Investors' hopes of a Fed rate cut grow, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang meets with Trump

分组1 - Hopes for a Federal Reserve rate cut are increasing, with an 87% probability priced in by traders, following a softer than expected ADP reading on private payrolls [3][4] - Jensen Wang, CEO of Nvidia, is lobbying for favorable federal policies for Nvidia and the AI industry, amid rising investments and forecasts about AI's transformative potential [5][6] - Goldman Sachs predicts that the recent surge in copper prices, which have risen over 20% since July, may not be sustainable due to sufficient supply to meet global demand [46][47] 分组2 - Dollar General reported third-quarter earnings of $128 per share on revenue of $10.6 billion, raising its full-year estimates for earnings and same-store sales, leading to a pre-market stock rise of over 3% [10] - Dollar Tree's CEO noted that over half of new customers in the third quarter had household incomes above $100,000, indicating a trend of wealthier customers seeking discounts [11] - Five Below reported a 14% increase in same-store sales, raising its profit outlook three times this year, with its stock also rising over 4% in pre-market trading [12] 分组3 - Costco's November same-store sales increased by 6.9%, but results fell short of analyst expectations, leading to a decline in stock price ahead of its full earnings report [13][14] - Macy's experienced its strongest growth in three years, but the CEO warned of cost pressures and selective spending potentially impacting holiday sales [15] - Kroger is expected to report a significant accounting hit of about $2.6 billion in Q3 due to the shutdown of three automated fulfillment centers [17] 分组4 - The national average for gasoline in the US has dropped to a four-year low of $2.99 per gallon, with prices expected to fall further into the holiday season [51][53] - Analysts predict that Brent crude oil prices could drop below $60 per barrel next year, contributing to lower gasoline prices [55] - The World Gold Council forecasts that gold prices could rise between 15% and 30% in 2026, following a 60% increase in 2025 [56]