed. Vanguard increased its position by 1.2% in Q3, while Connor Clark & Lunn and the State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund both opened new positions.
QS currently has a 50-day moving average of $6.82 and a 200-day moving average of $9.93. The stock’s 12-month low is $3.80.
Analysts forecast a full-year loss of $0.82 per share for 2026.
The post QuantumScape (QS) Stock Surges 8% on AI Data Center and Defense Push appeared first on CoinCentral.
