DoorDash is expanding beyond restaurant delivery into grocery and retail, with unit economics expected to turn positive in the second half of 2026. The company has become the top third-party marketplace by order volume for grocery and retail in the U.S., with 30% of customers now ordering outside restaurants. While facing intense competition from Instacart and Amazon, DoorDash's grocery business represents a major long-term growth opportunity.

Maplebear Inc. (NASDAQ: CART), the parent company of Instacart, saw its stock surge 15.82% to $38.50 in extended trading following Q4 earnings. While the company missed EPS estimates at 30 cents versus 52 cents expected, it beat revenue expectations with $992 million versus $974.08 million forecast. The company reported strong GTV growth of 14% year-over-year in Q4, orders up 16%, and generated $971 million in operating cash flow for 2025 while repurchasing $1.4 billion in shares.

Provident Investment Management completely exited its position in Maplebear (Instacart) by selling 489,560 shares worth approximately $18 million. The exit reflects concerns about the company's slowing revenue growth and intensifying competition from Amazon, Kroger, and Uber, despite Instacart's attractive valuation metrics and net income growth.

Costco stock has surged 15% year-to-date as investors favor its stable business model. The company reported strong January sales with 9.3% year-over-year growth and impressive 33.1% growth in digitally-enabled sales. However, the author argues the stock is not a buy at current valuations, with a P/E ratio of 53 pricing in 15% annual earnings growth when actual EPS growth was only 10% in fiscal 2025.

Wedbush analysts recommend caution heading into Q4 earnings for mobility and delivery companies. While current estimates are achievable, upside potential is limited due to softening demand and macro uncertainty. DoorDash is the top pick with an Outperform rating, while Uber, Lyft, and Instacart receive more cautious outlooks.

Costco is expanding member benefits in 2026 with four new perks following the controversial introduction of exclusive shopping hours for Executive cardholders in 2025. The new benefits include mandatory membership card scanning at food courts, a first stand-alone gas station in California, expanded pre-scanning technology to reduce checkout times by up to 20%, and prescription drug price transparency through a partnership with pharmacy benefit manager Navitus. These initiatives aim to enhance member value and drive renewal rates.

Maplebear (CART), parent company of Instacart, shows strong business fundamentals with revenue estimated at $3.7B (up 150% since 2020) and $1B in free cash flow expected in 2025. Despite IPO investors experiencing volatility since the September 2023 listing at $42, the stock has recovered to that price level. Elliott Wave analysis suggests potential for significant upside, with the current $11B market cap appearing undervalued given the company's growth trajectory and strong balance sheet.

U.S. equity markets reached record highs on Friday as solid jobs data eased recession fears while maintaining Fed rate-cut expectations. The S&P 500 and Russell 2000 both climbed to all-time highs, with Vistra surging 13% after securing a major energy deal with Meta. Intel jumped 10% following positive comments from President Trump. Commodities extended gains with silver climbing 4% to $80/oz, while Bitcoin remained flat near $91,000.

Instacart faced backlash in December 2025 after investigations revealed it conducted AI-enabled pricing experiments that charged different customers up to 23% different prices for identical items. The company also received a $60 million FTC penalty for deceptive practices. However, investors largely shrugged off the controversy, with the stock bouncing back after an initial 6% dip. Wall Street remains bullish on the company due to strong financial performance, profitability, and the rapidly growing online grocery market projected to reach $992 billion by 2033.

Several large-cap stocks showed significant gains last week, with companies like On Holding, Albemarle, and Tower Semiconductor reporting strong earnings and receiving positive analyst attention.

Costco introduced exclusive shopping hours for Executive members, which has generated a 1% increase in weekly U.S. sales and potentially encouraged Gold Star/Business members to upgrade their membership tier.

Advantage Solutions will release its Q3 financial results on November 6, 2025, with a conference call at 8:30 a.m. EDT, providing investors multiple ways to access the financial update.