Today is Friday, December 5, 2025.

The Early Bird Index today is 85.44.

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In the face of deteriorating consumer spending, Ulta Beauty $ULTA ( ▼ 1.94% ) posted good financial results on Thursday, sending the stock up 6.04% in after-hours trading.

Financials: Ulta reported earnings of $5.14 per share in the past quarter and revenue of $2.9 billion. Both were better than expected. 

Details: Comparable sales grew 6.3% and the gross profit jumped 14.9% in the past quarter. As a result, Ulta boosted its comparable sales outlook for the fiscal year.

Quote: “As we look ahead to the all-important holiday season, we know many consumers’ wallets are pressured and they are seeking value. We are confident in our plans, and our teams are ready to make Holiday Happen Here at Ulta Beauty.” - CEO Kecia Steelman.

Early Bird’s Nest Egg Gains: Ulta is doing well because beauty remains a resilient spending category and the company has specific advantages—mix, loyalty, and execution—that let it grow even while broader discretionary spending looks softer.

Final Thoughts: Ulta’s stock was already up 24% this year.

Notable Earnings Today: Victoria's Secret (NYSE: VSCO), KNOT Offshore Partners (NYSE: KNOP), MoneyHero (Nasdaq: MNY).

Notable IPOs Today: Gulf Resources, Inc. (NV) Common Stock (Nasdaq: GURE), Leapfrog Acquisition Corporation Units (Nasdaq: LFACU).

Notable Equity Crowdfunding Campaigns Ending Today: Wanderlust Wine Company 2 (Honeycomb), Kribsavup (Netcapital), Nick Health (Netcapital), Over The Top Ladder (Netcapital), Riemann Computing (Netcapital).

Notable Economic Events Today: Core PCE Price Index (8:30 a.m. ET), PCE Price Index (8:30 a.m. ET), Personal Spending (8:30 a.m. ET), Michigan Consumer Expectations / Sentiment (10:00 a.m. ET), Factory Orders (10:00 a.m. ET), Consumer Credit (3:00 p.m. ET).

Hewlett Packard Enterprise $HPE ( ▲ 2.88% ) fell 9.31% in after-hours trading on Thursday after posting mixed financial results.

Financials: HPE reported earnings of 62 cents per share in the past quarter, which were better than expected. But the revenue of $9.7 billion was lower than expected.

Powering the Story: Server revenue fell 5%. The company said several customers delayed AI server orders until later in the year.

Also: Hybrid cloud revenue declined 12%.

Final Thoughts: HPE has struggled to capitalize on the growing AI craze, especially when compared to its peers.

The cloud data management and data security company Rubrik $RBRK ( ▼ 1.37% ) soared 17.28% in after-hours trading on Thursday after posting strong financial earnings results.

Financials: Rubrik reported earnings of 10 cents per share in the past quarter and revenue of $350.2 million. Both were better than expected.

Final Thoughts: The expectations were low for Rubrik. Most analysts expected the company to post a loss.

Zuckerberg Pivots: Meta’s Zuckerberg Plans Deep Cuts for Metaverse Efforts (Bloomberg)

Chip Winner in the Middle Kingdom: ‘China’s Nvidia’ Moore Threads surges over 400% on trading debut after $1.1 billion listing (CNBC)

Low-Liquidity December: Bitcoin Could Continue Chopping Below $95K Into Year-End and Altcoins Could Benefit, Analyst Says (CoinDesk)

Streaming Giant Strikes Again: Netflix’s Wild Week With ‘Stranger Things’ Finale & ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ Theatrical As Streamer Circles Warner Bros (Deadline)

The Next Crypto ETF: First Sui-based ETF approved as 21Shares brings leveraged fund to market (The Block)

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_{The contents of Early Bird are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. They do not constitute trade or investment recommendations, and they are not financial or legal advice. Readers are encouraged to consult licensed professionals for personalized guidance regarding their financial or legal situations.}