Stock Market Today, Dec. 16: Comcast Jumps on Activist Investor Speculation

Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), a provider of broadband, wireless, video, and voice services through Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands, closed at $29.73, up 5.39%. Trading volume reached 89.7 million shares, which is 178% above its three-month average of 32.2 million shares.

How the markets moved today

Tuesday’s session saw shares surge following rumors of activist investor interest. Today was also the record date for the company's spin-off of its cable television networks. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) slipped 0.26% to 6,799, while the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) added 0.23% to finish at 23,111. Among Telecom Services peers, Charter Communications rose 0.84% and Cable One gained 2.28%.

What this means for investors

One day after being named to Barron's Top 10 stocks for 2026, Comcast experienced high trading volume, sparking rumors that it could be the target of an activist investor. Adding fuel to this fire, today was also the record date for the company's planned spinoff of its cable television networks.

To receive shares of the new spinoff company, Versant, investors needed to hold 25 or more shares of Comcast by the close of the market today. Therefore, today's high volume could be attributed to activist investors seeking more exposure to Versant or arbitrage traders looking to capitalize on the numerous moving parts surrounding Comcast's spinoff.

Buoyed by these factors driving higher volume for the stock, Comcast was the highest-performing stock in the S&P 500 today and could be a compelling target for activist investors, trading at just 5 times EBITDA.

Josh Kohn-Lindquist has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Comcast. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.