Astera Labs, Inc. (ALAB) surged 5.15% in pre-market trading, bouncing back from a prior-session decline amid a confluence of positive catalysts including a significant analyst upgrade and anticipation of strong second-quarter results.

The rally was fueled by Morgan Stanley, which sharply raised its price target on the stock to $335 from $240 while maintaining an Overweight rating, citing the company's strong positioning in AI infrastructure growth. This follows a similar move by Barclays, which had previously lifted its target to $325, reflecting a broader institutional consensus favoring the high-speed connectivity chip segment as AI compute expansion drives sustained demand.

Investors also positioned ahead of the company's second-quarter earnings report scheduled for release after the close, with consensus EPS estimates at $0.42. The pre-market rebound was further supported by a broader chip sector recovery, as the stock recovered from a 5.85% decline in the previous session that was driven by semiconductor weakness and profit-taking.