Hot or Not, Stock Market Edition: 10/08/2026

Happy Thursday. Here's what the Zen Ratings are mining for value and leaving in the ground today:

• Hot: Lithium and specialty chemicals producer SQM (SQM) is cheap with analysts pointing 42% higher; metals distributor Reliance (RS) keeps grinding toward its 52-week high
• Not: Satellite connectivity player AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) is losing altitude on the ratings; cancer diagnostics company Celcuity (CELC) can't convert the science into numbers

P.S. For more stocks making moves, check out our Zen Ratings Upgrades & Downgrades screener.

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🔥 HOT: Metals distributor Reliance (RS) is benefiting from strong demand without taking on the same commodity swings as a steel producer. The latest quarter beat on earnings and revenue thanks to record shipments and better pricing, while analysts have been raising estimates. For investors, that means a steadier way to participate in a strong metals cycle.

Shares are up more than 50% from their 52-week low and still trade just below their high, while earnings are expected to rise sharply over the next year. The balance sheet is also a major strength, with low leverage and ample short-term assets.

RS has a Zen Rating of B, a Buy recommendation. The Component Grades reinforce that steady profile. Momentum, Sentiment, Financials, and Artificial Intelligence all earn B grades, while Value, Growth, and Safety sit at C. That says the stock has a healthy trend, solid financial footing, and improving investor confidence without any glaring weakness. Bottom line: record shipments and a strong balance sheet make Reliance one of the cleaner ways to play metals without relying on a single commodity price move.

🥶 NOT: Cancer-focused biotech Celcuity (CELC) has made progress toward commercialization, but the financial picture has not kept pace. The company still reports no revenue, analysts cut forecasts after the latest loss, and projected cash burn is rising sharply. More concerning, liabilities now exceed assets, which raises the stakes for investors waiting on the pipeline to deliver.

Shares are down more than 50% from their 52-week high, but the balance sheet suggests the decline may be justified rather than opportunistic.

CELC has a Zen Rating of F, a Strong Sell recommendation. The Component Grades show where the pressure is concentrated. Safety and Financials both earn F grades, while Growth, Sentiment, and Artificial Intelligence receive D grades. Value and Momentum are only C. That combination points to a company with weak financial health, elevated risk, and fading confidence, with little offsetting strength elsewhere. Bottom line: the drug pipeline may still have promise, but investors are being asked to take on substantial balance-sheet risk before the business has produced revenue.

🔥 HOT: Chilean lithium producer SQM (SQM) is getting a real lift from the lithium recovery. Its latest earnings beat expectations, management raised its lithium outlook, and iodine is becoming a bigger profit contributor too. That gives investors more than one growth engine as battery-metal pricing improves.

Shares are still roughly a third below their 52-week high, even after a strong rebound from the low. That gap is what makes the setup interesting: the business is improving faster than the stock has fully recovered.

SQM has a Zen Rating of A, a Strong Buy recommendation. The Component Grades help explain why. Value earns an A, while Growth, Financials, and Artificial Intelligence receive B grades. That mix says investors are getting an attractively priced business with improving fundamentals and a healthy financial base. Momentum, Sentiment, and Safety sit at C, so the market has not fully caught up yet. Bottom line: rising lithium prices and stronger guidance give SQM a clear catalyst, while the valuation still leaves room if the recovery continues.

🥶 NOT: Satellite-to-phone company AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) is still selling investors on a huge future market, but the financial reality remains much weaker. Revenue is small compared with losses, projected cash burn far exceeds available cash, and insiders have been net sellers. For investors, that means the story still requires a lot more funding and execution before the economics make sense.

Shares are down more than 50% from their 52-week high, yet the stock still trades at an extreme sales multiple. In other words, the selloff has not made it cheap.

ASTS has a Zen Rating of F, a Strong Sell recommendation. The Component Grades make the risk even clearer. Value, Sentiment, Safety, and Financials all earn F grades, while Momentum and Artificial Intelligence receive D grades. Growth is the only C. That points to a stock that is still expensive, financially fragile, and losing investor support all at once. Bottom line: the satellite opportunity may eventually be huge, but investors are still paying for a future the business has not yet proved it can fund.

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