We're about to close the books on the first three months of 2017, and large-cap stocks have performed well, with the S&P 500 Index (SPX) gaining roughly 5.5% year-to-date. The top gainer on the index has been NRG Energy Inc (NYSE:NRG), up nearly 53%, followed by a roughly 47% rise from
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX). But what about winners from the small-cap space? Well, it's hard to find a stock hotter than
Pulse Biosciences Inc (NASDAQ:PLSE).
What's The Deal With PLSE Stock?
PLSE stock has a market cap of just $392 million, but this number was much smaller at the beginning of the year. Specifically, Pulse Biosciences stock was trading at just $6.50 at the end of 2016, and was last seen perched near $28.30 -- representing a gain of over 335%. On Monday, the stock traded as high as $35.93. Looking back further, the shares began trading publicly back in May 2016 at just over $4 a share.
Why the Surge for Pulse Biosciences?
Pulse Biosciences is a medical technology company that has developed a proprietary technique known as Nano-Pulse Stimulation (NPS). Without getting too scientific, it seems the goal is to use this approach to kill cancer cells, and the company just submitted its 510(K) application for its Pulsetx System earlier this month to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It's obviously still early in the game for this stock, but it's certainly one to keep an eye on. A handful of healthcare executives are certainly paying attention, taking a combined 17.1% stake in PLSE in early February, which sent the shares on their quest for record highs.
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