Stocks Tick Higher as Fed Meeting Begins; Trump Clears Nvidia Chip Sales to China; Delayed Job Openings Data Better Than Expected

AutoZone Stock Drops on Weaker-Than-Expected Profit, Sales

9 minutes ago

AutoZone (AZO) shareholders did not like what they saw from the retailer’s fiscal 2026 first-quarter results.

The Memphis-based auto parts chain was the worst performer in the S&P 500, with shares down nearly 7% after the company reported earnings of $31.04 per share on net sales that rose 8% year-over-year to $4.63 billion. Analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha were looking for $32.22 and $4.65 billion, respectively.

Gross profit margin was 51%, down 203 basis points from a year ago. The decrease “was driven by a 212 basis point non-cash LIFO impact, partially offset by other net margin improvements,” AutoZone said. Operating expenses rose to 34% of sales from 33.3% last year.

After today’s sharp declines, shares of AutoZone are up less than 10% this year.

AI vs. Human Advisors: What Americans Really Think About Retirement Planning

1 hr 8 min ago

Retirement is keeping Americans up at night. Almost 7 in 10 say financial uncertainty has made them feel depressed and anxious, up 8% from 2023, according to Northwestern Mutual’s 2025 Planning and Progress Study. Meanwhile, 51% told surveyors they’ll outlive their savings.

That anxiety is pushing people to seek help, as Americans are increasingly turning to human advisors and digital tools, including robo-advisors and AI-powered planning apps, to get their retirement on track.

The anxiety cuts deepest for younger Americans. Among Gen Z and Millennials, about 4 in 10 say they feel depressed or anxious about their finances on at least a weekly basis—up significantly from 2023.

There’s evidence that professional help works: three-quarters (76%) of Americans with a financial advisor describe their finances as “strong,” compared with just 44% without one. But only about 27% of Americans work with a traditional advisor, as fees and balance requirements put them out of reach for many.

That gap is driving experimentation. In a 2024 Ipsos/BMO poll, about 37% of Americans said they were already using AI to help them manage their money, most commonly to learn about personal finance, build budgets, or evaluate investment ideas.

Yet almost two‑thirds in the same survey said AI is incapable of understanding how emotions impact financial decisions—exactly the kind of subtlety that matters for decisions around retirement. In other words, people seem willing to let an algorithm run the numbers, but want a human being to double-check a financial plan and have the ability to adjust or override it.

Read the full article here.

–Isabel O’Brien

Walmart Shares Little Changed in Nasdaq Debut

1 hr 51 min ago

Walmart (WMT) shares moved to the Nasdaq Tuesday morning. They had a quiet debut in the opening minutes of trading.

Shares of the world’s largest retailer were little changed about 30 minutes into the session. They are up about 25% this year.

Walmart made its public debut on Oct. 1, 1972, when the firm listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The company decided to move to the Nasdaq following what it said was “an evaluation of several factors, including trading execution, brand alignment, and a shared focus on technology-driven innovation to support Walmart’s position as the world’s leading omnichannel retailer.”

“Nasdaq’s focus on technology and its support for companies driving digital transformation align perfectly with our strategic vision,” outgoing CEO Doug McMillon said. “This is an exciting next chapter as we continue building a frictionless future for our customers, members, associates, and shareholders.”

McMillon will be retiring at the end of January, with John Furner set to become CEO on Feb. 1, 2026.

“We are excited for what lies ahead,” McMillon added. “With John Furner as CEO, Walmart will continue to innovate and evolve with a relentless focus on customers, technology, and data-driven decision making.”

Here’s How Much Traders Expect Oracle Stock to Move After Earnings Wednesday

3 hr 11 min ago

Oracle (ORCL) is set to report its latest quarterly results after the market closes on Wednesday, with traders expecting a big move in the tech giant’s stock following the report.

Options pricing suggests traders anticipate the stock could swing nearly 10% in either direction by the end of the week. A move of that size from Monday’s close could bring the stock to a new record above $240 at the high end, or drag it down to $199 at the low end, where it was late last month.

Oracle’s stock hit a record high following the database giant’s last quarterly report in September, impressing investors with a record backlog on booming AI demand. The stock has pulled back in recent months, however, amid worries about an AI bubble, with Oracle’s moves to take on new debt and its reliance on a few big customers adding to concerns.

Bullish analysts at Citi suggested ahead of Wednesday’s report that they view worries about Oracle’s debt health and recent sell-off as overdone, though they’ll be watching closely for more clarity from Oracle on its plans, along with evidence that AI-driven demand for its offerings is broad-based.

Oracle is seen reporting adjusted earnings per share of $1.65 on a 15% year-over-year jump in revenue to $16.18 billion for the fiscal second quarter, according to estimates compiled by Visible Alpha.

Among the 12 analysts with current ratings tracked by Visible Alpha, eight consider Oracle’s stock a “buy,” compared to three neutral ratings, and one call to sell. Their mean target around $317 would suggest over 40% upside. The stock has added about a third of its value in 2025 through Monday’s close.

–Aaron McDade

Ares Management Stock Pops on S&P 500 Inclusion

3 hr 52 min ago

Ares Management (ARES) will be joining the S&P 500. Investors are cheering the news.

After the bell yesterday, S&P Dow Jones Indices announced that Ares Management will replace Kellanova (K) in the benchmark index before markets open this Thursday, Dec. 11.

Kellanova, the parent of such brands as Pringles, Cheez-It, and Pop-Tarts, is being acquired by Mars Inc. in a deal expected to close Thursday after it received European Commission approval yesterday.

Ares shares surged 8% before the bell. Should they open with that percentage increase, they would be near flat for the year.

This Wall Street Expert Is Less Bullish on Big Tech Stocks Now. Here’s Why

4 hr 8 min ago

Why ask for the moon, when there are plenty of stars to go around? That’s the latest take from a Wall Street expert regarding the S&P 500.

Dr. Ed Yardeni, founder of Yardeni Research, said on Monday that his firm was ending its 15-year recommendation that investors be overweight the S&P 500’s tech and communications sectors—effectively meaning they should prefer them to the rest of the stocks in the index. The prominent Wall Street economist and market strategist joins other investment professionals who have recently turned sour on the tech behemoths that have have dominated the benchmark index.

What’s changed about the Magnificent 7—Nvidia (NVDA), Apple (AAPL), Alphabet (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), Meta Platforms (META), and Tesla (TSLA)—is that they’ve started to more “aggressively” compete with each other, and have rivals coming out of the woodwork regularly, Yardeni told media networks, including Bloomberg TV and CNBC.

The problem is that betting on the Mag 7 has worked too well, with the tech and comms sectors now accounting for a record 45% of the benchmark index’s market capitalization, Yardeni said. While that may be justified by their earnings share also climbing, their overall riskiness compared to the rest of the index has also risen.

“They used to just operate in their own moats and kind of leave each other alone, but I think we’re now having a competitive situation,” Yardeni said on CNBC. “Not only that but I think we’re going to find out startups are coming [to] challenge some of their technologies.”

Read the full article here.

–Crystal Kim

Stock Futures Tick Higher as Fed Meeting Begins

4 hr 46 min ago

Futures contracts connected to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.1%.

S&P 500 futures were 0.1% higher.

Nasdaq 100 futures were fractionally higher.