Teresa Rivas

Costco’s $1.50 hot dog might not be going anywhere, but the retailer’s impressive stock run means the shares now costs a pretty penny. Shares of Costco Wholesale edged lower Thursday after the company said its November sales climbed 5.6% year over year, a slowdown from October’s pace. Total comparable sales growth also decelerated month over month, to 3.1%, although core comps—excluding the impact of gasoline and currency—were up 4.9%.

Big Tech stocks had another big breakout this week. Although the notched its 56th record close of the year on Wednesday, that was largely due to the rebound in tech stocks. The Nasdaq Composite reached its 35th record close this week too.

The stock market’s postelection surge has pushed 2024’s rally into overdrive, and there seems little standing in the way of a merry end to the year. With the uncertainty of the U.S. election out of the way and a strong economy, history suggests that December will be similarly positive for investors, if not to the same degree. The large number of corporate insiders who are selling stands out on a historical basis, as it’s the second-highest ratio on record dating back to 2004.

Financial research and analytics firm VerityData’s quarterly ratio of unique sellers to unique buyers for the S&P 500 is almost 12 to 1.

This year looks like another record-breaker for holiday sales, and Burlington is poised to be one of the beneficiaries in the fourth quarter and beyond.

If we’re only in the early innings of artificial intelligence, quantum computing hasn’t even left the batting cage yet.

The footwear powerhouse has struggled with rising inventories, increasing competition, and sluggish consumer demand in key regions.

On Wednesday, JPMorgan Cory Carpenter lowered his rating to Neutral from Overweight and his price target to $33 from $40. Carpenter forecasts industry growth of just 1% for 2024 and flat in 2025 because of a lack of product innovation—more than a decade has passed since “swiping” on a potential match was introduced. With just about 12% of the world’s singles online—equivalent to about a quarter of active daters—Carpenter is still optimistic about the industry’s long-term secular growth, especially as increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence applications drive future innovation.

Walmart stock has soared past the gains in 2024, and analysts think its star moment can continue. Persistent inflation has led even six-figure earners to shop at Walmart, thanks to its reputation for value. Its investments in tech are paying off, and the company now has multiple revenue streams that are helping its business diversify beyond the core retail segment.

The main culprit for stock losses was the Federal Reserve, which now appears less dovish than investors had hoped.