Why General Electric, Concert Pharmaceuticals, and NVR Jumped Today

Thursday was a generally quiet day for the stock market, with major benchmarks finishing mixed. Poor performance among high-profile tech stocks helped send the Nasdaq Composite down almost half a percentage point, but the Dow and S&P 500 stayed closer to the unchanged mark. Sentiment remains relatively positive as earnings season continues to play out, and investors still seem hopeful that pro-business policies in Washington will lead to legislative action. Most market participants focused on individual stock names today, and General Electric (NYSE: GE), Concert Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: CNCE), and NVR (NYSE: NVR) were among the best performers on the day. Below, we'll look more closely at these stocks to tell you why they did so well.

Shares of General Electric rose 2%, making it the second-biggest gainer among the 30 stocks in the Dow Jones Industrials. GE has gone through considerable turmoil lately, with changes of leadership at the top pointing toward substantial shifts in the conglomerate's strategic vision. Fearful shareholders wonder if General Electric might have to cut its dividend. Yet GE will have its chance to explain its strategy when it announces its quarterly results Friday morning, and today's move suggests that at least some investors believe that CEO John Flannery will be able to explain the industrial giant's recent malaise and plot a path to better times ahead.

Image source: General Electric.

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Source: Fool.com