What's on the News?

• Tesla Motors, Inc.(TSLA.US) led in trading volume, closing down 1.76%. Reports indicate that Tesla has reached a supply agreement for energy storage batteries with EVE Energy. EVE Energy's Malaysian plant plans to supply energy storage batteries to Tesla in the U.S. by 2026. When asked about this news, EVE Energy responded that the company's business should be based on official announcements.
  Additionally, Russia Today reported on December 25 that Elon Musk confirmed his offer to pay US$1 billion to Wikipedia to change its name to "Dickipedia" is still valid. This proposal came amid accusations of Wikipedia's left-leaning bias.
• NVIDIA Corporation(NVDA.US) closed down 0.21%, ranking third. According to recent data from research institution Vanda Research, as of December 17, 2024, retail investors have net purchased US$29.8 billion worth of Nvidia stock, making it the top company for retail capital inflows this year. This amount is nearly double that of the ETF-S&P 500(SPY.US), which ranked second, and far ahead of Tesla's US$14.7 billion, which was the top stock last year.
• Apple Inc.(AAPL.US) closed up 0.32%, ranking fifth. Dan Ives and other Wedbush analysts stated in a research report that Apple is poised to enter a golden age of growth in 2025, with a multi-year AI-driven iPhone upgrade cycle on the horizon, which Wall Street has yet to fully appreciate. Analysts estimate that Apple Intelligence could generate billions of dollars in annual revenue from hundreds of applications, potentially making Apple the first company to reach a US$4 trillion market cap. Wedbush raised its price target for Apple to US$325.
• Broadcom Limited(AVGO.US) closed up 2.37%. The stock has risen for four consecutive days. Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target for Broadcom to US$300.
• Meta Platforms(META.US) closed down 0.72%, ranking tenth. According to the Financial Times, Meta is collaborating with the eyewear group EssilorLuxottica to introduce displays for its US$300 sunglasses. Sources reveal that the new glasses, potentially launching as early as the second half of 2025, may feature displays for notifications or responses from Meta's virtual assistant.
• Amazon.com, Inc.(AMZN.US) closed down 0.87%. A preliminary report from Mastercard SpendingPulse indicated that U.S. retail sales (excluding auto) grew 3.8% year-over-year from November 1 to December 24. Notably, the last five days of the holiday season accounted for 10% of total holiday spending. Major retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.(WMT.US), Target Corporation(TGT.US), and Amazon.com, Inc.(AMZN.US), ramped up promotions and emphasized value messaging to attract customers, successfully capturing significant consumer spending during the holidays.
• Microsoft Corporation(MSFT.US) closed down 0.28%. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman aims to transition the company from a non-profit to a for-profit entity, with substantial influence from Microsoft due to its over US$13 billion commitment to OpenAI. Since last October, both companies have been negotiating potential changes to OpenAI's structure, focusing on four main issues: Microsoft's ownership in the for-profit entity, whether Microsoft remains the exclusive cloud service provider, how long Microsoft retains the right to use OpenAI's IP, and whether Microsoft continues to take 20% of OpenAI's revenue.
• Netflix, Inc.(NFLX.US) closed down 0.86%. On December 26 at 4 p.m., "Squid Game" Season 2 was officially unveiled, igniting global audience anticipation. "Squid Game," which debuted in September 2021, became a cultural phenomenon, with its green tracksuits, red-hooded guards, and giant doll taking over social media. Exclusively streaming "Squid Game," Netflix broke its all-time viewership records.