Good Morning. This is the Investor Lookout with the daily digest.

Here’s what we got today:

• 📖 Barnes & Noble Plans To Open 60 New Stores in the US

• 🤖 Nvidia Surges to Another All-Time High

• 💄 Ulta Beauty CEO Retiring

Barnes & Noble Plans To Open 60 New Stores in the US

US bookworms should have reason to celebrate. Barnes & Noble ($BNED) aims to open around 60 new stores in the US, CEO James Daunt says. Daunt considers a future initial public offering in London and New York as the next logical step in the bookstore's future. In 2024, Barnes & Noble opened 57 locations across the US, bringing its current total to 600. Speaking about new year additions, he told FT that he hopes 2025 will be as good as 2024 or better for it. Christmas was remarkable this year for Barnes & Noble, as last-minute shoppers had the weekend before to purchase gifts.

• Barnes & Noble was acquired by Elliott Investment Management in 2019.

• The future IPO will be based on the New York hedge fund strategy.

Nvidia Surges to Another All-Time High

Scenes are familiar at Nvidia, and investors are not betting on the end of it. Nvidia ($NVDA) shares hit a new all-time high at close on Monday after Taiwan's Foxconn ($TW:2354) reported record Q4 revenue. Foxconn has a symbiotic relationship with Nvidia as its key supplier and posted a 15% fourth-quarter revenue beat, driven by booming AI demand. Nvidia's stock soared 3.4% to $149.43, beating its previous high of $148.88 from November 2024. The stock almost tripled in the last 12 months.

• CEO Jensen Huang recently shared that he is nervous about presenting in front of a lot of people.

• Analysts' consensus is unanimous on a buy for the stock, with a target price of $177.

Ulta Beauty CEO Retiring

Beauty is as breathtaking as ever. Ulta Beauty ($ULTA) CEO Dave Kimbell is retiring and will be replaced by the retailer's COO Kecia Steelman, the company declared on Monday. Leadership changes take effect immediately, and Steelman will also take Kimbell's place on the company's board of directors. Ulta Beauty also raised its Q4 outlook because of "stronger-than-expected performance during the holiday season." Ulta is fighting to maintain its spot as a top beauty retailer, and management believes the change is the best course of action.

• Shares closed at $431.30 on Monday.

• Steelman has been with Ulta for more than a decade and became its COO in 2023.

#1

Barnes & Noble's expansion in the U.S. market signals significant confidence in the bookstore's capability to bring back book lovers to the retailer.

#2

Nvidia's magnificent performance influences other stocks as well, and investors are keen to see it outperform the market.

#3

Ulta's new leadership could bring a fresh chapter, which could help Beauty reach its long-term goals.

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