Simply Wall St
3 min read
US stock futures are edging higher before the open, with contracts tied to the S&P 500 up about 0.1 percent as investors digest softer economic signals at home and a fresh wave of rate cut hopes from overseas. In the United Kingdom, inflation fell to 3.2 percent in November, the lowest in eight months, boosting expectations that its central bank will cut borrowing costs and serving as a reminder that global interest rates may soon drift lower. At the same time, the December US manufacturing PMI slipped to 51.8, hinting that factory activity is cooling, which is supportive for inflation control but less comforting for corporate earnings, particularly for industrial and small cap stocks that rely heavily on economic growth.
With rate cuts back on the table and growth cooling, now is the moment to uncover undervalued stocks based on cash flows before everyone else catches on.
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Affirm Holdings (AFRM) jumped 11.77 percent as traders piled into high beta fintech ahead of potential rate cuts.
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Comcast (CMCSA) climbed 5.39 percent after highlighting network expansion milestones and continued broadband growth momentum.
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Symbotic (SYM) advanced 4.96 percent on renewed enthusiasm for AI powered warehouse automation and long term growth prospects.
Is Affirm Holdings still a smart investment or just hype? Read our most popular narrative and get all the answers you need.
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Phillips 66 (PSX) slid 6.88 percent after outlining a 2026 capital budget that disappointed some energy investors.
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Humana (HUM) dropped 6.03 percent as investors reacted to leadership changes at its Senior Products segment.
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Lumentum Holdings (LITE) fell 5.54 percent despite appointing a seasoned semiconductor finance executive to its board.
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Earnings from consumer, logistics, and tech names will anchor the next three sessions as December PMIs flag moderating growth.
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Micron Technology (MU) reports Q1 results on Wednesday, which will be key for judging AI memory demand and pricing power.
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General Mills (GIS) posts Q2 earnings on Wednesday, with a spotlight on pricing versus volume and resilience in packaged food demand.
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Darden Restaurants (DRI) reports Q2 Thursday pre market, providing a read on restaurant traffic and menu pricing sustainability.
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Accenture (ACN) delivers Q1 results Thursday morning, updating the market on IT spending trends and cloud consulting deal momentum.
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FedEx (FDX) reports Q2 Thursday after the close, clarifying global shipping volumes and margin progress into 2026.
