Good morning investors! Investors appear confused as some names struggle to go up.
Today we cover:
Weekly jobless claims
Ulta Beauty and Beta Technologies report
Tesla gains consumer confidence
📊 Economy and News
U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Plunge to 3-Year Low, Easing Labor Market Fears
New U.S. unemployment claims fell sharply by 27,000 to 191,000 for the week ending November 29 — the lowest level since September 2022 and well below the expected 220,000.
Continuing claims also edged down 4,000 to 1.939 million.
The surprise drop, partly influenced by Thanksgiving holiday distortions, contrasts with private surveys (ADP and Revelio Labs) that showed job losses in November and comes as planned layoffs dropped 53% month-on-month, though year-to-date cuts remain 54% higher than 2024, led by tech and AI-driven restructuring.
The official November jobs report, delayed by the recent 43-day government shutdown, is now due December 16.
Global hits:
Poland’s central bank cuts rates to 4.0%, Glapinski sees inflation in target range.
Brazil’s trade surplus reaches $5.842 billion in November as economy slows to 0.1% growth in Q3, yearly rate hits 3-year low.
Hungary’s Orban announces 11% minimum wage hike for 2026.
Good to know: Politics is now Americans’ No. 1 money worry.
On the other hand, some of the world’s richest continue to pour money into one hot sector: AI-powered healthcare.
Reminder: Chicago Fed sees November unemployment rate steady at 4.4% as alternate data shows job losses.
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📈 Stocks
S&P 500 6 857,12 (+0.11%)
DJIA 47 850,94 (-0.067%)
NASDAQ 23 505,14 (+0.22%)
BRENT CRUDE 63.24 (+0.92%)
* Prices as of Dec 5th, 12:20 AM UTC
Ulta Beauty and Beta Technologies Report
Ulta Beauty beat Wall Street’s fiscal third-quarter expectations and raised its full-year outlook for the second consecutive quarter. The company now expects net sales of approximately $12.3 billion (up from prior guidance of $12.0–$12.1 billion and last year’s $11.3 billion) and earnings per share of $25.20–$25.50 (previously $23.85–$24.30).
Third-quarter comparable sales rose 6.3% year-over-year, driven by a 2.4% increase in transactions and a 3.8% rise in average ticket as shoppers visited stores and the website more frequently and spent more per visit. Ulta raised its full-year comparable sales guidance to 4.4%–4.7% growth, up from the prior 2.5%–3.5%.
Following the announcement, Ulta shares jumped more than 4% in extended trading. Year-to-date through Thursday’s close, the stock has gained about 23%, outperforming the S&P 500’s roughly 17% rise.
Beta Technologies, which went public last month, reported its first quarterly results as a public company. Q3 revenue more than doubled to $8.9 million from $3.1 million a year ago. Net loss widened sharply to $452 million ($9.83 per share) from $82.1 million ($1.81 per share) prior year, largely due to convertible preferred stock issuance.
The electric aircraft maker guided full-year revenue to $29–$33 million and adjusted EBITDA loss of $295–$325 million. Beta is working with states including North Carolina, Michigan, and Ohio to launch commercial operations as early as June next year.
DocuSign fell 6% in the post-market despite beating expectations, with adjusted earnings of $1 per share, higher than the $0.91 consensus estimate. Revenue of $818 million beat estimates too; however, investors were not too happy with the guidance.
Interesting: Google partners with Replit, in vibe-coding push.
Microsoft is increasing prices for various Office productivity software subscriptions for commercial customers on July 1.
Starbucks Workers United held a rally in New York City outside the Empire State Building as its open-ended strike continued for a third week.
Surprising: Meta jumped over 3% after reports indicated the company planned significant budget cuts for its metaverse division, Reality Labs. Also, the company faces Europe antitrust investigation over WhatsApp AI policy. Elsewhere, Paramount questions Warner Bros. Discovery on ‘fairness and adequacy’ of sale process as the company receives bids from big players like Netflix, Paramount Skydance, and Comcast.
SoFi announced the public offering of $1.5 billion in stock, sending the stock down 6%.
Tesla Jumps to No. 10 in Consumer Reports 2026 Brand Rankings
Tesla surged from 18th to 10th place in Consumer Reports’ 2026 auto brand rankings, marking its first-ever entry into the top 10 among over 30 brands.
The improvement stems from increased vehicle reliability, achieved largely by refining existing models rather than frequent redesigns, plus strong powertrain performance and over-the-air software updates. The only Tesla model with below-average predicted reliability is the new Cybertruck.
Subaru claimed the top spot, followed by BMW, Porsche, Honda, and Toyota. Lincoln (Ford’s luxury brand) made the biggest leap, rising 17 spots to No. 7. Rivian ranked near the bottom at No. 26 despite having the highest owner satisfaction.
Consumer Reports bases its rankings on road tests, predicted reliability (from the past three model years), safety scores, and owner satisfaction surveys.
Hybrids continue to outperform both traditional gas vehicles and most EVs in predicted reliability.
💵 Personal Finance
First Thing to Do After a Layoff: File for Unemployment Immediately
U.S. employers have cut 1.17 million jobs through November 2025 — the highest total since the 2020 Covid pandemic, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. With layoffs surging, experts unanimously say the #1 priority for newly laid-off workers is to apply for unemployment benefits right away.
Why it’s urgent:
Benefits can take weeks to arrive
Filing immediately shortens the cash-flow gap and protects savings
Key facts on unemployment benefits:
Apply in the state where you worked (not where you live)
Maximum weekly benefits vary widely: $869 (NY), $450 (CA), $275 (FL)
Standard duration is 26 weeks (as low as 12 weeks in some states)
Benefits are taxable federally and often at the state level — opt for withholding to avoid a surprise tax bill
Documents needed:
Pay history for last 18 months
Past employer names/addresses
Social Security number and state ID
Termination paperwork
“Apply the same day if possible,” says CFP Douglas Boneparth. “It helps cover essentials and buys you time to make smarter long-term financial decisions.”
💰 Be a Better Investor
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