Market Beats | Airbus Secures Major Orders from Two Chinese Carriers for 55 Jets; Silver Retreats Sharply After Piercing $80 Amid Chinese Trading Frenzy; Lululemon Founder Pushes for Board Shakeup Ahead of CEO Search; US Pending Home Sales Beat Estimates; Wall Street Consensus: US Stocks Set for Historic Winning Streak in 2026; SoftBank to Acquire DigitalBridge for $4 Billion to Bolster AI Infrastructure; Arnault Family’s €200m Paris Property Spree Signals Luxury Market Recovery

—— Airbus Secures Major Orders from Two Chinese Carriers for 55 Jets; Silver Retreats Sharply After Piercing $80 Amid Chinese Trading Frenzy; Lululemon Founder Pushes for Board Shakeup Ahead of CEO Search; US Pending Home Sales Beat Estimates; Wall Street Consensus: US Stocks Set for Historic Winning Streak in 2026; SoftBank to Acquire DigitalBridge for $4 Billion to Bolster AI Infrastructure; Arnault Family’s €200m Paris Property Spree Signals Luxury Market Recovery

1. Airbus Secures Major Orders from Two Chinese Carriers for 55 Jets

Airbus SE landed orders for dozens of aircraft from two Chinese airlines on Monday, further expanding its market share in Asia’s largest aviation market.

According to filings with the Shanghai bourse, Juneyao Airlines plans to purchase 25 Airbus A320 jets with a catalog value of 4.1 billion dollars. Spring Airlines also announced plans to acquire 30 of the same narrowbody model for 4.1 billion dollars.

Both carriers noted that the transaction costs were based on list prices, with no further details on the final negotiated amounts. Airbus has consistently grown its presence in China, supported by its A320 final assembly line in Tianjin. In contrast, Boeing Co. has not secured a major Chinese order since at least 2017 amid ongoing trade tensions and production challenges.

Earlier this year, reports indicated that China has been in discussions with both manufacturers for hundreds of additional aircraft for its state-owned carriers.

______

2. Silver Retreats Sharply After Piercing $80 Amid Chinese Trading Frenzy

Silver prices retreated sharply on Monday after smashing through 80 dollars an ounce for the first time, halting a record-breaking rally fueled by speculative demand in China.

The metal underwent a roller-coaster session, falling more than 6% after earlier hitting a peak of 84 dollars an ounce. The rally has been driven by surging Chinese investment, with spot silver premiums in Shanghai rising more than 8 dollars over London prices—the widest spread on record.

The feverish activity has prompted extreme measures in China’s financial markets. UBS SDIC Fund Management Co., which runs China’s only pure-play silver fund, took the unusual step of halting new subscriptions on Friday after repeated warnings of “unsustainable” gains were ignored by retail investors. The fund’s premium over its underlying assets ballooned to more than 60% last week.

Over the weekend, Elon Musk weighed in on the frenzy. Replying to a post on X regarding Chinese export restrictions, Musk noted, “This is not good. Silver is needed in many industrial processes.”

Unlike gold, silver is a critical industrial component, particularly in solar photovoltaics. With global inventories near record lows, the risk of supply shortages poses a significant threat to multiple high-tech industries.

______

3. Lululemon Founder Pushes for Board Shakeup Ahead of CEO Search

Lululemon Athletica Inc. founder Chip Wilson is calling for changes to the company’s board of directors before a new chief executive officer is selected.

Wilson, one of Lululemon’s largest shareholders, nominated three candidates for the 2026 annual meeting: former On Holding co-CEO Marc Maurer, former ESPN CMO Laura Gentile, and former Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg.

The move comes after Lululemon announced that Calvin McDonald will step down as CEO at the end of January. While the company searches for a successor, activist investor Elliott Investment Management has built a 1 billion dollar stake and is reportedly backing retail executive Jane Nielsen for the role. “The recent CEO change announcement was the third total failure of Board oversight with no clear succession plan in place,” Wilson said in a statement Monday, adding that shareholders lack faith in the current board’s ability to select the next leader without stronger product expertise.

The Vancouver-based retailer is grappling with its slowest sales growth since its 2007 IPO, facing intense pressure from rivals like Alo Yoga and Vuori, as well as lower-priced “dupe” products from competitors.

______

4. US Pending Home Sales Beat Estimates

Pending sales of existing homes in the US climbed more than expected in November as stabilizing prices and lower mortgage rates enticed buyers back into the market.

The Pending Home Sales Index rose 3.3% to 79.2 last month, its highest level since February 2023, according to National Association of Realtors (NAR) data released Monday. The gain surpassed nearly all economist estimates in a Bloomberg survey.

“Homebuyer momentum is building,” NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun stated, citing improved affordability and increased inventory compared to a year ago. Contract signings have now risen for four consecutive months, matching a growth streak last seen during the pandemic housing boom.

The latest figures support a growing consensus that the housing market will see a gradual recovery heading into 2026. Mortgage rates, which neared 7% in May, have since settled between 6.3% and 6.4%, while home price appreciation has slowed significantly.

However, outlooks for next year remain varied; among nine market analysts surveyed, growth projections for the resale market range from a modest 1.7% to a bullish 14%.

______

5. Wall Street Consensus: US Stocks Set for Historic Winning Streak in 2026

At major banks and boutique investment firms, an optimistic consensus has taken hold: the US stock market is poised to rally for a fourth consecutive year in 2026, marking its longest winning streak in nearly two decades.

Despite the S&P 500 Index soaring roughly 90% since its October 2022 low, anxieties persist regarding potential AI bubbles, unexpected Fed policy shifts, or shocks from the second year of Donald Trump’s presidency. However, after three years of relentless gains that defied bearish calls, sell-side strategists are now marching in lockstep. Among 21 prognosticators surveyed by Bloomberg News, not a single one predicts a decline, with the average forecast implying a further 9% gain by the end of next year.

Veteran strategist Ed Yardeni, a longtime bull, expects the S&P to finish 2026 at 7,700—an 11% increase from Friday’s close.

While noting that “pessimists have been wrong for so long,” Yardeni admitted that the total lack of dissent is somewhat concerning, noting that his “counter instincts” kick in when everyone else seems to have adopted the same optimistic outlook.

______

6. SoftBank to Acquire DigitalBridge for $4 Billion to Bolster AI Infrastructure

SoftBank Group Corp. agreed on Monday to acquire private equity firm DigitalBridge Group Inc. for approximately $3 billion in cash. This strategic move aims to expand the Japanese conglomerate’s footprint in data centers and digital infrastructure essential for the artificial intelligence boom.

SoftBank will pay $16 per share for the New York-listed DigitalBridge, representing a 65% premium over its closing price on Dec. 4, before acquisition talks were first reported. Including debt, the total enterprise value of the deal stands at $4 billion. DigitalBridge is a premier asset manager in the digital space, managing roughly $108 billion in assets as of September, including cell towers, fiber networks, and hyperscale data centers.

SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son noted that the acquisition will strengthen the firm’s ability to build, scale, and finance the foundational infrastructure required for “Artificial Super Intelligence.” The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026. Following the merger, DigitalBridge will continue to operate as a separately managed platform led by its current CEO, Marc Ganzi.

DigitalBridge shares jumped 9.7% to $15.27 in Monday morning trading.

______

7. Arnault Family’s €200m Paris Property Spree Signals Luxury Market Recovery

Sony Group is taking a majority stake in the brand behind Snoopy and Charlie Brown, acquiring an additional 41% of Peanuts Holding from Canada’s WildBrain for C$630 million (US$460 million). The deal increases Sony’s total ownership to 80%, turning the beloved American cartoon franchise into a Sony subsidiary.

The Schulz family, descendants of creator Charles Schulz, will retain the remaining 20% stake. Sony first began investing in the Peanuts brand in 2018, and this latest move aligns with the group’s broader strategy to prioritize entertainment and original content creation. Shunsuke Muramatsu, CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, stated that the group aims to elevate the brand’s value by leveraging Sony’s vast global network.

The acquisition is part of Sony’s effort to bridge its gaming, anime, film, and music divisions to build powerful global franchises. The company has seen recent success with adaptations like the TV series “The Last of Us” and the animated blockbuster “Demon Slayer.”

Snoopy has a deep historical connection with Japan and was notably one of the inspirations for Sanrio’s Hello Kitty. By taking full control of Peanuts, Sony looks to further monetize the iconic comic strip—which debuted in 1950—across various platforms including toys, films, and theme park attractions.

______