Nvidia

Nvidia’s blockbuster results weren’t enough to quell growing fears of an AI bubble.

The company hit a record $57 billion in quarterly revenue as demand for its advanced AI data-center chips continued to surge, beating analysts expectations. Nvidia also increased its guidance for the current quarter.

The results from the AI bellwether sparked a furious rally from Tokyo to New York early Thursday before indexes reversed course and tumbled. It was the stock market’s largest blown gain since April’s tariff-fueled market turmoil, and it extended a painful stretch for the stocks at the heart of the AI boom.

This past week, 45% of global fund managers surveyed by Bank of America said that an AI stock-market bubble was one of the biggest risks for markets. Recent bearish moves by high-profile investors have also troubled investors. A hedge fund run by venture capitalist Peter Thiel unloaded its entire $100 million Nvidia stake in the third quarter.

Nvidia shares fell 3.2% Thursday and are down roughly 12% in November.

Lowe’s

Lowe’s beat the home-improvement blues in the latest quarter, while rival Home Depot’s earnings suffered.

Lowe’s reported higher third-quarter sales, driven by online sales and continuing growth in its professional-builder supply business.

Economic uncertainty, a stalled housing market and high interest rates have led homeowners to delay remodeling and repair projects, but Lowe’s expressed optimism that the downturn might be starting to reverse.

Meanwhile, Home Depot trimmed its full-year outlook and said that an expected uptick in demand failed to materialize.

Lowe’s shares jumped 4% Wednesday.

Target 

Target has its sights set on a revamp.

The big-box retailer cut its annual profit outlook and said it would invest billions to upgrade stores as the company notched its 12th consecutive quarter of weak or falling sales. In the latest period, Target said fewer shoppers visited its stores and those who did spent less.

Incoming Chief Executive Michael Fiddelke said the retailer would invest about $1 billion more next year to improve stores, its merchandise selection and its technology and e-commerce systems, bringing the company’s total new investment in 2026 to $5 billion. 

In recent years, shoppers have complained of Target’s messy stores, items missing on shelves and less exciting products.

Target shares fell 2.8% Wednesday.

Constellation Energy

Nuclear power is coming back in style to help feed the AI beast.

Constellation Energy will receive a $1 billion federal loan to restart the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, which will generate electricity for Microsoft’s artificial-intelligence business.

After Three Mile Island suffered a partial core meltdown in 1979, one of its two reactors was permanently shut down. The second was deemed too costly and shut down in 2019.

Under the deal, Constellation will revive the plant’s undamaged reactor, and the power generated will be sold to Microsoft under a 20-year deal. The tech industry has a nearly insatiable demand for 24-hour-a-day power for AI data centers.

Constellation shares gained 5.3% Wednesday.

Eli Lilly

Eli Lilly joined the $1 trillion club Friday.

The roaring market for weight-loss drugs propelled Lilly to the market-capitalization milestone during Friday’s trading. Lilly is the tenth company to surpass $1 trillion and the first pharmaceutical company.

Lilly’s market value is more than twice as big as its next closest rival in the industry, Johnson & Johnson, which is worth about $490 billion.

Lilly has racked up tens of billions of dollars in sales for its diabetes and weight loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound. Introduced in 2022 and 2023, the drugs’ U.S. prescription volume has surpassed that of Novo Nordisk’s competing GLP-1 drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy.

The $1 trillion club is made up of mostly tech companies. The other members are Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon.com, Broadcom, Meta Platforms, Tesla and Berkshire Hathaway, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

Lilly shares rose 1.6 % Friday. 

Gap 

Investors cheered Gap’s latest quarterly results after consumers across income brackets spent more on its apparel.

Gap raised its fiscal-year guidance after recording equal growth across low-, middle- and high-income cohorts.

Gap’s Old Navy brand continues to draw value-focused shoppers, while its namesake brand attracts more high-income and Gen Z consumers, Chief Executive Richard Dickson said. 

The retailer also said it has sold more of its items at full price, which it expects to drive further growth during the holiday shopping season.

Dickson took the helm as Gap’s CEO in 2023 with the aim of giving the once-iconic brand a makeover. He joined the board in 2022.

Gap shares gained 8.2% Friday.