In the hour leading up to Friday’s market open, GE Vernova shrugged off a downgrade from Baird Securities. Despite the broker cutting its outlook from outperform to neutral and trimming its price target by 10%, trading activity in the stock remained steady. Volume in pre-market trading rose by 20% compared to the 30-day average, suggesting investors were not deterred by the revision. Baird’s downgrade followed the announcement that Meta Platforms selected two independent power providers, Vistra Energy and Oklo Inc., for its new data center facilities—moves that analysts believed could intensify competition in the power solutions market.

During Friday’s session, GE Vernova underperformed the overall market, registering a 3.5% decline from its previous close. This drop outpaced the S&P 500’s 1.2% pullback, marking the steepest one-day loss for GE Vernova in six weeks. Trade volumes soared to 15 million shares, roughly 1.8 times the month-to-date daily average, indicating pronounced selling pressure. Sector peers in power generation and renewable energy also fell but by more modest margins, underscoring heightened investor concern over near-term growth prospects for GE Vernova.