Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX, XETRA:NFC)’s announcement that it will acquire Warner Bros Discovery Inc (NASDAQ:WBD, XETRA:J5A) in a $72 billion cash-and-stock deal has drawn a mixed response from analysts, as investors weigh the risks and potential rewards of one of the largest media transactions in history.
The deal values Warner Bros. at $27.75 per share and positions Netflix as a dominant player in global streaming, combining its platform with Warner Bros.’ extensive content library, including HBO.
Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META, XETRA:FB2A, SIX:FB) is reportedly considering cuts to its Reality Labs (RL) unit and other areas of the business, moves that Bank of America analysts believe could help the company maintain financial discipline while supporting longer-term growth initiatives.
According to Bloomberg, Meta may reduce its 2026 Metaverse budget by up to 30%, primarily affecting the Quest virtual reality unit and Horizon Worlds.
Ulta Beauty Inc (NASDAQ:ULTA) shares surged more than 14% on Friday to trade at about $610 after the beauty retailer reported fiscal third quarter results that exceeded Wall Street expectations and raised its full-year guidance.
Earnings per share came in at $5.14, surpassing analyst estimates of $4.55 and matching the prior-year figure.
DocuSign (NASDAQ:DOCU) shares fell nearly 7% as conservative guidance for the upcoming quarter weighed on better-than-expected earnings.
For the October quarter, DocuSign reported revenue of $818.4 million, surpassing Wall Street estimates of roughly $807 million, marking an 8% year-over-year increase.
SentinelOne (NYSE:S) shares fell 11% in early trade on Friday after the AI-powered cybersecurity firm’s weaker-than-expected guidance and the announcement that its CFO Barbara Larson is departing the company overshadowed a third quarter earnings beat.
The company’s Q4 guidance of roughly $271 million in revenue fell short of analyst expectations of around $273.2 million, representing lower projected growth of 20% year-over-year.
Shares of First Phosphate Corp. (CSE:PHOS, OTCQX:FRSPF) surged more than 12% on Thursday after research firm Emerging Growth initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a 12-month price target of C$4.93, saying the Québec-based developer is positioned to anchor a Western supply chain for purified phosphoric acid (PPA) used in lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
In its note, Emerging Growth said that it believes the market is “underpricing the combination of ore quality, deep-water logistics at the Port of Saguenay, and a staged integration plan that generates cash from concentrate sales while the acid plant advances toward feasibility and FID.”
Rio Tinto Ltd (LSE:RIO, ASX:RIO, OTC:RTNTF) has outlined a more optimistic growth and capital expenditure outlook to 2030, with upgraded production guidance for key commodities and a commitment to shareholder returns, according to a note from Citi.
Following the miner’s Capital Markets Day, the American bank said Rio Tinto is now guiding for stronger volumes in copper, bauxite, aluminium and lithium in 2025 and 2026, with full-year production estimates coming in ahead of the bank’s previous forecasts.
Citi has raised its end-2026 target for the Stoxx Europe 600 index to 640, pointing to around 11% upside, as signs of a cyclical recovery align with sustained fiscal support and a gradual easing in monetary policy.
The bank said its constructive stance on European equities is now “more structural in nature”, citing long-term under-ownership of the region, higher public investment, and growing demand for diversification amid volatility in artificial intelligence-linked sectors.
PVH Corp. (NYSE:PVH), which owns the clothing brands Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, saw its shares plummet almost 12% on Thursday as it warned of continued tariff impacts despite a third quarter earnings beat.
The apparel company reported revenue of $2.29 billion for the fiscal third quarter, a 2% increase from a year earlier and ahead of its guidance for flat to slightly higher sales. This was ahead of Wall Street estimates of $2.27 billion.
Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST, XETRA:CTO) reported another strong month of growth in November, with net sales climbing 8.1% year-over-year to roughly $21.9 billion.
Jefferies analysts repeated their ‘Buy’ rating on the membership-based big box retailer, noting its November performance reflected “broad-based sales momentum” heading into the first quarter of fiscal 2026.
TJX Companies Inc (NYSE:TJX)'s long record of outperforming expectations positions the off-price retailer for further gains as it leans into pricing power, international growth and an expanding store base, according to analysts at Bank of America.
Analysts said TJX’s ability to consistently beat sales and margin forecasts is “rare” in the current retail landscape and should continue to support multiple expansion.
Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM, XETRA:FOO) delivered better-than-expected results for its third quarter of fiscal 2026, with analysts highlighting strong momentum in the company’s AI-focused Agentforce platform and an improving pipeline of customer deals.
Shares of Salesforce surged 3.8% on Thursday afternoon after the cloud software giant reported total revenue of $10.26 billion, roughly in line with Street estimates of $10.27 billion, while non-GAAP earnings per share came in at $3.25, well above the $2.86 expected.
Intel Corp (NASDAQ:INTC, XETRA:INL) announced that it plans to retain its networking and communications unit, NEX, after evaluating strategic options for the business.
The decision comes after a period in which Intel explored selling various assets to improve its financial position. Over the summer, the company secured an $8.9 billion investment from the US government for a 10% stake, along with $2 billion from SoftBank Group and $5 billion from Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA, XETRA:NVD).
C3.ai (NYSE:AI) reported fiscal second quarter 2026 results that modestly beat Wall Street estimates, signalling early stabilization under new CEO Stephen Ehikian and strong momentum in its federal business.
For the quarter ended October 31, 2025, total revenue was $75.15 million, above analysts’ estimate of $74.9 million but below the midpoint of the company’s guidance range of $72 million to $80 million. Revenue declined 20.3% year-over-year but increased 7% sequentially.
Snowflake Inc (NYSE:SNOW) reported third quarter earnings that beat Wall Street expectations, but shares fell about 9% in early trade as the company forecast slower product revenue growth for the fourth quarter, partly due to discounts on large, long-term deals.
The cloud data analytics expects product revenue growth of 27% in Q4, down from 29% growth in the October quarter, reaching $1.16 billion.
If you thought humanoid robots were still parked in science fiction, RBC Capital has other ideas. Its new Imagine report puts the total addressable market for humanoids at $9 trillion by 2050, with another $3 trillion attached to software and services once a robotics app-store economy takes hold.
RBC’s core argument is straightforward. Humanoids succeed because they fit into a world built for humans. They can move through existing environments, use existing tools and avoid the costly retrofitting required by other robotic forms.
Acadia Healthcare (NASDAQ:ACHC) shares plunged more than 10% after the company was downgraded to an ‘Underperform’ rating by Bank of America analysts, who warned that rising insurance and legal costs will pressure profitability into 2026.
The analyst also lowered their price objective on Acadia Healthcare to $13. Shares traded hands at about $14.70 on Wednesday afternoon.
Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) used its annual re:Invent conference in Las Vegas to outline a series of AI-focused updates, including new Trainium chips, expanded Nvidia integration, autonomous agents, and a new on-premises “AI Factories” model.
The event, which drew roughly 60,000 attendees, offered incremental product progress rather than a headline-making partnership, according to Bank of America analysts.
Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM, XETRA:FOO) is expected to report third-quarter results broadly in line with Wall Street estimates, according to Jefferies, whose partner survey showed steady demand but limited near-term catalysts ahead of the company’s analyst day.
Jefferies’ 20-partner survey was “neutral to positive,” with 70% of respondents above or at plan for the quarter ending in October. “F3Q appears in line,” the analysts wrote, noting partners expect growth to accelerate to 10% in 2026 from 8% in 2025, aligning with Salesforce’s long-term target of more than 10% annual organic revenue growth through fiscal 2030.
Shares of online furniture retailer Wayfair Inc (NYSE:W) fell nearly 5% on Wednesday after Jefferies downgraded the stock to “Hold,” citing weakening web traffic, softer early holiday demand and fading buying intent among consumers.
Jefferies said it had turned more cautious after reviewing third-party traffic and survey data that pointed to a slower start to the peak shopping season.
Dollar Tree, Inc. (NASDAQ:DLTR) shares moved higher as the discount retailer’s third quarter earnings beat Wall Street expectations as consumers continue to favor value.
For the quarter ended November 1, adjusted earnings per share (EPS) came in at $1.21, exceeding the consensus estimate of $1.09.
Okta Inc (NASDAQ:OKTA) reported third quarter fiscal 2026 results that exceeded Wall Street expectations across key metrics, including revenue, earnings per share, and forward guidance.
The cloud-based identity management service reported revenue of $742 million, up roughly 12% year-over-year and above analyst estimates of around $730 million.
Three years ago, OpenAI could do no wrong. ChatGPT had just landed, users were sprinting past 100 million in under three months and the company enjoyed the kind of cultural dominance most tech firms can only dream of.
Investors piled in, inflating the valuation to $500 billion. It looked like the model that would redefine software, search and everything in its blast radius.
Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL, XETRA:APC) announced a major change to its AI leadership team with the departure of John Giannandrea, its senior vice president for machine learning and AI strategy.
Giannandrea, who spent seven years overseeing the company’s AI roadmap, will remain in an advisory role through spring 2026 before retiring.
Unity Software Inc (NYSE:U) saw its price target boosted by Wedbush analysts to $55 from $50, who also added the company to its Best Ideas List, citing strengthening momentum across its game engine and mobile advertising businesses.
Unity shares traded up 4.8% at about $45 on Tuesday afternoon.
US online spending during the Cyber Five holiday period rose about 8% from last year, beating expectations as shoppers pursued discounts and increasingly relied on AI-assisted tools, Bank of America said on Tuesday, citing data from Adobe Inc (NASDAQ:ADBE) and Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM, XETRA:FOO).
The Cyber Five refers to the five-day period around Thanksgiving in the US that is considered the peak of the holiday shopping season for e-commerce.
Endeavour Mining PLC (LSE:EDV, TSX:EDV, OTCQX:EDVMF) has laid out an ambitious five-year exploration plan aimed at adding 12 to 15 million ounces of gold at a discovery cost of under $40 an ounce, analysts at Jefferies highlighted on Tuesday.
Jefferies said the scale of the program distinguishes the company in a sector struggling to find high-quality new deposits.
Cavendish has reiterated its positive stance on IXICO PLC (LSE:IXI, OTC:PHYOF) as the company targets growth in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, supported by an expanding clinical pipeline and new technology launches.
The broker highlighted IXICO’s review of the 2025 Alzheimer’s disease pipeline, noting 138 drugs in development at the start of the year, up from 127 in 2024, with a sharp rise in phase 1 trials to 48 from 26.
US eCommerce sales over the Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping period were softer year-over-year but beat expectations, according to Oppenheimer researchers who cited data from Adobe Inc (NASDAQ:ADBE), Mastercard Inc (NYSE:MA), Shopify Inc (TSX:SH., NYSE:SHOP) and Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM, XETRA:FOO).
Adobe reported online spending rose 5.3% on Thanksgiving compared to a year earlier, slightly above expectations for 4.9%.
UBS has initiated coverage of Carvana Co. (NYSE:CVNA) with a “Buy” rating on Monday, arguing the online used-car retailer is positioned to capture outsized share in a fragmented market as consumers accelerate their shift to digital vehicle purchases.
The brokerage set a 12-month price target of $450, about 20% above Carvana’s last close at $374.50, and said its 2026–27 EBITDA forecasts sit roughly 5% above consensus.
AI spending is moving into its next phase, and Wedbush analysts expect it will mark the start of a major monetization cycle beginning next year
The analysts pointed to a pickup in deal activity across cloud providers, noting that around 20% of the AI-related projects it tracks at hyperscalers have sped up in recent weeks.
Bank of America on Monday raised its price objective on Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO, XETRA:1YD) to $460 from $400, citing growing leverage from Google’s tensor processing units (TPUs) and expectations for higher unit volumes and average selling prices over the next two years.
The brokerage reiterated its “Buy” rating, saying Broadcom stands to benefit as Google ramps production of its TPUv7 chips and prepares for broader external access to the hardware used to train large artificial intelligence models.
CrowdStrike Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:CRWD) will report its third quarter earnings after the market close on Tuesday, with Wedbush analysts expecting another solid quarter from the cybersecurity firm.
The analysts have an ‘Outperform’ rating and $600 price target on CrowdStrike, pointing to its position in the growing AI-driven security market. Shares traded hands at $504 on Monday, up 47% so far this year.
Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) could see meaningful revenue upside over the next two years as its cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services (AWS), continues to unlock capacity, according to Oppenheimer analysts.
In a note Monday, Oppenheimer raised its price target on Amazon to $305 from $290 while reiterating an “Outperform” rating. The brokerage said AWS plans to double its capacity by 2027, following a doubling since 2022, with at least 1 gigawatt (GW) added in the fourth quarter.
Barrick Gold Corp. (TSX:ABX, NYSE:GOLD) said its board has authorized management to explore an initial public offering (IPO) of its North American assets, a move analysts say could lift the valuation of its holdings without a full corporate breakup.
The proposed new entity, dubbed “NewCo,” would house Barrick’s joint venture interests in Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) and Pueblo Viejo (PV), as well as the wholly owned Fourmile gold discovery in Nevada.
Analysts at RBC have taken a dim view of Rio Tinto Ltd's (LSE:RIO, ASX:RIO, OTC:RTNTF) intended timeline for bringing its Simandou project online.
RBC trimmed its targets for Rio, warning that the mining major's planned 30-month ramp-up at Simandou is unlikely to be achieved.
Analysts at Citi have given a cautious perspective on the energy sector, flagging persistent risks across oil, gas and refining, whilst questioning any scope for sector outperformance.
The American bank's analysts reckon oil faces a supply overhang that creates downside risk. This 'base-case view' assumes OPEC will act to protect prices, but Citi noted that the balance remains fragile.