Stock Market News·2025-12-05 19:07Company News and Stock Highlights - Netflix (NFLX) shares fell 2.1% after announcing a deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) valued at approximately $82.7 billion, with Netflix paying $72 billion in cash and stock for various assets [6] - Ulta Beauty (ULTA) stock jumped 11% after reporting $2.86 billion in sales and $5.14 in earnings per share for the third quarter, both exceeding analyst expectations, and raised its full-year revenue forecast [6] - Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) shares tumbled 3.9% after reporting weaker revenue than expected, despite profit exceeding forecasts, and provided below-consensus revenue and EPS forecasts for Q1 fiscal 2026 [9] - Victoria's Secret & Co. (VSCO) stock surged nearly 14.4% after reporting a smaller-than-expected loss and raising its full-year sales forecast [9] - Salesforce (CRM) shares increased by 4% after delivering better-than-expected profit, although revenue fell short, with CEO highlighting the company's position in the AI era [9] - Dollar General (DG) rallied 12.6% after reporting stronger-than-expected profit for its latest quarter [9] - Hormel Foods (HRL) rose 3.3% after also reporting better-than-expected profit [9] Market Performance - Major U.S. stock indexes are trading higher, with the S&P 500 index up around 0.3% and just 0.2% shy of its record high, marking its eighth gain in the past nine sessions [2] - The Nasdaq Composite (COMP) rose approximately 0.4%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) saw a modest increase of about 0.1% [2] - The Russell 2000 index (RUT) of small-cap stocks edged back 0.2% from its record set yesterday [2] Sector Performance - The Industrials Select Sector SPDR (XLI), Technology Select Sector SPDR (XLK), and Communication Services Select Sector SPDR (XLC) recorded gains of 0.5%, 0.4%, and 0.4% respectively [3] - The Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) experienced a slight decline of 0.7% [3] - The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) decreased by 1.9% to 15.78, indicating reduced market anxiety [3] Upcoming Market Events - The U.S. Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index for September is expected to show a 2.8% increase over the past 12 months, with core inflation at 2.9% [4] - The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on December 9-10 is anticipated to result in a 25 basis point rate cut, with an 89.2% chance assigned to this outcome [5] - Other important economic data releases next week include ADP employment change, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), Producer Price Index (PPI), and initial jobless claims [5]