Stock Market Buzz: What's Making Waves Today?
USAThu Dec 18 2025
Advertisement
The stock market is having a wild ride lately, and today is no different. Let's dive in and see what's shaking things up.
First off, inflation numbers are looking a bit better, which has given stocks a little boost. Bond yields are dropping too. But don't get too excited—yesterday was rough, especially for tech stocks. The Nasdaq took a big hit, dropping almost 2%. Tonight, all eyes are on Nike. The sportswear giant is reporting earnings, and it needs to show some serious improvement to win back investors.
Now, let's talk about Micron. This company makes memory and storage for data centers, and it's been on a roll. Shares jumped 14% after beating expectations and raising guidance. But is this just a short-term win, or can Micron keep this momentum going? Other companies in this space, like Seagate and Western Digital, are also worth keeping an eye on.
Speaking of tech, there's a lot of buzz around OpenAI. Rumor has it that the company could raise tens of billions of dollars at a massive valuation. That's a lot of money, and it's got people talking. If OpenAI can pull this off, it could be a big win for partners like Oracle.
Tesla is another hot topic. The company's focus on self-driving and robots is making waves, and it's helping other companies like Waymo raise big bucks. Meanwhile, Alphabet is back in the game with its Gemini project, which could give OpenAI a run for its money.
Homebuilders are feeling the pinch. Lennar was just downgraded to a sell, and house prices are finally back to 2019 levels. Margins are shrinking, and it's not looking good for this sector.
On the bright side, GE Vernova and Sherwin-Williams are getting some love from analysts. Jefferies upgraded GE Vernova to a buy, and Citi did the same for Sherwin-Williams. But PayPal isn't so lucky—Morgan Stanley just downgraded it to a sell, predicting slow growth ahead.