🗓️ This Week in The Markets
Macro/Market News
China has effectively banned the use of U.S. and Israeli cybersecurity software, from companies like Check Point ($CHKP ( ▼ 2.4% )), Palo Alto Networks ($PANW ( ▼ 0.44% )), and Fortinet ($FTNT ( ▲ 0.06% )).
According to CNBC, there was a 40% spike in mortgage refinance applications as Trump’s commentary around Fannie Mae ($FNMA ( ▼ 1.37% )) and Freddie Mac ($FMCC ( ▼ 1.26% )) buying back $200 Billion in mortgage-backed bonds.
Retail sales topped expectations for November, as they rose by 0.6%, signalling a healthy consumer.
Company Specific News
Netflix ($NFLX ( ▼ 0.65% )) has transitioned to an all cash offer to purchase Warner Bros. ($WBD ( ▲ 0.07% )) assets shortly after Paramount ($PSKY ( ▼ 2.29% )) filed a lawsuit and launched a proxy fight in a continued effort to have their hostile bid accepted.
Apple ($AAPL ( ▼ 0.87% )) has partnered with Google ($GOOG ( ▲ 0.22% )) to revamp Siri and Apple Intelligence using Gemini models. This sent Google’s valuation surging past $4 Trillion!
Honeywell ($HON ( ▼ 0.37% )) plans to spin off its majority-owned quantum unit, Quantinuum, after it raised $600 million at a $10 billion valuation.
🛒 What the Haul?
Out of 287 TikTok hauls analyzed, these companies appeared the most:
Zara - 30 Appearances (10.5%)
Hollister - 22 Appearances (7.7%)
Shein - 21 Appearances (7.3%)
Brandy Melville - 19 Appearances (6.6%)
Aritzia - 13 Appearances (4.5%)
Victoria's Secret - 13 Appearances (4.5%)
Hello Kitty - 12 Appearances (4.2%)
Sephora - 12 Appearances (4.2%)
Garage - 10 Appearances (3.5%)
Louis Vuitton - 10 Appearances (3.5%)
Rhode - 10 Appearances (3.9%)
Nike - 9 Appearances (3.1%)
Lululemon - 9 Appearances (3.1%)
Ugg - 9 Appearances (3.1%)
H&M - 8 Appearances (2.8%)
Adidas - 8 Appearances (2.8%)
PINK - 8 Appearances (2.8%)
Free People - 8 Appearances (2.8%)
Target - 8 Appearances (2.8%)
Skims - 8 Appearances (2.8%)
Princess Polly - 7 Appearances (2.4%)
Dior - 7 Appearances (2.4%)
Gucci - 7 Appearances (2.4%)
Alo - 7 Appearances (2.4%)
Sol De Janeiro - 7 Appearances (2.4%)
Coach - 6 Appearances (2.1%)
Chanel - 6 Appearances (2.1%)
Amazon - 6 Appearances (2.1%)
Rare Beauty - 6 Appearances (2.1%)
Bershka - 6 Appearances (2.1%)
Rhode - 6 Appearances (2.1%)
Cider - 6 Appearances (2.1%)
Old Navy - 5 Appearances (1.7%)
Abercrombie & Fitch - 5 Appearances (1.7%)
Revolve - 5 Appearances (1.7%)
Aerie - 5 Appearances (1.7%)
Juicy Couture - 5 Appearances (1.7%)
Temu - 5 Appearances (1.7%)
Bath & Body Works - 5 Appearances (1.7%)
The Ordinary - 5 Appearances (1.7%)
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A Sneak Peek into Next Week’s Deep Dive
Lately, we’ve been exploring the idea that Claude Code and Opus 4.5 have democratized software engineering, and we’ve dived deep to figure out which companies are seeing the highest implementation rates via NPM downloads over time. Below is a chart from one of our favorite beneficiaries of this trend.
Any guesses as to which companies this is?
Key Takeaways
Y2K nostalgia is driving sales across multiple brands. Hollister, Victoria's Secret, and Brandy Melville are all benefiting from the "coquette," vintage, and early-2000s aesthetic trends, with VS creators specifically praising the brand for "finally" bringing back classic logos and styles.
Inventory constraints signal strong demand. Aritzia shoppers reported backorders stretching into March, Hollister swimwear was selling out in January, and Victoria's Secret customers had to ask staff to pull items off mannequins due to size unavailability.
Aritzia is winning the "trade-up" consumer. Multiple creators mentioned switching from budget competitors like Garage specifically to upgrade to Aritzia's premium materials, viewing pieces as long-term "investments" despite higher price points.
Hello Kitty proves the power of licensed IP across all price tiers. Sanrio merchandise appeared in hauls ranging from Five Below to luxury brand unboxings, showing the brand's unique ability to capture both budget-conscious and high-end shoppers.
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🤖 This Week in AI
Anthropic has released Claude Cowork, the non-technical sibling of its groundbreaking Claude Code application. Cowork is designed to be a coworker that can use your computer, read and edit files, and utilize Chrome for browser-based tasks.
Google ($GOOG ( ▲ 0.22% )) and Shopify ($SHOP ( ▲ 0.63% )) have teamed up to create a new open standard that they’ve dubbed the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), designed to facilitate agentic commerce.
High-Flyer Asset Management, creator of the notorious DeepSeek line of LLMs, recorded an average return of 56.5% across all of its funds in 2025, making it the second-best performing Chinese quant fund that manages more than $10 billion yuan.
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