Financial stocks that soared this week are now grabbing more attention than an over-the-top halftime show. Among the high-flyers, two Argentine banks and a particular U.S. bitcoin miner are riding up into the financial stratosphere. On the flip side, a group including one insurance player, a tech firm, and a few regional banking institutions stumbled badly. These market moves hit the gas pedal and seemingly lit the afterburner, setting significant milestones like a supercharged car on the track.

Within the past week, the financial stocks with a market capitalization of over $2 billion have wrapped up a big earnings-packed week concluding on January 26 firmly ensconced in the green pastures. The Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSEARCA:XLF) surged ahead by 1.8%, showing its brawn and vigour to outpace the 1.1% increase posted by the S&P 500. This makes it clear that they’re not just playing games but making real progress all around.

The top winners are part of the Argentine lineup, with powerhouses Grupo Financiero Galicia S.A. (NASDAQ:GGAL) and Banco Macro S.A. (NYSE:BMA) advancing significantly by 23.8% and 17.4%, respectively. The show-stealers also include Banc of California (NYSE:BANC), whose Q4 results powered it to a staggering 16.4% increase. Meanwhile, The Bancorp (NASDAQ:TBBK) zoomed ahead by 11.6% after delivering Q4 revenue that knocked the socks off the average analyst estimate. And finally, Marathon Digital Holdings (NASDAQ:MARA), one of bitcoin’s biggest corporate aficionados, registered a solid 10.7% gain as the cryptocurrency eked out a modest gain, showing that they are not just swinging for the fences but seeing real results.

Conversely, the losers part of the stock market drama is headlined by Columbia Banking System (NASDAQ:COLB), which took a nosedive, dropping a blistering 18%. The bank’s Q4 results and lackluster 2024 guidance left the analysts fuming, priming the stock for several downgrades. Trailing behind, Old Republic International Corp. (NYSE:ORI) retreated by 6.6% on the back of weaker-than-expected Q4 earnings, as net premiums and fees earned declined and its combined ratio shot up like a rocket. Moreover, PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) slid 6.1% after being placed on a downside 30-day catalyst watch at Citi. Also in the mix is CVB Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:CVBF), which fell 5.7% following lackluster Q4 earnings that failed to float Wall Street’s boat. Finally, Invesco (NYSE:IVZ) rounded out the losers with a 5.2% loss after stumbling on disappointing Q4 revenue. These firms hit some serious turbulence, threatening to take them down various notches in the finance universe.