Wall Street opened December with a volatile but ultimately positive week, as all three major averages moved within narrow ranges before closing higher.
Investors tracked key labor and inflation data, which delivered mixed signals, including an unexpected drop in U.S. private employment for November offset by better-than-expected initial jobless claims and job cut figures. The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge also fell to its lowest year-over-year level since May, strengthening expectations for another interest rate cut next week.
For the week, the S&P (SP500) added +0.3%, while the blue-chip Dow (DJI) gained +0.5%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (COMP:IND) advanced +0.9%.
Here are stocks that caught investors’ attention this week:
Netflix (NFLX) announced on Friday it will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), including its film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO, for a total enterprise value of ~$82.7 billion. The deal is expected to close in 12–18 months. Paramount Skydance (PSKY), meanwhile, is reportedly evaluating taking an offer for Warner Bros. Discovery straight to shareholders. The improved offer could be even higher than the $30/share all-cash offer it submitted this week, according to a CNBC report.
Rubrik (RBRK) shares rallied after the company lifted its revenue forecast for 2026, while narrowing its view for adjusted losses per share. The company now projects revenue of $1.28B for fiscal year 2026, compared to its prior guidance of $1.23B. Adjusted net loss per share is now seen between -$0.20 and -$0.16 (vs. -$0.50 to -$0.44 previously).
Costco (COST) sued the U.S. government to ensure it receives a full refund of tariffs it already paid if the Supreme Court rules that President Donald Trump’s levies are illegal. The retail giant filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Court of International Trade last week, saying the move was necessary as importers that paid tariffs are not guaranteed a refund if the Supreme Court rules against Trump.
Pure Storage (PSTG) fell nearly 19% over the week after the computer hardware and storage company reported its third quarter results. The company generated adjusted earnings per share of $0.58, which was in line with estimates, on revenues of $964M, which increased 16% year over year and was above the $956.5M estimate.
Meta Platforms (META) was in focus after a Bloomberg report suggested that the company is expected to make cuts in its Metaverse operations, with potential budget cuts in the area of up to 30%. META recorded $4.43B in loss from operations from the Reality Labs segment in the third quarter, and its cumulative losses now total $73.04B.
Snowflake (SNOW) shares fell after the software company issued a forecast for product revenue and profit margin that was barely above the consensus estimate. The cloud-based data management company projects fourth-quarter product revenue ranging from $1.195B to $1.2B, which is just above the $1.9B estimate. Adjusted operating income margin is expected to be about 7% in the period ending in January, below analysts’ expectation of 8.5%.
UiPath (PATH) rose after the software company reported third-quarter results and guidance that topped Wall Street’s forecast. For the period ending Oct. 31, UiPath said it earned an adjusted $0.16 per share as revenue rose 15.9% year-over-year to $411.11M. Looking ahead, UiPath expects fourth-quarter revenue to be between $462M and $467M, with the $464.5M midpoint above the $463.1M estimate
Nvidia (NVDA) announced a $2B investment in Synopsys (SNPS) common stock and a strategic partnership aimed at design and engineering across industries. The companies said the expanded partnership will integrate the strengths of Nvidia’s AI and accelerated computing with Synopsys’ engineering solutions to deliver capabilities enabling research and development teams to design, simulate, and verify intelligent products with greater precision, speed, and at lower cost.
ZIM Integrated Shipping (ZIM) shares gained on a media report that shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd (OTCPK:HPGLY) (OTCPK:HLAGF) has made an offer for the company. The report provided few specifics, with the bid said to be in the initial stages and negotiations yet to begin between the sides.
Marvell Technology (MRVL) rose after the custom semiconductor company reported fiscal third-quarter results and guidance that met Wall Street’s forecast and confirmed its deal to acquire Celestial AI. For the period ending Nov. 1, Marvell said it earned an adjusted $0.76 per share as revenue jumped 36.8% year-over-year to come in at $2.08B. Analysts had expected the company to earn an adjusted $0.74 per share on $2.07B in revenue.
Amazon (AMZN) is reportedly considering ending its massive shipping contract with the U.S. Postal Service by late 2026 and shifting those parcels into its own rapidly expanding delivery network. Amazon (AMZN) is the largest customer of USPS, generating more than $6 billion in 2025 revenue, and is one of the government agency’s most profitable package streams.