Stocks displayed little movement this morning as the S&P 500 gears up for a favorable holiday-shortened trading week, with the index on track for gains over the month, quarter, and year. Meanwhile, gold reached another all-time high, outpacing stock performance significantly this year with gains exceeding 70%.
In international affairs, China announced sanctions against 20 U.S. defense-related companies, including Boeing, in response to a recent arms sale to Taiwan by the Trump administration, valued at over $10 billion. The Chinese government continues to assert its desire for Taiwan to be united with the mainland.
On the sportswear front, UBS analysts released a global survey indicating the enduring strength of Nike’s brand. Following a post-earnings decline, Club members increased their investment in Nike after reports that influential board members, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and former Intel CEO Bob Swan, had purchased additional shares.
In legal news, a federal court denied health tech company Masimo’s request to prevent Apple from importing certain models of the Apple Watch, which feature blood-oxygen sensors. Apple is now considering appealing the decision or seeking a new trial in the patent dispute.
Nvidia made headlines with its acquisition of assets from the nine-year-old chip startup Groq for approximately $20 billion in cash, a deal deemed “expensive but strategic” by Bank of America. Analysts have maintained a buy rating on Nvidia shares, likening this acquisition to Nvidia’s successful purchase of Mellanox in 2019.
Oracle’s stock has faced significant challenges, dropping 30% this quarter, positioning it for its steepest quarterly decline since 2001. Investor apprehension stems from a recent underwhelming earnings report and uncertainties regarding the company’s capacity to expand its server farms for OpenAI.
In technology, Alphabet’s Waymo temporarily suspended its robotaxi service in the San Francisco Bay Area following flash flood warnings. Earlier in the week, the company announced it would enhance its service to better handle power outages.
Google introduced a much-anticipated feature for Gmail users, allowing them to change their old email addresses while still retaining all data associated with the original account. However, a stipulation prevents users from creating another Gmail address for 12 months after making the change.
In sports entertainment, Netflix once again broadcast the NFL’s Christmas Day games, but fans criticized the quality of the production. Viewers particularly took issue with the streaming service’s choice to conduct interviews with former players during live games.
Amid a mixed performance in 2025, analysts are optimistic about Amazon’s prospects for the next year. If the company can swiftly deploy AI infrastructure to meet rising demand while sustaining growth in AWS cloud revenue and enhancing retail and advertising efficiencies, 2026 could herald a significant recovery for its stock.
Subscribers to Jim Cramer’s CNBC Investing Club will continue to receive timely trade alerts before transactions in the charitable trust’s portfolio are executed. Cramer adopts a waiting period post-alert to allow for market adjustments, ensuring strategic decision-making for investors.
