Technology stocks stood tall in the first week of December trading, helping the S & P 500 and Nasdaq Composite finish Friday’s session at record closing highs. The tech-heavy Nasdaq lead the way with a 3.3% gain for the week. The S & P 500 closed nearly 1% higher. Both indexes are now riding three-week win streaks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average , meanwhile, pulled back last week. The 30-stock gauge was largely weighed down by shares of UnitedHealth Group, which came under pressure after the CEO of its insurance segment, Brian Thompson, was killed in a targeted attack in New York City . .IXIC .SPX 1M mountain The Nasdaq Composite versus the S & P 500 over the past month. The big economic release of the week arrived Friday in the form of the November nonfarm payrolls report . The U.S. economy added more jobs than economists had predicted — 227,000 versus the Dow Jones estimate of 214,000 — while the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2%, as expected. Average hourly earnings were up 4% on a 12-month basis, a pinch above expectations. Economists and investors alike keep a close eye on that metric to help understand inflationary pressures in the economy. Odds of another quarter-point cut rate at the Federal Reserve’s mid-December policy meeting increased following Friday’s jobs data, according to the CME FedWatch tool . Earlier in the week, a look at private-sector job growth from payroll processor ADP came in a bit below forecasts, at 146,000 versus the 161,500 estimate. The week’s batch of non-jobs economic data was relatively mixed. On Monday, a better-than-expected November ISM manufacturing report still showed that the U.S. manufacturing sector contracted last month — but at a slower pace than what we saw in October, at least. The reading was 48.4 versus 47.5 expected. Anything below 50 indicates contraction. Meanwhile, the Commerce Department’s look at October factory orders on Wednesday was in line with expectations, up 0.2% compared with the prior month. That put an end to two-month streak of declines. Also on Wednesday, the November ISM services report — a look at activity in industries from health care to forestry to finance, among others — came in solidly below projections, at 52.1 versus 55.5 expected. Nevertheless, it pointed to continued expansion in a critical part of the U.S. economy. November marked the fifth consecutive month of services expansion in the ISM report. And now 51 out of 54 readings since June 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic have been expansionary. Within the portfolio, Salesforce provided a very positive update after the close on Tuesday. The enterprise software giant reported solid earnings and offered upbeat commentary on its new artificial intelligence platform Agentforce , which sent shares jumping in Wednesday’s session. Salesforce finished the week as the second best Club stock, climbing 9.7%. The only better performer was Broadcom , which gained 10.8% thanks in large part to a 5.3% surge in Friday’s session. The rally Friday accelerated after a Bloomberg News report said fellow Club holding Apple expects to continue using a radio-frequency chip from Broadcom in the iPhone. Previous reporting suggested Apple planned to drop it next year. Salesforce and Broadcom contributed to the S & P 500’s technology sector being one of three to finish the week in positive territory, adding 3.4%. Tech was joined in the green by top-performing consumer discretionary, which gained 5.85%, and communication services, which rose 4.1% for second place. Big advances for Tesla and Club name Amazon helped lift the consumer discretionary sector to the No. 1 spot — and that’s notable given both stocks are usually lumped in with the broader “tech trade” despite their formal classification. A similar story played out in communication services, with its three biggest constituents by market cap — Google parent Alphabet , Meta Platforms , and Netflix — all climbing. We own Alphabet and Meta for the Club. The remaining eight sectors in the S & P 500 ended the week lower, led to the downside by energy, utilities, and materials. Energy stocks didn’t get any help from commodities. U.S. crude prices suffered their second straight weekly loss, down 1.2%, while natural gas futures slid 8.5%, their first negative week in seven. In the coming days, inflation data will command a great deal of attention — plus, we’ll get earnings from two of the best performing Club holdings this year. Economy All eyes will be on the November consumer price index due out Wednesday morning. Economists are expecting to see a 2.7% year-over-year increase at the headline level, according to Dow Jones. The consensus estimate for core CPI, which strips out the impact of volatile food and energy prices, is a 3.2% annual rise, per Dow Jones. The shelter price index will be an important component of the CPI report, given that housing costs have been a huge source of upward pressure on inflation. The November producer price index will be out Thursday, with economists forecasting a 0.2% increase from the prior month, according to Dow Jones. The consensus for core PPI, which also excludes food and energy, is a 0.2% month-over-month increase, too. The PPI report isn’t as closely watched as the CPI reading, but it is still important because it tracks input costs for various businesses. Those inputs impact profit margins and therefore can influence the final selling prices of goods. In that sense, it can help foreshadow future CPI reports. Both reports are particularly notable because they’ll be our last update on inflation before the Fed’s upcoming policy meeting, which wraps up Dec. 18. That’s when the central bank will announce its decision on interest rates followed by Chair Jerome Powell’s closely watched press conference. Earnings Broadcom and Costco are both set to report after the close Thursday. For the three months ended in October, Wall Street expects that Broadcom earned $1.38 per share on sales of $14.1 billion, according to estimates compiled by LSEG, as of Friday. In addition to the headline numbers, we’re interested in hearing about the momentum in Broadcom’s AI networking business, which has proven to be the real growth driver over the past year. We also want to see further confirmation that its legacy hardware businesses — think chips used in end markets such as wireless, broadband and industrial — remains in the process of rebounding. On the software side, management’s commentary on the blockbuster VMWare acquisition will be front and center. How is the overall demand environment? How is the integration into Broadcom going, and is it leading to any additional sales opportunities? And finally, any updates on Broadcom’s capital return plans will be notable. Analysts at Wells Fargo are expecting Broadcom to increase its dividend payout by 12% to 15% and perhaps announce board authorization for a new share repurchase program. For Costco, the Street is looking for quarterly sales of $62.1 billion and earnings of $3.79 per share, according to LSEG, as of Friday. Keep in mind that Costco’s topline is largely known as this point because the company provides sales data on a monthly basis. Instead, the focus will be on profits and shopping activity, such as foot traffic and buyer preferences. We’re also interested to hear if the implementation of card scanners has sparked an increase in membership signups — something analysts at Morgan Stanley have suggested could lead to a “Netflix moment” for the retailer . Week ahead Monday, Dec. 9 After the bell: Oracle (ORCL), MongoDB (MDB), Toll Brothers (TOL), Casey’s General Stores (CASY), and C3.ai (AI) Tuesday, Dec. 10 Before the bell: AutoZone (AZN), Academy Sports and Outdoors (ASO), Ollie’s Bargain (OLLI), and Designer Brands (DBI) After the bell: GameStop (GME), Stitch Fix (SFIX), and Dave & Buster’s (PLAY) Wednesday, Dec. 11 8:30 a.m. ET: consumer price index Before the bell: Macy’s (M) and REV Group (REVG) After the bell: Adobe (ADBE) and Nordson (NDSN) Thursday, Dec. 12 8:30 a.m. ET: initial jobless claims 8:30 a.m. ET: producer price index Before the bell: Ciena (CIEN) After the bell: Broadcom (AVGO) and Costco (COST) (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long CRM, AVGO, META, GOOGL, AMZN and AAPL. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
The Nasdaq MarketSite in New York, US, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Technology stocks stood tall in the first week of December trading, helping the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite finish Friday’s session at record closing highs.
A judge has officially approved a settlement in a case brought by Tesla shareholders against board members who will now have to return stock, cash, and give up on stock options worth a total of nearly $1 billion.
Let me start this article with a quote from Tesla CEO Elon Musk:
Tesla will never settle a case where we’re in the right, and never contest a case where we’re in the wrong.
Today, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick approved a settlement agreement between Tesla and all its board members from 2017 to 2020 and the Police and Fire Retirement System of the City of Detroit on behalf of Tesla shareholders over what the shareholders believed to be excessive compensation.
The agreement was first reported in July 2023, but it is only now being officially approved and we learn a few more details.
Shareholders believed that members of Tesla’s board were compensating themselves excessively with hundreds of millions of dollars between 2017 and 2020 when the average compensation of a board member of a S&P500 company is just north of $300,000.
Under the settlement, the board members agree to return to Tesla $277 million in cash, $459 million in stock options and to forgo $184 million worth of stock options awarded for 2021-2023.
That adds up to nearly $1 billion.
The board members include Kimbal Musk, Elon’s brother, Brad Buss, Ira Ehrenpreis, Antonio Gracias, Stephen Jurvetson, all close friends of Elon Musk and people who have financial dealings with Musk outside of Tesla, Linda Johnson Rice, Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, Hiromichi Mizuno and Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle Corp and also a close friend of Musk.
As part of the settlement, Tesla or the board does not admit to any wrongdoing.
Musk didn’t take compensation as part of the board, but he is embroiled in a similar case over his own $55 billion CEO compensation package, which was rescinded by the same judge after she found that it wasn’t negotiated or presented to shareholders in good faith.
The board members who received this “excessive compensation” also happened to be the one who “negotiated” Musk’s CEO compensation package.
Despite how cold it may feel outside, Nissan’s electric SUV has likely been through colder. Nissan is proving its Ariya SUV can handle the extreme weather at its unique new test chamber at its tech center near Detroit. With temperatures ranging from -40 to 176 °F, the Ariya is being pushed to see what it’s made of.
Nissan launched the Ariya, its first electric SUV, in the US in late 2022. Over 13,400 Ariya models were sold in the US in its first sales year, with another nearly 20,000 handed over in 2024.
A few weeks ago, Nissan introduced the 2025 Ariya, starting at just $39,770. It has two battery options, 66 or 91 kWh, good for 216 and 289 miles range. That’s for the FWD models.
You can opt for Nissan’s e-4ORCE AWD dual-motor system for “thrilling acceleration” with up to 389 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. However, with the added power, you sacrifice some range. The AWD Ariya gets up to 272 miles range.
With many parts of the country seeing frigid temperatures, Nissan says its “Ariya is very well equipped” to combat freezing weather.
The electric SUV was already the first vehicle (EV or gas-powered) to drive from the North to the South Pole in 2023. Now, it’s being put through the paces at Nissan’s tech center outside of Detroit.
It’s currently around 23 °F in Detroit, with a low of 11 °F, but Nissan says it’s even colder in its unique new test chamber. The chamber is located at the Nissan Technical Center North America campus, just outside Detroit.
Nissan Ariya handles cold weather tests in new chamber
“Our chambers are capable of temperatures ranging from -40 degrees Fahrenheit to 176 degrees Fahrenheit,” Jeff Tessmer, senior manager of Zero Emission Vehicles at Nissan’s tech center, explained.
Nissan tests the Ariya in a test chamber with “far more extreme” temperatures than the typical driver will see. Tessmer said, “We want to test the worst-case scenario so that our customers will still get the same performance in a wide variety of weather conditions.”
One of the biggest goals is to prove the electric SUV’s battery can maintain charge levels even in extreme weather.
Nissan puts it through “cold soak” tests to ensure performance. During a 24-hour cold soak, the Ariya was parked in -4 °F weather with a 17% battery charge. It also wasn’t plugged in or using its battery heater. After the team returned the next day, the electric SUV still had a 17% charge and started up immediately.
The Ariya is equipped with a battery heater that drivers can turn on ahead of time to ensure optimal performance. On hot days, it includes a liquid-cooled system to regulate battery temperatures.
Drivers can also use the MYNISSAN app to pre-warm the cabin, check the interior temperature, and schedule charging times. Ansu Jammeh, an engineer on Nissan’s Zero Emissions Engineering team, said the best time to use the heating feature is “when the vehicle is plugged in so that it uses power from the grid instead of the vehicle.”
2025 Nissan Ariya trim
Battery (kWh)
Starting Prices* (MSRP)
Range (miles)
Engage FWD
66
$39,770
216
Engage e-4ORCE
66
$43,770
205
Evolve + FWD
91
$44,370
289
Engage + e-4ORCE
91
$45,370
272
Evolve + e-4ORCE
91
$48,370
272
Platinum + e-4ORCE
91
$54,370
267
2025 Nissan Ariya prices and range by trim (*not including a $1,390 destination fee)
Nissan added a new wireless charging pad across all 2025 Ariya models. The inside features Nissan’s Advanced Drive-Assist setup with dual 12.3″ infotainment and driver display screens formed in a “wave-like” shape.
Other standard features of the 2025 model include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, a Head-up display, and a Virtual Personal Assistant. It also includes Nissan’s ProPilot Assist for assisted driving.
Florida’s Rice Creek Solar Energy Center is now online, delivering nearly 75 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity to 12 cities across the state. The solar farm is part of the Florida Municipal Solar Project, one of the largest municipal solar initiatives in the US.
Located in Putnam County, near Palatka, the Rice Creek site is covered with 213,000 solar panels that generate enough power for around 14,000 homes. This marks the third solar site in the Florida Municipal Solar Project, with more on the way.
Twelve utilities are tapping into the clean energy from Rice Creek, including Beaches Energy Services (Jacksonville Beach), Fort Pierce Utilities Authority, Homestead, Keys Energy Services in Key West, Kissimmee Utility Authority, Lake Worth Beach, Mount Dora, New Smyrna Beach Utilities, Newberry, Ocala, Town of Havana, and Winter Park. This is the first solar power project for Havana, New Smyrna Beach, and Newberry.
Jacob Williams, the general manager of the Florida Municipal Power Agency, explained, “By working together, our members and their communities benefit from additional solar-powered energy that’s both cost-effective and carbon-free.”
The FMPA, based in Orlando, coordinates the project, while the 12 municipal utilities – who are also FMPA’s member-owners – purchase the power. Miami-based Origis Energy is the builder, owner, and operator of Rice Creek. According to Origis Energy’s Josh Teigiser, “We are honored to support this FMPA work. Long-term agreements for solar generation, including for Rice Creek Solar, provide a stable rate base contributing to lower and more predictable customers’ bills.”
Construction is already underway on a fourth Florida solar farm, Whistling Duck Solar, in Levy County. The Florida Municipal Solar Project is expected to grow to seven sites in the next few years and will generate a total of around 525 MW of clean energy.
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