• Market recap: All 3 indices posted gains on Friday, with the Dow adding 183 points, the Nasdaq up 1.3%, and the S&P 500 up 0.9%. Oracle (ORCL) and Micron (MU) were particular winners, both popping around 7%. Source: CNBC.
• Musk wins back $139B pay deal: The Delaware Supreme Court reinstated Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk’s voided 2018 pay package, ruling it was unfair to deny him compensation after 6 years of work. The restored deal includes options now worth $139B. Source: CNN.
• Pharma giants cut drug prices: 9 major drugmakers, including Pfizer (PFE), Merck (MRK), and Sanofi (SNY), have agreed to lower U.S. drug prices under deals with President Trump, avoiding pharma-specific tariffs for 3 years in exchange for increased domestic investment. Source: CNBC.
• Cintas renews UniFirst bid: Cintas (CTAS) is offering $5.2B to acquire UniFirst (UNF), including a $350M break fee to boost approval chances after years of failed attempts. UniFirst shares surged 35% premarket. Source: WSJ.
• Ellison backs Paramount's bid: Oracle (ORCL) chair Larry Ellison is personally guaranteeing $40.4B in equity for Paramount’s (PSKY) $108.4B bid for Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Netflix (NFLX) remains favored by the board but faces political and regulatory headwinds. Source: Bloomberg.
• U.S. pauses key wind projects: The Trump administration has halted leases for 5 major offshore wind projects, including those by Dominion (D), GE Vernova (GEV), and Equinor (EQNR), over Pentagon concerns about radar interference from turbines. Source: Reuters.
• Coty appoints interim CEO: Coty (COTY) has named former Procter & Gamble (PG) exec Markus Strobel as interim CEO and chair, effective Jan. 1, amid a leadership shake-up. Shares rose 1.5% premarket. Source: WSJ.
• Avatar sequel opens below forecast: Disney’s (DIS) “Avatar: Fire and Ash” debuted with $345M globally, trailing the $435M opening of 2022’s “Way of Water." The slow pace raises concerns over profitability given the film's $400M+ production cost. Source: WSJ.
• UnitedHealth commits to reforms: UnitedHealth Group (UNH) unveiled findings from an independent audit and launched 23 action plans to address patient access and billing issues. Shares are down 35% YTD. Source: CNBC.
• WSJ faces Hong Kong trial: Ex-Wall Street Journal (NWSA) reporter Selina Cheng alleged she was fired over union activity at a trial in Hong Kong, raising press freedom concerns amid China’s tightening media control. The newspaper denies wrongdoing. Source: AP.
• Tech giants warn on international travel: Google (GOOGL), Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), and ServiceNow (NOW) have advised some foreign-born, U.S.-based employees not to leave the U.S., citing “significant” visa stamping delays of up to 12 months at U.S. embassies. Source: Business Insider.

The Motley Fool’s renowned team of analysts just revealed their next great stock ideas. And I don't know about you, but I always pay attention when some of the best growth investors in the world give me a stock tip.

You could miss out because you may not be on the list to receive the stock ideas. You see, we only release these new recommendations to members of Motley Fool Stock Advisor.

Lucky for you, it's not too late to join, and new members get 50% off.*

But first, consider this:

If you read this note on September 6, 2002, when The Motley Fool recommended Amazon and bought the stock, you'd be up 29,516%* today.

But Amazon isn’t their only winner — altogether, the stock picks in Stock Advisor have averaged a 959% return* since inception, which is more than quadruple the S&P over the last two decades.

• Uber, Lyft to test Baidu vehicles: Uber (UBER) and Lyft (LYFT) will launch Baidu (BIDU) autonomous taxis in the U.K. in 2026. Uber and Lyft both gained over 1% premarket, while Baidu rose 2.8% on Friday. Source: Reuters.
• Waymo resumes SF ops: Waymo (GOOGL) has restarted its robotaxi service in San Francisco after a major blackout that disrupted traffic and stalled vehicles. Tesla (TSLA) said its supervised ride-hailing cars were unaffected. Sources: CNBC / NY Times.

• Gold, silver surge to records: Gold hit a record $4,420/oz. and silver reached $69.44/oz. as rate-cut bets, inflation hedging, and safe-haven demand fueled a broad commodities rally. Gold is up 68% YTD and silver 138%. Source: Reuters.
• Home sales stall on tight supply: U.S. existing home sales rose just 0.5% in November as inventory fell 5.9% from October, keeping prices elevated. The median price hit $409,200 for the month, a November record. Source: CNBC.

• India, NZ formalize trade deal: India and New Zealand have finalized a free trade agreement to reduce tariffs and boost bilateral trade, as India seeks to counter U.S. tariff pressure and expand exports. NZ committed $20B in investments over 15 years. Source: AP.
• China imposes tariffs on E.U. dairy: China will apply provisional duties of up to 42.7% on European dairy imports in what’s seen as retaliation for E.U. tariffs on Chinese EVs. Source: Reuters.
• U.S. strikes Syria: The U.S. conducted airstrikes against 70 ISIS-linked targets in Syria in response to a Dec. 13 attack that killed 2 American soldiers. Source: CNN.
• Russian general killed in car bombing: Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, a top Russian military official, was killed by a car bomb in Moscow. Investigators suspect Ukrainian involvement, marking the 3rd assassination of a senior officer in a year. Source: Bloomberg.
• DOJ releases partial Epstein files: The Justice Department unsealed a batch of Epstein investigation files, including photos of Presidents Trump and Clinton. Lawmakers may pursue contempt charges against AG Pam Bondi over incomplete, redacted files. After backlash, the DOJ added back a photo of Trump it had initially taken down. Sources: WSJ / NPR / BBC.
• Ex-Goldman trader dies: Robert Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs (GS) partner and prominent art dealer, has died at 92. A pioneer of block trading, he later made headlines bidding $91M for Jeff Koons' “Rabbit” in 2019. He was the father of ex-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Source: NY Times.

• 8:30 AM: Chicago Fed National Activity Index
• Tuesday: Durable Goods Orders MoM, GDP Growth Rate QoQ 2nd Est.

Carnival Corporation (CCL) has released its quarterly earnings.

• Revenue of $6.33B (+6.60% YoY) misses by $37.90M.
• EPS of $0.34 (+142.86% YoY) beats by $0.09.
• Financials · As Reported · Metrics · Press Release

Conagra Brands (CAG) has released its quarterly earnings.

• Revenue of $2.98B (-6.76% YoY) misses by $11.05M.
• EPS of $0.45 (-35.71% YoY) beats by $0.01.
• Financials · As Reported · Metrics · Press Release

Lamb Weston Holdings (LW) has released its quarterly earnings.

• Revenue of $1.62B (+1.12% YoY) beats by $27.84M.
• EPS of $0.69 (+4.55% YoY) beats by $0.03.
• Financials · As Reported · Metrics · Press Release

• There are no upcoming earnings to report today, but we'll be back tomorrow with forthcoming earnings.

• Estimated Tuesday, Dec. 23: Newbridge Acquisition Limited (NBRG), a blank check company focused on small-cap businesses.