Key Takeaways
- NVIDIA (NVDA) shares extended gains, rising 0.3% as President Trump announced a meeting with CEO Jensen Huang tomorrow to offer congratulations.
- President Trump reiterated strong criticism of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, calling him "incompetent or a bad guy" and predicting his departure in "a few months."
- PayPal (PYPL) reported better-than-expected Q3 2025 earnings, with adjusted EPS of $1.34 on revenue of $9.42 billion, and initiated a quarterly cash dividend of $0.14 per share.
- Sherwin-Williams (SHW) and American Tower (AMT) also surpassed Q3 estimates, with Sherwin-Williams reporting adjusted EPS of $3.59 and American Tower exceeding revenue expectations at $2.717 billion.
- Aramco CEO Amin Nasser forecasts global oil demand to grow by 1.1-1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) next year, emphasizing the continued significance of oil and gas in the energy mix.
Market Movers and Political Commentary
NVIDIA (NVDA) saw its shares extend gains, rising 0.3% to hit a session high today. The boost comes as President Trump announced he would be meeting with NVIDIA's CEO, Jensen Huang, tomorrow to offer congratulations. This follows a period where NVIDIA's stock has seen significant movement, with some reports noting it approached $180 earlier in the year, hitting fresh record highs amidst optimism over U.S. support for semiconductor expansion and potential renewed access to China for its chips.
President Trump continued his vocal criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, stating Powell would be "out in 'a few months'" and labeling him "incompetent or a bad guy." Trump also mentioned considering Scott Bessent for the Fed, noting Bessent "soothes the markets" but "doesn't want it." This reiterates previous criticisms where Trump has called Powell a "major loser" and a "Total and Complete Moron," largely over the central bank's interest rate decisions. Separately, Trump also commented on beef prices, suggesting he would work to bring them down, implying ranchers might be "doing too well."
Earnings Season Highlights
PayPal (PYPL) delivered a strong third quarter, reporting adjusted earnings per share of $1.34, significantly beating analyst estimates of $1.20. Revenue also surpassed expectations, coming in at $9.42 billion against an estimated $8.24 billion. The digital payment giant also announced the initiation of a quarterly cash dividend program, declaring a dividend of $0.14 per share, payable on December 10, 2025. The company raised its full-year adjusted EPS guidance to a range of $5.35 to $5.39, up from the previous $5.15 to $5.30.
Paint and coatings manufacturer Sherwin-Williams (SHW) also reported robust Q3 2025 results, with adjusted EPS of $3.59, exceeding the estimated $3.44. Revenue reached $6.36 billion, higher than the $6.20 billion consensus. The company narrowed its full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $11.25 to $11.45.
American Tower (AMT) likewise posted strong Q3 figures, with revenue of $2.717 billion surpassing estimates of $2.658 billion. Adjusted EBITDA came in at $1.816 billion, above the $1.779 billion estimate. The company raised its full-year adjusted EBITDA outlook to a range of $7.058 billion to $7.113 billion.
Other notable earnings include Corning (GLW), which reported Q3 core EPS of $0.67 against an estimate of $0.66, and sales of $4.1 billion. Xylem (XYL) also beat expectations with adjusted EPS of $1.37 on revenue of $2.3 billion. Invesco (IVZ) announced Q3 adjusted EPS of $0.61, significantly higher than the $0.46 estimate, with assets under management reaching $2.1248 trillion.
Energy and Global Economic Indicators
Aramco CEO Amin Nasser provided an optimistic outlook for the oil market, projecting global oil demand growth of 1.1-1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) next year. Nasser emphasized that oil and gas will remain a "significant part of the energy mix for decades to come," noting that "everyone is looking for more energy, demand is strong," particularly from the Global South, which accounts for 80% of the growth.
In European economic news, French total jobseekers in Q3 rose to 3045.8K, exceeding the estimated 2998.7K, indicating a higher-than-expected number of individuals seeking employment. This comes as the French labor market shows signs of slowing, with the unemployment rate expected to rise in 2025 and 2026.
Meanwhile, UPS has disclosed that it eliminated 34,000 jobs this year, exceeding its previously announced cuts of 20,000. This move is part of a larger cost-cutting strategy, partly attributed to changes in global trade policy and reduced Amazon shipments. French President Emmanuel Macron is also scheduled to travel to China to meet with President Xi Jinping on December 5 and 6.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.