Investing.com -- With trading on Friday so far positive, U.S. indices look set to close the week higher, not far off all-time highs.
Despite the Christmas period fast approaching, there were still lots of stocks to talk about this week, with a heavy focus on earnings. Here are our stocks of the week:
Netflix
There is really only one place to start. Netflix jumped to the head of the list on Friday after it was announced that the company had won the race to acquire Warner bros. Discovery.
The deal, a cash and stock transaction valued at $27.75 per share, with a total enterprise value of approximately $82.7 billion, follows a weeks-long bidding war where Netflix outbid Paramount Skydance’s nearly $24 offer with its nearly $28-a-share proposal.
At the time of writing on Friday, Netflix shares are down around 3.3% following the news.
Victoria’s Secret
Victoria’s Secret shares have jumped close to 13% on Friday, following the company’s latest quarterly report, which saw it top consensus estimates and provide guidance that impressed investors.
The stock is up close to 17% in the last week, adding to its substantial run so far in the second half of the year.
UiPath
UiPath’s stock price surged on Thursday, adding to its solid gains earlier in the week following its strong quarterly performance, with the company beating expectations.
UiPath shares have risen almost 36% in the last week.
"UiPath reported another stable quarter with solid execution and outperformance across metrics,” RBC Capital analyst Matthew Hedberg stated in a note reacting to the earnings release.
“Restructuring noise is seemingly in the rearview, as management expects continued stability from here. Qualitative commentary is positive on agentic traction as more customers are developing/orchestrating agents on UiPath, but it remains early days for monetization.”
Rubrik
Rubrik is another name that surged, with the stock up 25% so far on Friday after the cybersecurity and data management firm posted quarterly earnings well above expectations and raised full-year guidance.
In the last week, RBRK shares have rallied around 28%.
The positive quarterly performance saw William Blair analyst Jason Ader lift the stock to Outperform, citing “ongoing share gains in the backup/cyber-resilience market,” a strengthening platform narrative, “exceptional operational execution,” and an inflection in profitability and cash flow.
Ulta Beauty
Ulta Beauty is the final name on the list after its earnings release. The company reported quarterly results that beat Wall Street expectations and raised its full-year outlook, sending its shares more than 13.4% higher on Friday, boosting its weekly performance, which stands at around 13%.
According to Piper Sandler analyst Anna Andreeva, the company is “hitting on all cylinders.”
“Strength was consistent by month, impressive to see outside of the key events like back to school and 21 Days of Beauty,” the analyst wrote. “With the category strong in prestige and improving in mass plus company-specific drivers still ahead, ULTA should be a HSD top line and double-digit EPS grower into next year."
