The first full week of December is here, and it’s shaping up to be a fascinating time on Wall Street. After a strong run to close out November, the market is beginning the new month on cautious footing as investors wait for critical economic reports and more clarity on the Federal Reserve’s next move. Many traders are now betting heavily on an interest rate cut at the Fed’s upcoming meeting on December 10th, though inflation indicators remain a hot topic.
With that backdrop of macro uncertainty, corporate news is taking center stage. We’ve identified four stocks across different sectors—from e-commerce giants to auto industry stalwarts—that are making headlines and could see major movement this week.
Amazon (AMZN): Cloud, AI, and a New Partnership
Amazon remains a standout among the tech heavyweights, with its core drivers—Amazon Web Services (AWS), a growing advertising segment, and significant investments in AI—keeping the business on solid ground. Despite the broader tech sector experiencing a slight retreat, the company’s strong third-quarter performance is still providing a lift.
The most compelling news this week, however, is a new, tangible partnership that bridges two of our watch-list companies: Amazon is teaming up with Ford to sell certified pre-owned vehicles on its e-commerce platform. This move instantly broadens Amazon’s retail footprint into the massive used-car market, a development that should catch the attention of investors and retail analysts alike.
Ford Motor Company (F): The Used Car Angle
The flip side of that Amazon partnership is the potential boost for Ford. The news is giving the legacy automaker an immediate catalyst, as it leverages the e-commerce behemoth’s massive online audience to sell its certified pre-owned vehicles. This provides an immediate, high-visibility win for a company that is still working through a challenging transition.
Ford’s long-term investment story revolves around its ambitious push into electric vehicles, including the popular F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E. While the stock has faced headwinds from persistent quality and recall issues, which have weighed on its bottom line, the stock is currently trading at a compelling valuation and offers a strong 4.5% annualized dividend yield. For investors, the ability to execute on both the EV transition and its new digital retail strategy will be key to watch.
PayPal (PYPL): A Value Story in Fintech
Once a high-flying favorite, PayPal’s stock has been trading near its 52-week low. However, for value-focused investors, this week could mark a turning point. Analysts are increasingly bullish, with some upgrading ratings and viewing the current price as a “deep discount” compared to the company’s strong fundamentals.
The fintech giant recently beat consensus on its third-quarter earnings and continues to maintain a high return on equity. The investment thesis here is simple: if the company can deliver on its conservative fourth-quarter guidance and capitalize on the strong post-holiday spending trends, this could be the week the market starts to reconsider PayPal’s true value.
Unity Software (U): The Gaming Engine Powerhouse
Finally, we have Unity Software, the company whose development engine powers a huge portion of the world’s video games and immersive experiences. Unity’s stock is up significantly this week following strong third-quarter results and even stronger fourth-quarter revenue guidance.
The big news driving the excitement is a strategic collaboration with Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, which will see Unity’s technology integrated more broadly into the gaming ecosystem. Analysts estimate this partnership could boost Unity’s earnings by 20%. However, it’s worth noting the recent news of major insider selling, where both the CFO and COO sold significant portions of their stock in November, which may give some investors pause despite the overwhelmingly positive operational news.
