Wall Street Opens Fed Week on Edge as Paramount’s $108 Billion Hollywood Gambit Steals the Show - December 8, 2025 -( $AVGO $DV $GOVX $NOK $NVDA $ORCL $PKSY $TSM $WBD Rise!) - Vista Partners LLC

Wall Street opened the week in a cautious mood Monday, with the major averages edging lower as investors stared down a data‑thin calendar and a Fed meeting that promises more intrigue than drama. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped around six‑tenths of a percent, the S&P 500 fell by a similar margin, and the tech‑heavy Nasdaq lost roughly four‑tenths, while small caps on the Russell 2000 softened after recent outperformance, suggesting the year‑end rally is willing but not yet fearless.

Macro and Fed watch

Macroeconomic news offered more anticipation than hard data, largely because the government shutdown fallout continues to gum up the statistical plumbing in Washington, delaying several routine releases that traders normally use as signposts. Private‑sector gauges and previews instead set the tone: surveys from S&P Global and ISM continued to point to a soft but not collapsing manufacturing sector and decent services activity, while upcoming labor data are expected to show further cooling in demand—just enough weakness to justify another Fed cut without triggering outright recession fears. Treasury yields hovered near the top of their recent range and the curve continued to edge steeper, as traders braced for what is widely expected to be another quarter‑point Fed rate cut later this week even as longer‑dated yields threaten to drift higher. The 2yr ended at 3.587% and the 10yr ended at 4.173%.

Big tech and AI names

In the equity trenches, the market’s current royalty—semis, megacap tech and AI‑adjacent names—spent the day behaving less like momentum gods and more like large, interest‑rate‑sensitive cyclicals. Nvidia (NVDA, $185.55, +1.72%), Apple (AAPL, $277.89, -.32%), Tesla (TSLA, $439.58. -3.39%), Broadcom (AVGO, $401.10, +2.78%), Oracle (ORCL, $220.54, +1.36%), Intel INTC, $40.30,-2.68%) and Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM, $301.87, +2.43%) all traded in sympathy with the modest risk‑off tone, while Meta ($666.80, -.98%) drifted with the broader communication‑services complex amid ongoing debates over ad spending and streaming profitability.

LLY, cyclicals and high beta

Eli Lilly ( $997.59, -1.26%) gave back some more altitude after its recent surge toward the four‑figure price club, with shares slipping to just under 1,000 dollars as traders locked in gains ahead of the next wave of obesity‑ and gene‑therapy headlines. In related news, Structure Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: GPCR), a clinical-stage global biopharmaceutical company developing novel oral small molecule therapeutics for metabolic diseases, with a focus on obesity, today announced positive topline data from the ACCESS clinical program of aleniglipron for the treatment of people living with obesity and/or overweight with at least one weight related co-morbidity. This includes 36-week data from the core Phase 2b ACCESS study and the ongoing exploratory ACCESS II study, and interim data from the ongoing Body Composition study and the ACCESS open label extension (OLE) study. Aleniglipron is an investigational orally-available, once-daily, nonpeptide small molecule agonist of the glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor designed to address patient needs and accessibility.

Deals, IPOs and tariffs

The corporate‑deal spotlight belonged to David Ellison’s Paramount (PKSY, $14.57, +9.02%) , which lobbed a 108‑billion‑dollar all‑cash hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD, $27.23, +4.41%) at 30 dollars per share, directly challenging Netflix’s (NFLX, $96.79, -3.44%) earlier cash‑and‑stock agreement and turning Hollywood’s streaming wars into a full‑blown takeover saga. The IPO calendar is warming modestly for the week, with listings such as JM Group, Cardinal Infrastructure, Lumexa Imaging, SFIDA X and robo‑advisor Wealthfront lining up on NYSE and Nasdaq to test year‑end risk appetite, while tariff headlines remained more background risk than immediate shock, as analysts focused on how prior hikes could keep a floor under goods prices.

Commodities and crypto

Away from equities, gold drifted lower to $,219.80 per ounce after a year of outsized gains, while silver remained volatile but firmly in an upward long‑term channel as industrial demand and tight inventories encouraged dip‑buyers closing at $58.495/oz. Crude oil extended its recent slide on growth and supply worries dropping 2.06% to $58.84/bbl, and Bitcoin hovered near the 91,000‑dollar mark after a brisk pullback from recent highs, with traders debating whether the next act is a renewed melt‑up toward six figures or a more humbling retreat into the high‑80,000s.

Vista Partners Watchlist Updates

Modular Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: MODD., $.4421), a leader in innovative insulin delivery technology targeting the $3 billion adult “almost-pumpers” diabetes market with user-friendly, affordable patch pumps, today (Nov. 17) announced Institutional Review Board (“IRB”) approval to conduct an in-house study of its next-generation Pivot™ insulin delivery system using insulin on people with diabetes (the “Study”). Pursuant to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) regulations, an IRB is a group that has been formally designated to review and monitor biomedical research involving human subjects. The Study will simulate real-world conditions by delivering insulin to adult participants to gather critical data on device function and usability and obtain user feedback. Modular Medical’s Pivot tubeless patch pump aims to enhance accessibility for underserved patients with diabetes and drive market penetration and expansion. On Nov. 14, Modular Medical announced the 510(k) premarket submission of its next generation Pivot™ tubeless patch pump to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”). The Company expects to commence the commercial launch of its Pivot pump in Q1 2026. On Nov. 3, Modular Medical the successful validation of its Pivot controller line, a critical milestone in preparing for the commercial launch of its Pivot patch pump targeted for Q1 2026. The Pivot controller line validation further demonstrates manufacturing readiness for high-volume production, positioning Modular Medical to meet the growing demand in the diabetes treatment market for advanced technology.

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: EPRX, $6), a clinical-stage biotechnology company leveraging its proprietary Diffusphere™ technology to optimize local, controlled drug delivery for diseases with significant unmet need, announced (Nov. 13) the second set of 52-week follow up data from its ongoing Phase 1b/2a RESOLVE trial evaluating a single administration EP-104GI for the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis (“EoE”). James A. Helliwell, Chief Executive Officer of Eupraxia stated,“These data further highlight the strong durability and tolerability profile of EP-104GI, reinforcing its potential to become a convenient, once-a-year treatment that fits seamlessly into routine disease management by aligning with annual patient endoscopies. The Cohorts 5 & 6 patients – the only groups to have reached 52 weeks in the trial – are demonstrating levels of symptom relief that is durable and clinically meaningful – we are very encouraged by this outcome. We’re also pleased that our previously announced 52-week data were presented as a late-breaking presentation at the American College of Gastroenterology Annual Scientific Meeting (ACG). These new results build on that momentum. Given that current EoE therapies often struggle with long-term adherence, we believe a durable, once-yearly treatment could meaningfully improve patient outcomes and establish EP-104GI as a preferred option for both physicians and their patients.”

GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX, $.4123, +9.33%), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing multi-antigen vaccines and immunotherapies for infectious diseases and cancer, today announced the publication of a peer-reviewed article in JCO Oncology Advances, the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) open-access journal. The manuscript, titled “A Phase 1/2 Study of Intratumoral Ad/PNP (Gedeptin) with Fludarabine Phosphate in Subjects with Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer”, reports findings from a multi-center clinical trial evaluating repeated cycles of Gedeptin(R), a gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT), administered via intratumoral injection followed by systemic fludarabine.

Volato Group, Inc. (NYSE American: SOAR, $1.21) and M2i Global, Inc. (MTWO, $..0875), a company specializing in the development and execution of a complete global value supply chain for critical minerals, announced on Nov. 19 that Nimy Resources (“Nimy”) and M2i will collaborate with the aim of forming commercially binding contract terms for the respective sale and purchase of gallium production. They also announced (Oct. 16) the next phase of development of the digital and commercial infrastructure underpinning the U.S. Strategic Mineral Reserve (SMR). M2i initiated the SMR framework and technical specifications earlier this year. Volato is now applying its proven enterprise-software expertise to build and operationalize the secure technology backbone that will support critical mineral traceability, contracting, and compliance across the United States and allied nations. This infrastructure is being developed to serve as the market-facing layer of the U.S. Strategic Mineral Reserve initiative, providing miners, refiners, recyclers, manufacturers, and government entities with a trusted environment for physical critical mineral transactions—with verified provenance, end-to-end custody visibility, and regulatory compliance at its core.

Serina Therapeutics (NYSE American: SER, $3.32. +2.75%) stands at a pivotal juncture as it harnesses fresh capital, regulatory momentum, and a sharpened communications strategy to propel its lead program, SER-252, into late-stage clinical testing for advanced Parkinson’s diseas. The Alabama-based biotech is betting its proprietary POZ platform and reimagined approach to apomorphine delivery may redefine the treatment paradigm for patients who have e96xhausted standard oral therapies.

The InterGroup Corporation (NASDAQ: INTG, $18.41) reported (Nov. 17) results for the three months ended September 30, 2025. John V. Winfield, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said: “We continue to observe signs of stabilization and recovery across the San Francisco hospitality market, including improving convention calendars, tourism indicators, and business travel activity. On the investment side, our marketable securities activity remained modest with a small net gain, consistent with our emphasis on liquidity and risk discipline.”

Nokia (NOK, $6.15, +1.325) is promising investors a sleeker, AI‑age version of itself by 2028, aiming to lift profits by as much as 60% while quietly admitting that the road there runs through a restructuring zone. Nokia today announced it has been selected by KPN, a Dutch telecommunications company, to help transform the Netherlands’ core digital infrastructure through the deployment of an 800G-capable IP and optical network. This nationwide initiative, known as FabriQ, forms the ‘digital aorta’ for all fixed and mobile services delivered by KPN to millions of consumer, business and wholesale users across a range of enterprise sectors, supporting increased speed, greater resilience and supporting KPN’s focus on reduced energy use. KPN is the leading telecom provider in the Netherlands, offering mobile, fixed-line, IT and wholesale services. The company has been rapidly expanding its fiber-optic network, aiming to make high-speed broadband widely available across the Netherlands.

Opendoor Technologies Inc. (OPEN, $7.05) a digital red estate disruptor, jumped higher once again as the belief that interest rates would be cut in December rose significantly.

DoubleVerify Holdings Inc. (DV) closed at $11.03, +0.00% over the last 5-days. DoubleVerify Holdings is a software company that helps advertisers verify and improve the quality and performance of their digital ads across the web, apps, social platforms, and connected TV. DoubleVerify provides a digital media measurement and analytics platform that checks whether ads are viewable, shown to real people (not bots), served in brand‑safe environments, and delivered in the right geography. Its tools give advertisers independent, third‑party data so they can reduce ad fraud, avoid unsafe content, and get better return on their digital ad spend. DoubleVerify primarily earns revenue by charging advertisers, agencies, and platforms based on the volume of media it measures (such as impressions or transactions). Its technology is integrated with major ad platforms and programmatic exchanges, and is used globally by brands, marketplaces, and publishers to monitor and optimize campaigns.

Wall Street Opens Fed Week on Edge as Paramount’s $108 Billion Hollywood Gambit Steals the Show – December 8, 2025 -( $AVGO $DV $GOVX $NOK $NVDA $ORCL $PKSY $TSM $WBD Rise!)

Macro and Fed watch

Big tech and AI names

LLY, cyclicals and high beta

Deals, IPOs and tariffs

Commodities and crypto

Vista Partners Watchlist Updates

Sources

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