Core Insights - Costco's sales are experiencing significant growth, with net sales increasing by 8.5% year over year to $29.86 billion for the five weeks ending January 4 [2] - The company's stock price rose over 3% following the release of its December sales figures, reflecting positive market sentiment [1] Sales Performance - Comparable sales in the U.S. grew by 6.3%, while companywide comparable sales increased by 6.2%, excluding the effects of gasoline price fluctuations and foreign exchange rates [2] - Digitally enabled sales surged by 18.3%, indicating strong performance in Costco's online retail segment [4] Market Position - Costco's strategy of offering quality merchandise at low prices is resonating well with consumers, particularly in a cash-strapped environment [4] - The company's large scale allows it to provide a curated selection of goods at competitive prices, making it difficult for rivals to match [4] Customer Loyalty and Growth Strategy - The savings provided by Costco help build loyalty among its members, driving repeat traffic and stable profits [5] - Expansion of store count, along with growing sales at existing locations, is expected to continue fueling Costco's earnings growth in the future [5]

Lucid's vehicle production increase is impressive, but the company is burning through cash and doesn't have a clear path for success.Lucid (LCID +2.18%), which makes the all-electric Air sedan and Gravity SUV, recently reported its fourth-quarter and full-year vehicle production numbers, and by most accounts, they're impressive.The company's vehicle production jumped 155% in the quarter to 8,412 vehicles, which helped Lucid produce a total of 18,378 last year -- a 104% increase from 2024. Adding to the good ...

On Jan. 8, 2026, investors weighed eye‑popping AI demand forecasts against questions over valuation, China access, and capital intensity.Nvidia (NVDA 2.09%), a GPU and AI solutions leader, closed Thursday's session at $185, down 2.17%. Nvidia IPO'd in 1999 and has grown an astounding 450,934% since going public. Trading volume reached 163.5 million shares, coming in nearly 12% below versus its three-month average of 185.9 million shares.Thursday's move followed commentary on AI demand potentially topping $5 ...

Today, Jan. 8, 2026, investors are rethinking Apple’s AI roadmap and ecosystem strength as Alphabet pulls ahead in AI race.NASDAQ : AAPLAppleToday's Change( -0.42 %) $ -1.10Current Price$ 259.23Key Data PointsMarket Cap$3.8TDay's Range$ 255.70 - $ 259.2852wk Range$ 169.21 - $ 288.62Volume2.5MAvg Vol45MGross Margin46.91 %Dividend Yield0.40 %Leading tech giant, Apple (AAPL 0.42%), closed Thursday’s session at $259.04, down 0.42%. Trading volume reached 50.2 million shares, coming in roughly 10% above its thre ...

The data center designer is positioning itself at the epicenter of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom.Shares of Applied Digital (APLD +8.05%) rose on Thursday after the digital infrastructure builder announced impressive quarterly growth metrics. By the close of trading, Applied Digital's stock price was up more than 8% after rising as much as 20% earlier in the day. Fueling the AI revolution Applied Digital's revenue soared 250% year over year to $126.6 million in its fiscal 2026 second quarter, which ...

Today, Jan. 8, 2026, defense names power the Dow as investors react to President Trump’s $1.5 trillion Pentagon push.S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.01%) finished almost flat at 6,921.46, the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC 0.44%) declined 0.44% to 23,480.02 on tech weakness, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDEX: ^DJI) gained 0.55% to 49,266.11 as defense and staples outperformed.Market moversNorthrop Grumman (NOC +2.43%) advanced on Trump’s $1.5 trillion defense-budget push and a new $94 million U.S. Navy contract. L ...

Today, Jan. 8, 2026, Wall Street's upgrade and CES roadmap toward autonomy put Ford's turnaround and tech ambitions under the microscope.NYSE : FFord Motor CompanyToday's Change( 4.66 %) $ 0.64Current Price$ 14.38Key Data PointsMarket Cap$55BDay's Range$ 13.88 - $ 14.4952wk Range$ 8.44 - $ 14.49Volume6.1MAvg Vol84MGross Margin7.58 %Dividend Yield4.37 %Ford Motor Company (F +4.66%), a maker of automobiles and commercial vehicles, closed Thursday's session at $14.40, up 4.80%. Ford Motor Company IPO'd in 1972 ...

Is there any point at which defense stocks cost too much to buy? Investors don't seem to think so.By now you've heard the news: Last weekend, U.S. Special Forces units raided the Venezuelan capital of Caracas and arrested President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, taking both away for trial on narcotics and terrorism charges in New York. Oil stocks surged on the news Monday -- and so did defense stocks, with shares of Textron (TXT +3.50%) gaining 2.2%, Lockheed Martin (LMT +4.01%) 2.9%, and General Dynamics clo ...

The little quantum computing company still has a lot to prove.Rigetti Computing's (RGTI 0.67%) stock closed at a record high of $56.34 per share on Oct. 15, 2025. That marked a 6,850% gain over its previous 12 months, and was fueled by new contracts, analysts' upgrades, and a growing enthusiasm for quantum computing stocks.Yet over the following three months, Rigetti's stock was cut in half and now trades at about $26. Let's see why its stock fizzled out, and if that dip is a buying opportunity for patient ...

Serve Robotics had an incredible news week.Shares of robotic delivery upstart Serve Robotics (SERV +16.78%) have spiked 33% this week as of 2:00 p.m. ET on Thursday following numerous news items. Intent on leading the robot revolution (at least the AI-powered kind that brings food and groceries to your door), Serve Robotics has been receiving a lot of attention from Wall Street recently.NASDAQ : SERVServe RoboticsToday's Change( 16.78 %) $ 2.26Current Price$ 15.73Key Data PointsMarket Cap$1.0BDay's Range$ 1 ...