The Score is a weekly review of the biggest stock moves and the news that drove them.
Campbell's fired an executive this past week after he was allegedly caught on tape saying the company made "highly processed food" for "poor people."
In the recording, the executive also made racist comments about Indian co-workers.
"The comments were vulgar, offensive and false, and we apologize for the hurt they have caused," the company said Wednesday.
The tape was released by a former employee who sued Campbell's and the executive earlier this month. The employee alleged that he was terminated weeks after reporting the executive's comments to his manager.
Campbell's shares fell 0.6% Wednesday.
The latest AI face-off: Alphabet versus Nvidia.
Investors sent the two tech leaders trading in opposite directions during Tuesday's session, with Nvidia shares falling 2.6% and Google parent Alphabet rising 1.6%. Tuesday's moves followed news that Meta Platforms is in talks to spend billions of dollars on Google's artificial-intelligence chips, one of the few alternatives to Nvidia's.
Traders have recently rewarded Alphabet for both its AI advances and its strong core advertising and search businesses, sending the company soaring toward $4 trillion in market value even as other companies with AI links have fallen. In November, Alphabet shares have moved 14% higher and Nvidia 13% lower.
Alibaba's AI demand soared, but its food-delivery business took a bite out of profits.
The Chinese e-commerce leader recorded a 34% jump in cloud-business revenue, driven by surging demand for artificial-intelligence services. But its quarterly profit halved amid fierce competition in the food-delivery sector in China.
China's e-commerce players have invested heavily in the industry and have resorted to aggressive promotions to capture more market share. New entrant JD.com recently reported a 55% drop in quarterly net profit, while sector leader Meituan on Friday posted its first loss in nearly three years.
American depositary shares of Alibaba fell 2.3% Tuesday.
Shoppers are buying new electronics again, boosting demand at Best Buy.
The consumer-technology retailer reported better-than-expected earnings just ahead of Black Friday, and raised its outlook. The company said shoppers across income groups are spending on new laptops, videogame consoles and cellphones.
One driving factor is the timing of the natural replacement cycle for computers, which is happening now after many people bought them at the start of the pandemic, Chief Executive Corie Barry said. Best Buy is also attracting lower-income and younger shoppers with less-expensive versions of popular electronics.
Best Buy shares gained 5.3% Tuesday.
A handful of apparel companies staged significant rallies on better-than-expected quarterly results.
Struggling chain Kohl's on Tuesday posted a surprise profit and raised its annual guidance, following the announcement of the hiring of a new permanent chief executive. Kohl's shares surged roughly 43% Tuesday.
Abercrombie & Fitch shares surged 38% the same day after the retailer said that its flagship brand benefited from strong back-to-school sales and that shoppers continue to flock to its Hollister brand.
And apparel and home-goods retailer Urban Outfitters poste d stronger-than-expected quarterly results, as its namesake brand saw same-store sales grow 12.5%. Sales at its Anthropologie and Free People brands also rose. Urban Outfitters shares jumped 14% Wednesday.
Tariffs and economic uncertainty are still slowing down Deere.
The farm-equipment manufacturer logged higher sales in its fiscal fourth quarter as agricultural trends began to improve. However, the company issued a downbeat forecast for the fiscal year. Deere expects net income between $4 billion and $4.75 billion, while analysts are looking for $5.11 billion.
Back in May, the company estimated that its costs from Trump's tariffs would reach more than $500 million for 2025 -- and attributed 60% of that figure to levies on goods from the European Union, Mexico and China.
Deere shares declined 5.7% Wednesday.
Our weekly markets news roundup is part of the WSJ's What's News podcast. Host Francesca Fontana discusses the biggest stock moves of the week and the news that drove them. Check out What's News in Markets at wsj.com/podcasts or wherever you listen.