The Weekend Rip
Happy Weekend!
The market successfully survived a "hiring recession" and a government shutdown this quarter to deliver the beginning trades of a classic Santa Rally, capped off by record-breaking runs in gold and silver. From Larry Ellison’s $40 billion backing of PSKY’s WBD offer, to Nvidia’s $20 billion Groq "partnership," the week was defined by massive capital and low volume. Looking ahead, expect low-volume trading and potential fireworks from Tuesday’s FOMC minutes as investors try to figure out if the 2026 outlook is actually "flush" or just a high-tariff AI hallucination.
Let's recap and prep you for the week ahead.
Monday : The market kicked off the week in a green "Santa Rally" warmup as Google dropped $4.75 billion on solar fields to fuel its AI tentacles and Tesla hit yet another record. Larry Ellison tried to end the Paramount-WBD soap opera by personally guaranteeing $40 billion for his son's hostile bid, while Disney finally kissed and made up with patent-holder Adeia to keep its streaming lights on. Between seized Venezuelan oil tankers and a French fry shortage at McDonald’s, investors found refuge in gold and silver as the "most wonderful time of the year" felt more like a billion-dollar shopping spree for energy and IP.
Tuesday : The market hit record highs on a massive 4.3% GDP growth beat, though skeptics noted the gains were fueled by century-high tariffs and a "K-shaped" economy where only the rich are still vibing. ServiceNow dropped $7.75 billion on a security deal to become an "AI Control Tower," while Novo Nordisk jumped 8% after the FDA approved a weight-loss pill for those of us who prefer "fat pills" over needles. Meanwhile, silver and gold smashed through historic ceilings, proving that even in a digital age, investors still want to hoard shiny metal like it’s 1849.
Wednesday : The Santa Rally officially kicked off during a sleepy half-day of trade, with the S&P 500 hitting fresh highs while trading volume was so low you'd think the floor traders all left early for eggnog. Dynavax skyrocketed 38% on a $2.2 billion buyout from Sanofi, and biotech peer Omeros flew 75% after the FDA handed out an early Christmas gift in the form of a rare drug approval. While AI-crazed tech and silver dominated the year's leaderboard, the "bond proxies" in the Utilities sector ended 2025 as the ultimate lumps of coal for investors.
Thursday, the market was closed for Christmas.
Friday : The market drifted through a low-volume Christmas hangover as gold and silver smashed fresh records, proving that investors currently trust shiny metal more than the "noisy" economy. Nvidia dominated the headlines with a $20 billion "acquisition-lite" of AI startup Groq, while Target found itself in the crosshairs of an activist investor. Between Zelenskyy prepping for a Sunday meeting with Trump and the DOJ needing "a few more weeks" to dump the Epstein files, the week ended with a classic mix of holiday optimism and lingering dread.
This week's Stocks Top 25 showed outperformance vs. the indexes.
THE BRIEF
Need a concise summary of what's going on this week? Look no further. Here’s a rundown of this week’s earnings and economic data.
Earnings This Week
Above is a quick summary. Check out the full Stocksearnings calendar for the other names reporting this week.
Economic Calendar
In addition to the above, check out this week's complete list of economic releases.