Kenvue Inc. operates as a consumer health company worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Self Care, Skin Health and Beauty, and Essential Health. The Self Care segment offers cough, cold and allergy, pain care, digestive health, smoking cessation, eye care, and other products under the Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, Nicorette, Zarbee's, ORSLTM, Rhinocort, Calpol, and Zyrtec brands. The Skin Health and Beauty segment provides face and body care, hair, sun, and other care products under the Neutrogena, Aveeno, Dr.Ci:Labo, Le Petit Marseillais, Lubriderm, Rogaine, and OGX brand names. The Essential Health segment offers oral and baby, women's health, wound, and other care products under the Listerine, Johnson's, Band-Aid, and Stayfree, o.b., tampons, Carefree, and Desitin Diaper Rash brands. The company was incorporated in 2022 and is headquartered in Skillman, New Jersey.

Kenvue Inc.

Investors in Kenvue Inc (Symbol: KVUE) saw new options become available this week, for the August 21st expiration. One of the key inputs that goes into the price an option buyer is willing to pay, is the time value, so with 231 days until expiration the newly available contracts represent a potential opportunity for sellers of puts or calls to achieve a higher premium than would be available for the contracts with a closer expiration. At Stock Options Channel, our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the KVUE options chain for the new August 21st contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest.
The put contract at the $13.00 strike price has a current bid of 6 cents. If an investor was to sell-to-open that put contract, they are committing to purchase the stock at $13.00, but will also collect the premium, putting the cost basis of the shares at $12.94 (before broker commissions). To an investor already interested in purchasing shares of KVUE, that could represent an attractive alternative to paying $17.30/share today.
Because the $13.00 strike represents an approximate 25% discount to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the put contract would expire worthless. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 85%. Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change, publishing a chart of those numbers on our website under the contract detail page for this contract. Should the contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 0.46% return on the cash commitment, or 0.73% annualized — at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost.
Below is a chart showing the trailing twelve month trading history for Kenvue Inc, and highlighting in green where the $13.00 strike is located relative to that history:
Turning to the calls side of the option chain, the call contract at the $18.00 strike price has a current bid of 91 cents. If an investor was to purchase shares of KVUE stock at the current price level of $17.30/share, and then sell-to-open that call contract as a "covered call," they are committing to sell the stock at $18.00. Considering the call seller will also collect the premium, that would drive a total return (excluding dividends, if any) of 9.31% if the stock gets called away at the August 21st expiration (before broker commissions). Of course, a lot of upside could potentially be left on the table if KVUE shares really soar, which is why looking at the trailing twelve month trading history for Kenvue Inc, as well as studying the business fundamentals becomes important. Below is a chart showing KVUE's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $18.00 strike highlighted in red:
Considering the fact that the $18.00 strike represents an approximate 4% premium to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the covered call contract would expire worthless, in which case the investor would keep both their shares of stock and the premium collected. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 47%. On our website under the contract detail page for this contract, Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change and publish a chart of those numbers (the trading history of the option contract will also be charted). Should the covered call contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 5.26% boost of extra return to the investor, or 8.31% annualized, which we refer to as the YieldBoost.
The implied volatility in the put contract example is 40%, while the implied volatility in the call contract example is 47%.
Meanwhile, we calculate the actual trailing twelve month volatility (considering the last 250 trading day closing values as well as today's price of $17.30) to be 35%. For more put and call options contract ideas worth looking at, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.
Also see:
PE History
SPG YTD Return
ATLX Average Annual Return
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

First Week of KVUE August 21st Options Trading

The NASDAQ 100 After Hours Indicator is down -.54 to 25,462.02. The total After hours volume is currently 94,180,282 shares traded.
The following are the most active stocks for the after hours session:
Rocket Companies, Inc. (RKT) is unchanged at $20.06, with 9,966,689 shares traded. RKT's current last sale is 97.85% of the target price of $20.5.
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) is -0.22 at $187.32, with 5,091,692 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for NVDA is in the "buy range".
iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (IXUS) is unchanged at $84.97, with 5,039,256 shares traded.IXUS has a $0.00000000cash dividend with an Ex/Eff Date of12/30/2025
AT&T Inc. (T) is +0.01 at $24.82, with 3,773,922 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for T is in the "buy range".
Oracle Corporation (ORCL) is -0.2118 at $197.00, with 2,580,125 shares traded. Over the last four weeks they have had 3 up revisions for the earnings forecast, for the fiscal quarter ending Feb 2026. The consensus EPS forecast is $1.35. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for ORCL is in the "buy range".
Marvell Technology, Inc. (MRVL) is -0.02 at $86.74, with 2,474,518 shares traded. Over the last four weeks they have had 9 up revisions for the earnings forecast, for the fiscal quarter ending Jan 2026. The consensus EPS forecast is $0.63. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for MRVL is in the "buy range".
Pfizer, Inc. (PFE) is +0.02 at $25.01, with 2,261,245 shares traded. PFE's current last sale is 90.95% of the target price of $27.5.
Kenvue Inc. (KVUE) is -0.015 at $17.32, with 2,117,562 shares traded. KVUE's current last sale is 96.22% of the target price of $18.
Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) is +0.0238 at $77.43, with 1,777,854 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for CSCO is in the "buy range".
Nu Holdings Ltd. (NU) is +0.06 at $16.94, with 1,674,704 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for NU is in the "buy range".
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is -0.13 at $272.95, with 1,619,563 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for AAPL is in the "buy range".
Intel Corporation (INTC) is +0.05 at $37.35, with 1,486,674 shares traded. INTC's current last sale is 97.01% of the target price of $38.5.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

After Hours Most Active for Dec 30, 2025 : RKT, NVDA, IXUS, T, ORCL, MRVL, PFE, KVUE, CSCO, NU, AAPL, INTC

Below is Validea's guru fundamental report for KENVUE INC (KVUE). Of the 22 guru strategies we follow, KVUE rates highest using our Earnings Yield Investor model based on the published strategy of Joel Greenblatt. This value model looks for companies with high return on capital and earnings yields.
KENVUE INC (KVUE) is a large-cap growth stock in the Personal & Household Prods. industry. The rating using this strategy is 60% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
Detailed Analysis of KENVUE INC
More Information on Joel Greenblatt
About Joel Greenblatt: In his 2005 bestseller The Little Book That Beats The Market, hedge fund manager Joel Greenblatt laid out a stunningly simple way to beat the market using two -- and only two -- fundamental variables. The "Magic Formula," as he called it, produced back-tested returns of 30.8 percent per year from 1988 through 2004, more than doubling the S&P 500's 12.4 percent return during that time. Greenblatt also produced exceptional returns as managing partner at Gotham Capital, a New York City-based hedge fund he founded. The firm averaged a remarkable 40 percent annualized return over more than two decades.
Additional Research Links
Dividend Aristocrats 2024
High Insider Ownership Stocks
About Validea: Validea is aninvestment researchservice that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Validea Detailed Fundamental Analysis - KVUE

Kimberly Clark's (NASDAQ: KMB) offer included mostly stock instead of cash.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks »
*Stock prices used were the afternoon prices of Dec. 3, 2025. The video was published on Dec. 5, 2025.
Should you invest $1,000 in Kimberly-Clark right now?
Before you buy stock in Kimberly-Clark, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Kimberly-Clark wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $556,658!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,124,157!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,001% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 194% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
*Stock Advisor returns as of December 1, 2025
Parkev Tatevosian, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Kenvue. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Parkev Tatevosian is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through his link, he will earn some extra money that supports his channel. His opinions remain his own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

What's the Deal With Kimberly Clark's Acquisition of Kenvue?

In this podcast, Motley Fool contributors Tyler Crowe, Lou Whiteman, and Rachel Warren discuss:
Kimberly-Clark's deal to acquire Kenvue.
Portfolio shake-ups in consumer brands.
Jerome Powell's comments on AI bubbles.
What AI businesses are thriving versus spinning their wheels.
To catch full episodes of all The Motley Fool's free podcasts, check out our podcast center. When you're ready to invest, check out this top 10 list of stocks to buy.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks »
A full transcript is below.
Should you invest $1,000 in Kimberly-Clark right now?
Before you buy stock in Kimberly-Clark, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Kimberly-Clark wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $599,785!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,165,716!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,035% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 191% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
*Stock Advisor returns as of November 17, 2025
This podcast was recorded on Nov.05, 2025.
Tyler Crowe: Big brands are making moves, but are they the right ones? This is Motley Fool Money. Welcome to Motley Fool Money. I'm Tyler Crowe, and today I'm joined by longtime Fool contributors Lou Whiteman and Rachel Warren. Now, it's November 5th, but I think it's Groundhog Day for me because I think today's show is going to sound a lot like the last time that I spoke with both of you on this Wednesday show. We're going to talk about whether M&A activity in consumer goods is a sign of strength or desperation. But first, we're going to get into the bubble talk again because that's what seems to be on everybody's mind. Last week, at a Federal Reserve policy meeting, Chairman Jerome Powell was asked about the frothiness of the AI market and trying to give him a chance to talk about the comparisons to the dot-com bubble. He said this, and I'm going to quote it specifically. He says, "This is different in the sense that these companies, the companies that are so highly valued, actually have earnings and stuff like that". Now, I'm not going to get into Powell's future as a CNBC talking head after that quote, but it does sort of echo a lot of statements we've heard from prominent tech folks, Jeff Bezos and Sam Altman, have more or less said, Yeah, but it's worth it. We've seen some abrupt market reactions during earnings this past week, like Meta's 17% slide since earnings after mentioning ambitious capital plans. I'm going to pose the question to both of you and Lou. I'm going to ask you to go first. Has your opinion on AI market frothiness basically since the last time we did this show?
Lou Whiteman: I mean, with all respect to the chairman, they do have earnings and stuff, and we love stuff, so it's good they have stuff. Yes, I do think that makes this different than 1999, when a lot of the companies they didn't have stuff. They had swag that they gave out, but not earnings and stuff. But at the end of the day, all of these earnings, all of this cash is being reinvested into AI, so at least it's something to watch. It's great to have earnings, but if you're blowing it all on something that doesn't work out, you still end up in a pretty tough place. The question is, are they blowing it on something that doesn't work out? I don't think anyone knows. AI is a real thing. I think that there is value there, but is there value that can generate, I don't know, a trillion dollars worth of revenue or whatever they're putting into the investment? Is there the value that can eventually recoup all of this investment? I don't think any of us really know how this all plays out for them in terms of how this investment will impact their bottom line. Yes, it's different this time, but that doesn't mean that things can't go wrong.
Rachel Warren: This was interesting. Powell very explicitly pushed back on the direct comparison to the dot-com bubble, and he also really emphasized that AI investments are, as he put it, fueling a genuine engine of US growth. This concept of hundreds of billions of dollars, eventually trillions, being poured into data centers, semiconductors, there's real economic activity there. I think that's fair. I think there's some other points to underscore, as well. A lot of the frothiness that we are seeing in the markets it is being led by very profitable, established companies. Think the NVIDIAs, Microsoft, Alphabet. They are generating substantial AI-related revenue. if you go back to the dot-com bubble days, many companies were pre-profit. They had no revenue. They were valued based on these eyeball metrics or website traffic rather than cash flow. That's very different than a lot of the companies we're talking about today that are driving these movements in the market. I do think it's very, very different than the landscape that companies were operating in two plus decades ago. One thing as an example, AI infrastructure, GPUs, data centers are being deployed and utilized immediately, intensively, because there's genuine immediate demand there. This isn't the days of overinvestment in infrastructure, think back to the dot-com bubble, fiber optic cables that went unused for years. It's just a completely different paradigm. I will say valuations are high. I do think there is a speculative element to what we're seeing. But I think the speculation is more about the magnitude and speed of the anticipated returns on these investments, not so much whether or not the business models exist themselves. I think there's a lot of really intriguing businesses at play in the AI space right now.
Tyler Crowe: When you were saying they don't have stuff like the 1990s, all I can think of is like an old Simpsons episode where basically certificates of stock were being used as toilet paper in an episode, and that's all I can seem to think of when I think of the nineties dot-com boom. Not to put blue on fold that with stuff, though. It was stuff. It just wasn't what they were hoping. Lou, I'm sorry. I'm going to put you on full blast here because you might have a little bit more experience of investing around that time than perhaps Rachel and I did. Comparing to that time, what do you say to this being a bubble?
Lou Whiteman: A couple of things to think of, for one, no matter how you want to write the history of the late '90s, the bottom line was that not all companies were created equal and that some did fine and some didn't the real lesson is whether we're in a bubble, whether or not it can all be justified is that there is almost no way that this works out storybook ending for everyone involved. There's almost no way that everyone just loses their shirt. I do think it's time to differentiate between companies. You mentioned Meta was down big this week, and I think Meta is a special case right now. I don't want to be Chicken Little and say, they're in trouble. But for Meta, the argument for all these guys have been they're funding all of this out of free cash flow. That's no longer a talking point for Meta. They are taking on billions of debt. they have moved past the Hey, they earn a lot of money. They spend a lot of money. It's something that they can handle. Debt is fine if used correctly, but it is just changing the calculus. The other thing that makes them special is that I don't know. We talked about this will all be wise or not wise based on their ability to monetize. I see how Microsoft monetizes this. I see how Alphabet monetizes it. I see how Amazon even monetizes it. Meta talks about how making their ads more efficient and things like that. That's not worth $1 trillion. I think their path to monetization is harder. I think the fact that they seem to be stretching themselves the thinnest, perhaps with some of this off-balance sheet work, and they are the one that it's hardest for me to see how they monetize. The combination there, I get why the market is being a little harder on them than they are for some of the others.
Tyler Crowe: I'll give the last question to Rachel here after this, we'll move on. Again, thinking of the idea of separating the hype ideas that we saw during the last dot-com bubble and the ones that frankly are starting to pop up now. Everyone today is mentioning something about driven by AI or utilizing AI. It's almost criminal these days to not have artificial intelligence in some SEC disclosure for a company. You could be hauling trash, and you have to use AI. But thinking about it in that way, how do you separate, like what is just SEC disclosure fluff and real fundamental drivers for businesses with AI?
Rachel Warren: You think about these real companies are already generating or have a clear line to generating solid revenue streams tied directly to their AI solutions. It's not just speculation. I think that's where we've talked about this on the show before, in this day and age, and I anticipate this will change, particularly over the next 5-10 years. But if you're investing in the public markets, a lot of the really compelling investment opportunities for AI are in these big tech companies. That's really the funnel as a retail investor to gain a slice of the action, if you will, of what's happening in AI. That will change. I think we'll see some of these newer entrants to the market that become publicly traded as the markets relax a bit. That will also then provide an opportunity to see, OK, are there businesses here that really warrant an investment, as a long-term buy-and-hold investor? Or is there hype there? But looking again, for those traditional financial metrics whether it's cash flow, consistent earnings, or a manageable debt level that's really key. One final thing I'll note is genuine AI innovators, they often build a moat, if you will, by gathering very proprietary, high-quality data that constantly improves their systems. Of course, you think of names like Alphabet and Amazon here. You can also think of healthcare companies, that are wading into the AI revolution, like Eli Lilly and Johnson & Johnson they're leveraging these vast amounts of proprietary data and training models to accelerate drug discovery and improve clinical trials and other key endpoints there. There's a lot of exciting things happening. I think the investability of it is really just in the very early stages at this point.
Tyler Crowe: Well, speaking of companies that probably could use a little AI juice to help them out, we're going to talk about consumer brands coming up after the break. Now, I don't think consumer staples investors will be bouncing their grand kids on their laps, talking about the past few years. The three-year performance for the consumer Staples SPDR ETF has underperformed the S&P 500, 15%-82%. Nobody's talking about that. It's not a great number. Now, I bring this up because there's been a lot of corporate deals picking up in the consumer staples space. Earlier this week, we saw Kimberly Clark acquire Kenvue for $40 billion and change. Kraft Heinz is splitting itself in two. PepsiCo has opened up the checkbook quite a bit lately with several smaller acquisitions, but the total adds up over time. Unilever is IPOing its ice cream business. Private equity is circling Nestle. Mondelez has tried to acquire Hershey. The stories go on. Now, I say this because the list is expensive, and the question I have, and I'll start with you, Rachel, is whether this under performance in corporate and these corporate shakeups that we're seeing in the consumer space, is it just the market cycles that we see in every day or these desperate moves from an industry that's facing a lot of challenges?
Rachel Warren: I think the industry is facing a lot of challenges, and I think it's also very much a trend of consolidation that we've seen for a while now. There's a couple key points here. There was a study that came out from Boston Consulting Group that found that global M&A activity increased by about 10% in the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period last year. Now, in the second quarter of this year, according to a separate KPMG report, the consumer sub sector saw roughly 175-year-over-year increase in deal value. Bear in mind, we are very much not even close to a time where M&A activity is heating up like it was in the 2021 era. We are seeing more activity in certain sectors, the consumer space being one of them. I think some of these deals could be taken on their own merits. You know, Kimberly Clark, for example, that pending acquisition of Kenvue, that's going to create a combined entity that they think is going to bring in about 32 billion in annual revenue. Kimberly Clark, they've lagged behind rivals like Procter & Gamble. They're hoping this will help them become a leading consumer company, particularly in the higher-margin consumer healthcare space. Bear in mind, Johnson & Johnson spun off its consumer business into Kenvue just a few years ago, and this was one of the oldest and slowest-growing segments. I think that's a perfect example of a company that really makes sense as part of a larger consumer goods or multinational conglomerate, rather than as a stand-alone. But there's a lot of consolidation happening in the space right now. You think back to Mars, they're nearly $40 billion acquisition of Kellogg, which was the snacking spinoff from Kellogg. Ferraro's $3.1 billion acquisition of WK Kellogg. A lot of this is consolidation. A couple more examples. Foot Locker, they got acquired by DICK'S Sporting Goods. Sketchers was acquired by 3G Capital. I think we're going to continue to see these movements in the space. I don't think this is a one-off, and I would expect that a lot of consolidation could still lie ahead.
Tyler Crowe: There's a lot going on and a lot of activity. Like you said, this is really navigating a lot of different angles. After the break, we're going to put the real rubber to the road on a lot of these deals and figure out which ones are actually going to work. We covered a lot of different deals in the previous segment, Lou, and I really want to get to your thoughts on this on how it all comes together and whether some of these deals are going to work. Like you said, some of these assets are being hot potatoed from company to company, and M&A isn't always the best way to grow. Looking across that spectrum that we just talked about, what do you see working out of any of this?
Lou Whiteman: It's funny. I love that you started with Kraft Heinz, because Kraft Heinz is what I keep thinking of when I see this Kenvue deal. Kraft Heinz, I think we can say it now, almost universally agreed as a failed merger attempt. That's why they're breaking up. It just hasn't worked out. Again, I look at the Kimberly Clark deal, and I worry about the outcome. Here is sort of, for me, the big overall theory of what's going on. The middle in retail has just been totally hollowed out. Consumers are still willing to pay for red hot brands, celebrity endorsements, something with Bieber on it, whatever it is. We love to pay up for that. We will still pay a premium for some things, on holding shoes, too. There are some things that we will pay just through the roof for. But we also really like the commodity, just the store brands. that middle ground. That middle ground, which makes up a lot of Kraft Heinz's portfolio, and a lot of Kimberly Clark's portfolio, and a lot of Kenvue's portfolio, that is what is suffered. Look, do we really care about Kleenex and Band-Aid anymore? That doesn't resonate to consumers when the Kroger brand or the Walmart brand is a few dollars cheaper? Glass half full here, the only answer is scale. The only way to do this is to do it just with great efficiency. Kimberly Clark, buying Kenvue, all of these deals, consolidate, grab scale. It gives yourself a chance. But if you look at the Kimberly Clark deal, it's glass-half-empty, they're just adding a whole new portfolio of question marks to an already pretty big existing portfolio of question marks. I'm not sure how a whole bunch of question marks really turns into a winning investment, unfortunately.
Tyler Crowe: I'm going to put this both to you at the end here, and you can be very quick about it. But of the M&A activity or the deals that we've been talking about in this space, and a lot of the ones that Rachel covered earlier, which of those ones do you think is actually going to work?
Rachel Warren: I tend to think Kimberly Clark's acquisition of Kenvue makes sense. I understand why Johnson & Johnson spun that one off. It was dragging on their business. They really wanted to focus on the pharmaceutical side. I think it makes a lot more sense as part of a bigger organization like Kimberly Clark. Certainly one to watch, though. But I think it makes sense as part of the overall organization.
Lou Whiteman: One she mentioned that I think is different from all of these, I do like DICK'S deal for Foot Locker. I think that makes sense for different reasons from what we're talking about. That's the one I would pick.
Tyler Crowe: As the host, I get to punt and not give an answer. I don't know if I'm terribly excited for any of them. With that, that's going to be the end of our show. Tune in tomorrow, where I'll be hosting along with Matt Frankel and John Quass, we'll be going over software earnings, stocks on radar, and a bunch of other stuff. As always, people on the program may have interest in the stocks they talk about, and the Motley Fool may have formal recommendations for or against. Don't buy or sell stocks based solely on what you hear. All personal finance content follows Motley Fool editorial standards and is not approved by advertisers. Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. To see our full advertising disclosure, please check out our shows. For Lou Whiteman and Rachel Warren, our production leader, Dan Boyd and the entire Motley Fool team. I'm Tyler Crowe. Thanks for listening, and we'll chat again soon. Thanks.
Lou Whiteman has positions in Walmart. Rachel Warren has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, and Johnson & Johnson. Tyler Crowe has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Kenvue, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Walmart. The Motley Fool recommends Johnson & Johnson, Kraft Heinz, and Nestlé and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $13 calls on Kenvue, long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft, and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Consumer Brands Shake Things Up...With Mergers

The NASDAQ 100 After Hours Indicator is down -24.84 to 25,595.19. The total After hours volume is currently 144,380,384 shares traded.
The following are the most active stocks for the after hours session:
Grab Holdings Limited (GRAB) is -0.01 at $5.63, with 43,656,274 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for GRAB is in the "buy range".
Snap Inc. (SNAP) is +1.75 at $9.05, with 14,093,001 shares traded. Smarter Analyst Reports: Snap Plunges 22% After-Hours on Disappointing Q3 Results
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) is -0.41 at $194.80, with 4,267,843 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for NVDA is in the "buy range".
Boeing Company (The) (BA^A) is +0.2696 at $64.55, with 3,664,103 shares traded.
AT&T Inc. (T) is unchanged at $24.56, with 3,172,716 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for T is in the "buy range".
Ford Motor Company (F) is unchanged at $13.11, with 2,833,266 shares traded. F's current last sale is 109.25% of the target price of $12.
Kenvue Inc. (KVUE) is +0.03 at $16.26, with 2,402,540 shares traded. KVUE's current last sale is 85.58% of the target price of $19.
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (CMG) is -0.06 at $31.91, with 2,048,952 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for CMG is in the "buy range".
Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD) is -3.82 at $138.66, with 1,971,739 shares traded. Over the last four weeks they have had 3 up revisions for the earnings forecast, for the fiscal quarter ending Jun 2026. The consensus EPS forecast is $0.48. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for HOOD is in the "buy range".
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is +0.17 at $270.31, with 1,786,506 shares traded. Over the last four weeks they have had 5 up revisions for the earnings forecast, for the fiscal quarter ending Dec 2025. The consensus EPS forecast is $2.62. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for AAPL is in the "buy range".
Core Scientific, Inc. (CORZ) is +0.19 at $21.99, with 1,699,041 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for CORZ is in the "buy range".
Intel Corporation (INTC) is -0.21 at $38.17, with 1,661,090 shares traded. Over the last four weeks they have had 9 up revisions for the earnings forecast, for the fiscal quarter ending Dec 2025. The consensus EPS forecast is $-0.03. INTC's current last sale is 100.45% of the target price of $38.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

After Hours Most Active for Nov 5, 2025 : GRAB, SNAP, NVDA, BA^A, T, F, KVUE, CMG, HOOD, AAPL, CORZ, INTC

Key Points
Kimberly-Clark is merging with Kenvue.
The deal brings together two companies with long histories of growing their dividends.
The transaction creates a larger-scale company that will save money, but it comes with risks.
Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ: KMB) has agreed to acquire Kenvue (NYSE: KVUE) in a cash-and-stock deal, valuing Kenvue at $48.7 billion. The merger will create a $32 billion global leader in health and wellness by revenue, with 10 brands generating over $1 billion in annual sales each.
The consumer health and wellness giants are both Dividend Kings, with more than 50 years of consecutive annual payout increases. Here's a look at whether this deal will make the combined company an even better income stock to hold for the long haul.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks »
Details on the deal
Kimberly-Clark will acquire Kenvue using a combination of cash and stock. For each Kenvue share, shareholders will receive $3.50 in cash and 0.14625 shares of Kimberly-Clark. This deal values Kenvue shares at $21.01 each, representing a total enterprise value of $48.7 billion. After the transaction, existing Kimberly-Clark shareholders will own approximately 54% of the combined company, while Kenvue shareholders will hold about 46%.
The companies expect the transaction to close in the second half of next year. Kimberly-Clark intends to fund the $6.8 billion cash component of the deal with its cash on hand, new debt, and the proceeds from the sale of a 51% interest in its International Family Care and Professional Business.
What's driving this deal?
Kimberly-Clark's merger with Kenvue will create a much larger-scale consumer healthcare and wellness company. The combined company will generate $32 billion in annual revenue, catapulting it to be the second-largest player in the space behind Procter & Gamble ($54 billion in annual health and wellness sales). It will have 10 brands that generate over $1 billion in annual sales, including Huggies, Kleenex, Listerine, and Tylenol.
That much larger scale will enable the combined companies to capture meaningful synergies. Kimberly-Clark has identified about $1.9 billion of cost synergies and about $500 million in incremental profit from revenue synergies, partially offset by an expected reinvestment of $300 million. The company anticipates capturing this $2.1 billion net benefit within four years of closing the deal.
The larger scale will also help the combined company navigate the issues Kenvue has faced since becoming independent in 2023, following its separation from Johnson & Johnson. The company has dealt with market challenges and legal issues related to Tylenol and other products. This process led to the replacement of the CEO and a review of strategic alternatives, culminating in the merger with Kimberly-Clark.
What does the deal mean for the dividend?
Kimberly-Clark's leading consumer brand portfolio has made it a dividend stalwart over the decades. The consumer products giant has paid dividends for 91 consecutive years and has increased its payment for the past 53 in a row. Meanwhile, Kenvue has inherited the dividend track record of its former parent, Johnson & Johnson, which has raised its payment for 63 straight years. Kenvue has increased its payment each year since gaining its independence, continuing in the heritage of Johnson & Johnson.
The combined company should be in a strong financial position to continue paying a growing dividend. While Kimberly-Clark is taking on debt to fund the deal, it aims to reduce its leverage ratio to around 2 times within two years of closing the transaction. That's consistent with its current credit rating, preserving its strong balance sheet.
However, the deal isn't without risk. Kenvue has struggled since becoming an independent company. Further, the company is facing potential legal challenges due to suggestive links between Tylenol and autism. Additionally, it's facing lawsuits over claims that its baby powder products caused cancer.
While the larger-scale combined company will be in a better position to weather those potential legal issues, they could still be costly. This could weigh on the stock price and potentially impact its ability to grow the dividend in the future.
A potentially high-risk, high-reward deal
Kimberly-Clark's merger with Kenvue will create a larger consumer health and wellness company. This increased scale should deliver meaningful cost savings and help the larger company address Kenvue's legacy legal issues. While the deal is risky due to these legal challenges, the combined company will be stronger and better positioned to enhance shareholder value once these headwinds subside.
Should you invest $1,000 in Kenvue right now?
Before you buy stock in Kenvue, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Kenvue wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $603,392!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,241,236!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,072% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 194% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
*Stock Advisor returns as of November 3, 2025
Matt DiLallo has positions in Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue and has the following options: short December 2025 $16 puts on Kenvue. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Kenvue. The Motley Fool recommends Johnson & Johnson and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $13 calls on Kenvue. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

These 2 Dividend Kings Are Combining in a $48.7 Billion Megadeal. Is It A Win-Win for Dividend Investors?

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) on Monday rose +0.10%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI) (DIA) fell -0.52%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) rose +0.37%. December E-mini S&P futures (ESZ25) rose +0.09%, and December E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQZ25) rose +0.35%.
US stocks on Monday saw support from AI optimism after OpenAI bought $38 billion of AI computing power from Amazon. In M&A deals, Kimberly-Clark announced a $40 billion acquisition of Tylenol-maker Kenvue for stock and cash. Also, Eaton agreed to buy Boyd's thermal business for $9.5 billion, a data-center-related acquisition.
Join 200K+ Subscribers: Find out why the midday Barchart Brief newsletter is a must-read for thousands daily.
Stocks also saw support from dovish comments from Fed Governors Miran and Cook, although Chicago Fed President Goolsbee's comments were slightly hawkish.
Stocks were undercut by a +2.5 bp rise in the 10-year T-note yield.
Fed Governor Stephen Miran said Monday, "The Fed is too restrictive, neutral is quite a ways below where current policy is." He added, "Given my rather more sanguine outlook on inflation than some of the other members of the committee, I don't see a reason for keeping policy as restrictive." Mr. Miran recently took a leave of absence from the White House Council of Economic Advisers to take a temporary job as a Governor at the Fed.
Also on the dovish side, Fed Governor Lisa Cook said the risk of further labor-market weakness is greater than the risk of increased inflation. However, she did not commit to supporting an interest rate cut at the next FOMC meeting in December, and said the course of monetary policy is not on a pre-determined course.
In a slightly hawkish statement, Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said he is more worried about inflation than the job market, but said he is not decided on policy going into the December FOMC meeting. He said he believes interest rates can still come down a "fair amount," but "it would probably be most judicious to have the rates come down with inflation."
The markets are discounting a 66% chance of another -25 bp rate cut at the next FOMC meeting on December 9-10.
On a weak note for stocks, the Oct ISM manufacturing index fell by -0.4 points to 48.7, weaker than expectations for a +0.4 point rise to 49.5. The ISM manufacturing index has been below the expansion-contraction level of 50.0 since March 2025. On a more favorable note, the Oct ISM prices paid index fell -3.9 points to 58.0, weaker than expectations of +0.6 to 62.5.
As a supportive factor for stocks, the final-October S&P US manufacturing PMI was revised slightly higher by +0.3 points to 52.5, stronger than market expectations for an unrevised 52.2.
The markets are looking ahead to oral arguments at the Supreme Court this Wednesday about whether President Trump's reciprocal tariffs are legal. Oral arguments may provide hints about how the Supreme Court might rule. The Supreme Court is expected to issue its ruling by late this year or early in 2026. Lower courts have already ruled that Mr. Trump's reciprocal tariffs are illegal, finding they are based on a specious claim of emergency authority under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. If the US Supreme Court upholds those rulings and strikes down the tariffs, then the US government may have to refund the reciprocal and fentanyl-linked tariffs already collected, totaling more than $80 billion, and Mr. Trump's power to impose tariffs may be limited to well-founded sections of US trade law, such as sections 232, 301, and 201.
Q3 corporate earnings season continues at a strong clip this week, with 136 of the S&P 500 companies reporting earnings this week. According to Bloomberg Intelligence, 80% of the S&P 500 companies that have reported so far have beaten forecasts, on course for the best quarter since 2021. However, Q3 profits are expected to have risen by +7.2% y/y, the smallest increase in two years. Also, Q3 sales growth is projected to slow to +5.9% y/y from +6.4% in Q2.
The US government shutdown continues into its sixth week, weighing on market sentiment and the US economy. The government shutdown is delaying a host of government reports and is having an adverse effect on the US economy.
Overseas stock markets closed higher on Monday. The Euro Stoxx 50 rose +0.30%. China's Shanghai Composite on Monday closed up +0.55%. Japan's Nikkei Stock 225 closed up +2.12%.
Interest Rates
December 10-year T-notes (ZNZ5) on Monday rose by +0.5 tick. The 10-year T-note yield rose +2.3 bp to 4.101%. T-note prices saw some support from Monday's weaker-than-expected US ISM manufacturing report. T-note prices also saw support from Monday's -0.7 bp decline in the 10-year breakeven inflation expectations rate to 2.309%.
T-note prices on Monday saw bearish carry-over from last week, when Fed Chair Powell cautioned against fully expecting another Fed rate cut at its next meeting on December 9-10. Also, several other Fed officials late last week expressed caution about further Fed rate cuts. However, Fed Governors Miran and Cook issued dovish comments on Monday.
T-note prices have underlying support from the ongoing US government shutdown, which could lead to additional job losses, reduced consumer spending, and a weakened US economy, potentially allowing the Fed to continue cutting interest rates.
European government bond yields rose on Monday. The 10-year German bund yield rose 3.4 bp to 2.667%. The 10-year UK gilt yield rose +2.5 bp to 4.435%.
Swaps are discounting a 5% chance for a -25 bp rate cut by the ECB at its next policy meeting on December 18.
US Stock Movers
The Magnificent Seven stocks ended the day mixed, with Meta (META) as the largest loser, down -1.6%.
Amazon (AMZN) rallied +4.0% after news that it signed a $38 billion deal to provide Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud AI capacity to OpenAI.
Nvidia (NVDA) rose +2.2% after Loop Capital Markets raised its price target on Nvidia to a Street-high, with an implied market-cap target of more than $8.5 billion, up from its current market cap of just over $5 trillion.
Alphabet (GOOG) rose +0.9% after a Bloomberg report that the company plans to raise $15 billion from a dollar bond sale in as many as eight tranches with maturities ranging from 3 to 50 years.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Monday fell -0.52% due to negative breadth, with 22 losers versus only 8 gainers. The largest losers in the Dow were Merck (MRK) with a -4.1% loss, and NIKE (NKE) with a -3.0% loss. 3M (MMM), Chevron (CVX), and UnitedHealth Group (UNH) showed losses of more than -2%.
Crypto stocks traded lower due to the -2.6% sell-off in Bitcoin (^BTCUSD). Coinbase (COIN) fell -3.9%, Mara Holdings (MARA) fell -2.5%, and Strategy (MSTR) fell -1.8%. Riot Platforms (RIOT) bucked the trend and closed the day up +4.8%.
IREN LTD (IREN) rallied more than +11% after news that Microsoft (MSFT) signed a deal with the data-center company to buy AI cloud capacity worth nearly $10 billion.
Kenvue (KVUE) rallied +12% after Kimberly-Clark (KMB) agreed to buy the Tylenol maker and consumer-health company for nearly $50 billion in stock and cash. However, investors did not view the news as positive for Kimberly-Clark, which plunged by more than -14% on the acquisition news.
Cisco Systems (CSCO) rose +1.8% after an upgrade from UBS to buy from neutral.
Eaton (ETN) rallied +1.3% after agreeing to buy the Boyd Thermal business of Boyd Corp from Goldman Sachs for $9.5 billion in a data-center play.
Earnings Reports(11/4/2025)
Expeditors International (EXPD), Marathon Petroleum Corp (MPC), Pfizer Inc (PFE), Zoetis Inc (ZTS), Shopify Inc (SHOP), Uber Technologies Inc (UBER), Ball Corp (BALL), Thomson Reuters Corp (TRI), Apollo Global Management Inc (APO), Exelon Corp (EXC), Archer-Daniels-Midland Co (ADM), Martin Marietta Materials Inc (MLM), Eaton Corp PLC (ETN), Leidos Holdings Inc (LDOS), Waters Corp (WAT), Stanley Black & Decker Inc (SWK), Global Payments Inc (GPN), Gartner Inc (IT), CDW Corp/DE (CDW), Henry Schein Inc (HSIC), Broadridge Financial Solutions (BR), Molson Coors Beverage Co (TAP), Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH), Marriott International Inc/MD (MAR), Yum! Brands Inc (YUM), Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD), Mosaic Co/The (MOS), American International Group I (AIG), Arista Networks Inc (ANET), Corteva Inc (CTVA), Match Group Inc (MTCH), International Flavors & Fragra (IFF), Live Nation Entertainment Inc (LYV), Assurant Inc (AIZ), AES Corp/The (AES), Eversource Energy (ES), Super Micro Computer Inc (SMCI), Jack Henry & Associates Inc (JKHY), Aflac Inc (AFL), Amgen Inc (AMGN), Axon Enterprise Inc (AXON), Skyworks Solutions Inc (SWKS).
On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Stocks Close Higher on M&A and AI Optimism

Monday, November 3, 2025
Market indexes started the trading week bifurcated this morning, and bifurcated they stayed through the course of the session. The Nasdaq, once again the leading index in 2025, over the last six months and most prominently over the last week or so of trading, led the way again today: +108 points, +0.46%. This is off session highs, but this was not a roller-coaster ride of trading today.
The S&P 500 was also up for the day, +11 points of +0.17%. Meanwhile, both the blue-chip Dow and the small-cap Russell 2000 provided something of a mirror image to the Nasdaq today: -0.48% (-226 points) and -0.49% (-12), respectively. These are also the worst-trading indexes of 2025 so far, each on either side of +11%. Meanwhile, the S&P — which contains a mixture of large tech and non-tech firms — is +16.5% for the year, and the Nasdaq +23.4%.
This brings us to question whether the breadth in this market, or lack thereof, is a sign of weakening trading sentiment. The AI trade continues to head up the hill, with NVIDIA NVDA up another +2% today and Amazon AMZN +4% to an all-time high, possibly at the expense of non-tech/AI names. Kimberly-Clark KMB, fresh off its deal to acquire Kenvue KVUE for $48.7 billion, dropped -14.5% on the news today, now -22% year to date.
Manufacturing PMI Split in October
Both S&P Manufacturing PMI and ISM Manufacturing reports came out earlier this morning, both for October. Results moved in opposite directions, however: while S&P numbers grew +50 basis points (bps) to 52.5 from the downwardly revised 52.0 the prior month, ISM slid further below the 50 level: 48.7% versus 49.1% reported the previous month. ISM Manufacturing has not been north of the 50% threshold since February of this year.
A Tale of Two Markets in Two Earnings Reports
After today’s close, intelligence cloud software firm Palantir PLTR posted healthy beats on both top and bottom lines in its Q3 report after the closing bell. Earnings of 21 cents per share easily surpassed the 17 cents anticipated, which itself represented +70% earnings growth year over year. Revenues of $1.18 billion outpaced the $1.09 billion analysts were projecting, and well up from the $725.5 million reported in the year-ago quarter.
Its U.S. Commercial segment grew a whopping +121% year over year to $397 million in the quarter, with U.S. Government contracts up +52% from a year ago. Operating Margin, Free Cash Flow — both up strongly. But trading at 90x revenues at more than 300x P/E, its initial +3% gain in late trading has fallen to flat at this hour. The stock is up +173% year to date.
Meanwhile, Consumer Staple mainstay Clorox CLX also outperformed expectations in its fiscal Q1 report after today’s close, with earnings of 85 cents per share bettering the 78 cents expected in the Zacks consensus. Revenues of $1.43 billion improved over the $1.38 billion anticipated, and shares are up +3.3% on the news in late trading. Then again, Clorox closed today’s regular trading session at its lowest level in more than 10 years.
What to Expect from Tomorrow’s Stock Market
Once again, we’re more than likely going to miss out on economic data like JOLTS job openings, Factory Orders and the U.S. Trade Balance. This, of course, is due to the federal government shutdown looking to complete its fifth week, with no scheduled meetings between the two sides of the aisle yet.
Earnings season continues, however, with major companies like Uber UBER, Pfizer PFE, Shopify SHOP and BP BP reporting results ahead of Tuesday’s open, and AMD AMD, Amgen AMGN and Super Micro Computer SMCI releasing numbers after the close.
Questions or comments about this article and/or author? Click here>>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Does the Market Have Bad Breadth?

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) today is up +0.07% the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI) (DIA) is down -0.43%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is up +0.33%. December E-mini S&P futures (ESZ25) are down -0.05%, and December E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQZ25) are up +0.29%.
US stocks are mixed today, with support from continued AI optimism after OpenAI bought $38 billion of AI computing power from Amazon. In M&A deals, Kimberly-Clark announced a $40 billion acquisition of Tylenol-maker Kenvue for stock and cash. Also, Eaton agreed to buy Boyd’s thermal business for $9.5 billion, a data-center related acquisition.
Join 200K+ Subscribers: Find out why the midday Barchart Brief newsletter is a must-read for thousands daily.
Stocks are being undercut today by a +3.1 bp rise in the 10-year T-note yield.
In a dovish statement, Fed Governor Stephen Miran said today, “The Fed is too restrictive, neutral is quite a ways below where current policy is.” He added, “Given my rather more sanguine outlook on inflation than some of the other members of the committee, I don’t see a reason for keeping policy as restrictive.” Mr. Miran recently took a leave of absence from the White House Council of Economic Advisers to take a temporary job as a Governor at the Fed.
In a slightly hawkish statement, Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said he is more worried about inflation than the job market and that he is not decided on policy going into the December FOMC meeting. He said he believes interest rates can still come down a “fair amount,” but “it would probably be most judicious to have the rates come down with inflation.”
The markets are discounting a 66% chance of another -25 bp rate cut at the next FOMC meeting on December 9-10.
On a weak note for stocks, the Oct ISM manufacturing index fell by -0.4 points to 48.7, weaker than expectations for a +0.4 point rise to 49.5. The ISM manufacturing index has been below the expansion-contraction level of 50.0 since March 2025. On a more favorable note, the Oct ISM prices paid index fell -3.9 points to 58.0, weaker than expectations of +0.6 to 62.5.
As a supportive factor for stocks, the final-October S&P US manufacturing PMI was revised slightly higher by +0.3 points to 52.5, stronger than market expectations for an unrevised 52.2.
The markets are looking ahead to oral arguments at the Supreme Court this Wednesday about whether President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs are legal. Oral arguments may provide hints about how the Supreme Court might rule. The Supreme Court is expected to issue its ruling by late this year or early in 2026. Lower courts have already ruled that Mr. Trump's reciprocal tariffs are illegal, finding they are based on a specious claim of emergency authority under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. If the US Supreme Court upholds those rulings and strikes down the tariffs, then the US government may have to refund the reciprocal and fentanyl-linked tariffs already collected, totaling more than $80 billion, and Mr. Trump's power to impose tariffs may be limited to well-founded sections of US trade law, such as sections 232, 301, and 201.
Q3 corporate earnings season continues at a strong clip this week, with 136 of the S&P 500 companies reporting earnings this week. According to Bloomberg Intelligence, 80% of the S&P 500 companies that have reported so far have beaten forecasts, on course for the best quarter since 2021. However, Q3 profits are expected to have risen by +7.2% y/y, the smallest increase in two years. Also, Q3 sales growth is projected to slow to +5.9% y/y from +6.4% in Q2.
The US government shutdown continues into its sixth week, weighing on market sentiment and the US economy. The government shutdown is delaying a host of government reports and is having an adverse effect on the US economy.
Overseas stock markets are higher today. The Euro Stoxx 50 is up +0.30%. China's Shanghai Composite on Monday closed up +0.55%. Japan's Nikkei Stock 225 closed up +2.12%.
Interest Rates
December 10-year T-notes (ZNZ5) today are up +0.5 ticks. The 10-year T-note yield is up +3.1 bp at 4.109%. T-note prices are seeing some support from today’s weaker-than-expected US ISM manufacturing report. However, T-note prices are being undercut by today’s +0.2 bp rise in the 10-year breakeven inflation expectations rate to 2.190%.
T-note prices are also seeing bearish carry-over from last week, when Fed Chair Powell cautioned against fully expecting another Fed rate cut at its next meeting on December 9-10. Also, several other Fed officials late last week expressed caution about further Fed rate cuts. However, Fed Governor Stephen Miran issued dovish comments today.
T-note prices have underlying support from the ongoing US government shutdown, which could lead to additional job losses, reduced consumer spending, and a weakened US economy, potentially allowing the Fed to continue cutting interest rates.
European government bond yields are higher. The 10-year German bund yield is up 2.8 bp at 2.661%. The 10-year UK gilt yield is up +3.0 bp at 4.439%.
Swaps are discounting a 6% chance for a -25 bp rate cut by the ECB at its next policy meeting on December 18.
US Stock Movers
The Magnificent Seven stocks are all trading higher today except for a loss of more than 1% in Apple (AAPL).
Amazon (AMZN) is up more than +4% after news that it signed a $38 billion deal to provide Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud AI capacity to OpenAI.
Nvidia (NVDA) is up more than +2% after Loop Capital Markets raised its price target on Nvidia to a Street-high, with an implied market-cap target of more than $8.5 billion, up from its current market cap of just over $5 trillion.
Alphabet (GOOG) is trading slightly higher after a Bloomberg report that the company plans to raise $15 billion from a dollar bond sale in as many as eight parts with maturities ranging from 3 to 50 years.
The Dow Jones Industrials Average today is being undercut by negative breadth, with 22 losers versus only 8 gainers. The largest losers in the INDU with losses of more than -2% included UnitedHealth Group (UNH), NIKE (NKE), Merck (MRK), and Chevron (CVX).
Crypto stocks are trading lower today due to the -2.8% sell-off in Bitcoin (^BTCUSD). Coinbase (COIN) is down -4%, Strategy (MSTR) is down -2%, and Mara Holdings (MARA) is down more than -2%, although Riot Platforms (RIOT) is up more than +2%.
IREN LTD (IREN) is up more than +9% after news that Microsoft (MSFT) signed a deal with the data-center company to buy AI cloud capacity worth nearly $10 billion.
Kenvue (KVUE) is up more than +16% after Kimberly-Clark (KMB) agreed to buy the Tylenol maker and consumer-health company for nearly $50 billion in stock and cash. Kimberly-Clark is sharply lower by more than -12% on the news.
Cisco Systems (CSCO) is up more than +1% after an upgrade from UBS to buy from neutral.
Eaton (ETN) is trading slightly higher after agreeing to buy the Boyd Thermal business of Boyd Corp from Goldman Sachs for $9.5 billion.
Earnings Reports(11/3/2025)
Clorox Co/The (CLX), Coterra Energy Inc (CTRA), Diamondback Energy Inc (FANG), Eastman Chemical Co (EMN), Hologic Inc (HOLX), IDEXX Laboratories Inc (IDXX), Loews Corp (L), ON Semiconductor Corp (ON), Palantir Technologies Inc (PLTR), Pinnacle West Capital Corp (PNW), Public Service Enterprise Group (PEG), Realty Income Corp (O), SBA Communications Corp (SBAC), Simon Property Group Inc (SPG), Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRTX), Williams Cos Inc/The (WMB).
On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Periodand min./max. price, $	Price change, %		Volatility, %		Volume, $
Periodand min./max. price, $	KVUE	Industry	KVUE	Industry	Volume, $
Yesterday 17.1 - 17.3	-4.74	5.72	2.52	1.08	255.91M
Week 16.9 - 17.3	-3.90	5.47	1.17	4.09	1.31B
Month 16.7 - 17.6	-4.90	2.59	5.36	6.73	9.53B
3 Months 14.0 - 17.6	-0.87	5.58	12.05	14.52	33.71B
6 Months 14.0 - 22.9	-22.70	5.50	19.01	19.54	59.82B
Year 14.0 - 25.2	-24.24	15.01	34.76	23.41	94.61B
3 years —	—	89.45	51.43	53.57	—
5 years —	—	24.81	66.40	81.69	—
All time 14.0 - 27.8	-36.45	23.31	—	—	219.15B

Kenvue Inc.

Price and volatility history

Risk ratios