Several local public companies racked up huge share price gains over the last 12 months across an array of industries from healthcare to automotive.
The three largest movers were TTM Technologies of Santa Ana, Viant Technology of Irvine and Willdan Group of Anaheim with market capitalization gains of 213%, 199% and 245%, respectively, for the 12 months ended Sept. 30.
“Despite ongoing economic headwinds, including tariffs and broader downturns impacting industries across Orange County, Viant has continued to deliver resilient performance and sustained growth,” a spokesperson for the digital ad company Viant told the Business Journal on Sept. 24.
Four others gained 100% or more in market cap: Alignment Healthcare Inc., Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Inc., loanDepot Inc. and Eaco Corp.
Even EV maker Rivian Automotive Inc., tossed and turned by President Donald Trump’s environmental policies, chalked up a 68% market cap gain.
No. 1 Ranked Chipotle Drags Down Top 40
The Business Journal’s annual list of publicly traded companies this year tracked 40 companies, each with a market cap that tops $100 million. While there were some monster gains, 13 showed significant enough drops to cause the combined market caps to fall 4.4% to $210.1 billion in the 12 months ended Sept. 30. By contrast, the S&P 500 returned 17% during the same 12-month period.
Chipotle Mexican Grill, the largest publicly traded company in OC, dragged down the top 40. The Newport Beach-based chain saw its market cap cut by nearly a third to $52.8 billion.
“While comparable sales and transactions turned positive in June, and this trend continued into July, given the ongoing volatility in our sales trends and the consumer environment, we now anticipate comps to be about flat for the full year,” CEO Scott Boatwright told analysts in July after the release of second-quarter earnings.
Irvine-based chipmaker Skyworks Solutions Inc., the most valuable publicly traded tech company based in OC, saw its market capitalization fall 24% to $11.4 billion during the period.
American Healthcare
American Healthcare REIT’s market cap jumped 73% to $7.1 billion.
“Since its debut on the New York Stock Exchange on February 2024, American Healthcare REIT’s stock price has grown from $12 per share to more than $43 per share (as of Sept. 10, 2025), making it one of the top performing stocks on Wall Street during that time,” company CEO and President Danny Prosky told the Business Journal on Sept. 26.
Among the other companies on the Business Journal list, the following market cap changes were noted:
Aircraft component maker Ducommun’s market capitalization was up 94% to $1.4 billion.
Developer FivePoint Holdings rose 64% to almost $430 million.
Taking the No. 40 slot was Pro-Dex Inc., which climbedÂÂÂÂ 12% to $110 million.
Kura Sushi USA squeezed out a 5.2% market cap gain to $711 million, staying at slot No. 25, as it cited a boost in company revenue.
“The increase in sales was primarily driven by the sales resulting from fourteen new restaurants opened during fiscal year 2024, as well as increases in menu prices during the same period,” Marketing VP Newton Hoang told the Business Journal on Sept. 23.
Overall, OC businesses are tending to look more confidently toward the future, according to a survey conducted by economists at California State University, Fullerton.
The CSUF overall index, OCBX, for the fourth quarter of 2025 rose to 74.4% from 68.6% in the just-ending quarter, reaching a level close to the beginning of 2024. A reading above 50 indicates belief in future growth in the economy.
Desmond Celo contributed to this report.
For an interview with TTM Technologies CEO Edwin Roks, see the Oct. 13 edition of the Business Journal.
