Stocks to Watch Friday, Oct. 23: Nokia, Crown Castle, JetBlue, Exascale Labs, Aardvark
By Tech & Money Press · Pre-market watchlist for Friday, October 23, 2026
Market Setup
Stocks fell on Thursday, led by tech. SPY closed at $763.96 (-1.2%) and QQQ dropped 2.9% to $704.47. Chip and megacap names took the biggest hits: Nvidia fell 4.4%, Intel 8.0% and Amazon 4.6%. The after-hours session was quiet, with SPY near $764.12 and QQQ near $703.18 (-0.2%).
Today’s list mixes big names with small-cap movers. Nokia and JetBlue are coming off heavy selling, Crown Castle jumped after the bell on a SpaceX report, and two small caps, Exascale Labs and Aardvark Therapeutics, have fresh momentum. Here are the levels we are watching.
1. Nokia (NOK) – AI orders soar, but the stock sinks 15%
Close: $7.88 (-14.8%) · Day range: $7.78–$8.62 · Volume: 207.4M (about 2.3x its 10-day average) · After hours: ~$7.91, range $7.86–$8.00
Nokia’s Q3 net sales rose 10% to €5.15 billion and comparable operating profit jumped 35% to €605 million. AI and cloud revenue more than doubled (+123%), with €1.5 billion in new AI and cloud orders. The company kept its full-year outlook unchanged, and investors sold the stock anyway. Nokia was the most active non-penny stock in the U.S. market on Thursday.
Our Take: NOK gapped down from $9.25 and closed near its low, which usually means sellers are still in charge. $7.78 (Thursday’s low) is the first support, and $7.50 is the next round number. On a bounce, $8.00 (after-hours high) is the first test, then $8.62 (Thursday’s high). The gap up to $9.02 is far away. With this much volume, NOK should have plenty of liquidity at the open. We would wait to see if $7.78 holds before looking for a bounce.
2. Crown Castle (CCI) – Up 9.5% after hours on SpaceX tower talks
Close: $78.83 (+0.2%) · Day range: $76.29–$80.40 · Volume: 6.2M · After hours: ~$86.30 (+9.5%), high $87.00
Bloomberg reported after the close that SpaceX is in talks to secure access to at least 80,000 U.S. cell sites, as it works to build a fourth national wireless carrier. Crown Castle was named as one of the tower operators in the talks. No deal has been announced, and SpaceX has not confirmed the report. SBA Communications (SBAC) also gained about 8% after hours.
Our Take: This is a headline move, so we will see if it holds into the open. $87.00 (after-hours high) is the first resistance, and $90 is the next round number. On the downside, $83.26 (Oct. 16 high) is the first support, then $80.40 (Thursday’s high). If the gap fills back to $78.83, the move failed. Remember, this is a report about talks, not a signed lease.
3. JetBlue (JBLU) – Record low ahead of earnings
Close: $2.65 (-9.6%) · Day range: $2.40–$3.03 · Volume: 84.0M (about 2.2x its 10-day average) · After hours: ~$2.64
JetBlue hit a record low of $2.40 on Thursday. American Airlines’ Q3 report showed how high fuel costs are hurting airline profits, and JetBlue does not hedge its fuel. Short interest is above 30% of the float, and the company reports Q3 results on Oct. 27.
Our Take: JBLU bounced from $2.40 to close at $2.65, so buyers stepped in at the low. $2.50 is the first support, and $2.40 (the record low) is the key level. If it breaks, there is no history below. On the upside, $2.85 (Thursday’s open) is the first test, then $3.03 (Thursday’s high). With high short interest, a bounce can be fast, but the trend is still down.
4. Exascale Labs (XLAB) – Up 73% on its Nvidia server deal
Close: $4.71 (+73.2%) · Day range: $3.08–$4.85 · Volume: 67.9M · After hours: ~$4.40 (-6.6%), range $4.21–$5.06
Exascale Labs extended its rally on an $8.2 million contract, disclosed in an SEC filing, to supply 12 Nvidia HGX B300 servers (96 GPUs) plus deployment and three years of IT services. The stock traded under $1 as recently as Oct. 15. The company is small, with about $2.7 million in cash at the end of June and a net loss of about $12.2 million for its last fiscal year.
Our Take: XLAB closed near its high, which is a strong sign, but it faded a bit after hours. $4.21 (after-hours low) is the first support, then $3.84 (Oct. 16 high). On the upside, $5.06 (after-hours high) is the first resistance, then $5.27 (Sep. 9 high). This is a low-float runner, so expect big swings. We would wait for the first pullback to hold before getting involved.
5. Aardvark Therapeutics (AARD) – FDA lifts clinical hold
Close: $3.95 (-10.4%) · Day range: $3.89–$4.31 · Volume: 1.4M · After hours: ~$4.98 (+26.1%), range $4.26–$5.66
After the close, Aardvark said the FDA lifted its clinical hold on ARD-101, its drug for excessive hunger in Prader-Willi syndrome. A new heart-safety study in healthy volunteers showed no cardiac events at two doses. The company will host a webcast at 8:00 a.m. ET on Friday to review data from its terminated Phase 3 trials. It did not give a timeline to restart Phase 3.
Our Take: The 8:00 a.m. webcast lands right in the pre-market session, so it could move the stock either way. $5.09 (Oct. 8 high) is the first resistance, then $5.66 (the after-hours high, which matches the Oct. 2 high). On the downside, $4.54 (Oct. 21 high) is the first support, then $4.26 (after-hours low). This stock usually trades light volume, so watch the spreads.
Bottom Line
Tech led the market lower on Thursday, so Friday’s open matters. If QQQ can stabilize, Nokia and the small caps on this list have a better chance to bounce. Crown Castle and Aardvark depend on their news, so the first 15–30 minutes should show which way they want to go. As always, pre-market levels can change quickly, so wait for confirmation after the open.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and is not financial advice. Tech & Money Press is not a registered investment advisor. Trading stocks involves risk, including the loss of your investment. Do your own research and consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.
Sources: Price data from Webull (as of 8:00 p.m. ET, Oct. 22, 2026). Company news via MoneyCheck, Yahoo Finance / Investing.com, Seeking Alpha, TECHi, GlobeNewswire.