Premarket Movers Oct 22, 2026: Why STAK, BHVN, PFSA Are Up
The biggest premarket movers on Oct 22, 2026: STAK, BHVN, PFSA, NCPL and BKYI. What is moving each stock, plus the prior-day chart setup and risks.
STAK — STAK Inc. (+58.0%)
Why is STAK up? The stock is trading at $1.58 in premarket, up 58.0% from the prior close, on 23,732,564 shares. Its 20-day average volume is 2,720,438, so volume is already far above normal, even in the thin pre-open session.
The most likely catalyst is STAK's fiscal 2026 earnings release, issued through PR Newswire at 4:20 PM EDT on October 21, after the close. STAK reported net income of $0.4 million, versus a net loss of $5.7 million a year earlier. Finviz reported revenue up about 13% to $28.2 million. Benzinga said the shares rose 59% after hours to $1.59. The sources show the timing but don't state the cause outright, so the link to earnings is an inference. We covered the after-hours move in our October 21 after-hours recap.
The prior-day chart was weak. The stock is 89.2% below its 52-week high, the moving-average stack is bearish, RSI is 42 and ADX is 39. StockSetups shows no setup lane, a conviction score of 12/100 (grade D) and a trend-template score of 3. Relative strength is 94.
Squeeze risk looks modest. The squeeze score is 47/100, with 489,113 shares short (0.6 days to cover, meaning very little time would be needed to buy them back). Free float is 100%. A move this large on a micro-cap often fades, so treat it with caution.
BHVN — Biohaven Ltd. (+38.8%)
Biohaven is trading at $16.31 in premarket, up 38.8%, on 7,315,662 shares. That compares with a 20-day average of 1,918,429. Market cap is about $1.8B.
The catalyst is FDA acceptance of Biohaven's resubmitted application for troriluzole (Vyglxia) in spinocerebellar ataxia. Investing.com reported, citing a company SEC filing on October 22, that the agency treated the filing as a complete response to its November 4, 2025 action letter. It assigned a user fee goal date in the first quarter of 2027. The FDA also plans to convene a Peripheral and Central Nervous System Advisory Committee meeting. Investing.com described that as a step that adds scrutiny but shows the agency is engaging.
Reported move sizes differ by outlet. One Investing.com article cited a 25% jump, and another cited a 33.3% pre-open gain. Treat the exact percentage as fluid.
On the prior-day chart, the stock was 35.1% below its 52-week high with a mixed moving-average stack, RSI 44 and ADX 26. Conviction is 27/100 (grade D), with no setup lane. Short interest is 19,000,171 shares, or 4.8 days to cover, and the squeeze score is 70/100. Short covering could add fuel, but it can also reverse quickly. The smart-money score is 17/100, with a largest disclosed stake of 5.1%.
PFSA — Profusa, Inc. (+31.8%)
Profusa is trading at $1.09 in premarket, up 31.8%, on 12,689,157 shares versus a 20-day average of 5,151,075. Market cap is only about $501K. No news, filing or announcement explains the move, so it looks momentum- or technically-driven.
The backdrop is troubled. Recent 8-Ks include a dilution filing on October 15 and an auditor-related filing on October 9, both flagged bearish. An agreement filing followed on October 5. The stock is 99.8% below its 52-week high, with a bearish moving-average stack and RSI 38. Conviction is 0/100, the trend-template score is 0 and relative strength is 1.
Free float is just 11.3%. A low float means few shares are available to trade, which can exaggerate price swings. Short interest is small at 39,618 shares, and the squeeze score is 13/100. A short-sale restriction (SSR) is active. HRT Financial LP made small Form 4 purchases in early August. One 13D/G stake of 49.9% is disclosed, and the smart-money score is 32/100.
NCPL — Netcapital Inc. (+26.8%)
Netcapital is up 26.8% to $1.99 in premarket on 715,032 shares, light against a 20-day average of 16,405,913. Market cap is about $12.3M.
The most likely catalyst is Netcapital's October 14 announcement that Nasdaq confirmed it had regained compliance with the minimum bid price rule. A secondary driver is the engagement of a new independent auditor, Adeptus Partners, a step toward resolving delayed financial filings. Other reports put premarket gains at different levels. Benzinga showed a 15.9% rise to $1.82 after a drop of over 22% on Wednesday. The stock has been a recurring name in our recaps, including the October 19 after-hours piece.
Risks are visible. An October 20 8-K flagged dilution and an October 14 8-K flagged delisting, both bearish. Law-firm notices are also circulating. The prior-day chart shows a bearish engulfing candle, though the moving-average stack is bullish, with RSI 54 and ADX 47. Relative strength is 99, conviction is 38/100 (grade D) and the trend-template score is 7.
The squeeze score is 53/100, with 1,651,407 shares short, free float of 46.9% and an active short-sale restriction. The smart-money score is 29/100.
BKYI — BIO KEY INTERNATIONAL INC (+26.7%)
BIO-key is trading at $2.66 in premarket, up 26.7%, on 11,365,135 shares versus a 20-day average of 13,051,035. Market cap is about $3.0M.
The catalyst is a new customer. On October 22, BIO-key announced that a Middle East government security agency chose its PortalGuard multi-factor authentication and single sign-on platform to protect critical communications infrastructure (GuruFocus). No financial terms were disclosed, and the company said the deal came less than two months after initial talks (Benzinga). Benzinga reported a much larger premarket spike, about 131.5% to $3.82, so the 26.7% figure here may not match other quotes.
The prior-day chart showed a bearish belt hold candle, a bearish moving-average stack, RSI 45 and ADX 34. The stock is 79.6% below its 52-week high. Conviction is 0/100, with relative strength of 7.
Short interest is only 10,889 shares (0.3 days to cover), and the squeeze score is 2/100, so a squeeze isn't a strong factor. Recent filings include an S-1 on October 9 and a bearish dilution 8-K on October 2.
The bottom line
Premarket gainers are thin-volume, headline-driven and mostly micro-caps. Several carry dilution or delisting filings, and big one-day gainers often give back much of the move. Patterns and squeezes fail often. Size positions carefully, set your risk before entering and do your own research. This is educational content, not advice. For stop placement, see where to place a stop loss. StockSetups scans the full US universe after every close and every premarket morning to surface movers like these.
Frequently asked questions
Why is STAK up premarket today?
STAK is up 58% premarket. The most likely catalyst is its fiscal 2026 earnings, released after the close on October 21, showing $0.4 million net income versus a $5.7 million loss a year earlier. The link to earnings is inferred from timing.
Why is Biohaven (BHVN) stock surging?
The FDA accepted Biohaven's resubmitted application for troriluzole (Vyglxia) in spinocerebellar ataxia, with a user fee goal date in the first quarter of 2027, per Investing.com.
What is a low-float short squeeze?
A low float means few shares are available to trade. If heavily shorted shares must be bought back as the price rises, the buying can push the price up sharply, but such moves often reverse.
Are premarket movers safe to chase?
No. Premarket volume is thin, spreads are wide and big gainers often fade after the open. This is educational, not financial advice.
Produced with AI assistance and published under the StockSetups editorial guidelines.
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