Big, new single-family houses are looking more inviting as the pandemic puts a premium on living space, Andrew Bary writes in this week's edition of Barron's. As the nation's largest luxury-home builder, Toll Brothers is ideally positioned to take advantage of this shift toward bigger, more expensive housing, the analyst notes, adding that its stock, in contrast to its inventory, is inexpensive. Reference Link

Investors looking to make a bet on an industrial bounce back could do worse than buy 3M, Ben Levisohn writes in this week's edition of Barron's. Its stock has dropped 7.9% over the past 12 months, the author notes. But with 3M scheduled to report earnings later this month, the stock could be set for a move higher, he argues. Reference Link

Just over twenty years ago, Pat Gelsinger became Intel's (INTC) first-ever chief technology officer and now he is back, with the CEO job he presumably wanted all along, Max Cherney writes in this week's edition of Barron's. Gelsinger has his work cut out for him, the author adds, noting that a series of manufacturing problems at Intel have allowed rivals AMD (AMD) and Nvidia (NVDA) to take share in key chip markets. Gelsinger's appointment is a step in the right direction, but a rebound will still take time, the publication contends. Reference Link

Business continues to get worse for GameStop (GME), with the videogame retailer saying that its holiday sales were down 3.1%, Connor Smith writes in this week's edition of Barron's. Nonetheless, shares rose a stunning 101% on the week. The trigger for the rally seemed to be news Monday that Chewy (CHWY) co-founder Ryan Cohen would be joining GameStop's board of directors, along with two former Chewy executives, the author notes. GameStop was primed for a short squeeze, in which short sellers faced with high borrowing costs and accumulating losses are forced to buy shares to cover their bearish bet, he argues, adding that the rush to buy can lead to nosebleed pops, until reality sets in. Reference Link

Video game maker Roblox has hired GTS for its direct listing as part of an attempt to go public, Business Insider's Dakin Campbell reports. The move will mark the first time GTS has been selected to help a major technology firm make its public markets debut through a direct listing, Campbell says. Reference Link

A lawsuit filed in a federal district court in New York is accusing Amazon of forcing customers on other book sites to pay too much for electronic books, the Wall Street Journal's Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg and Dana Mattioli report. The suit alleges that an agreement between Amazon and five major book publishers has led to higher e-book prices for all consumers, since it prevents competing retails from selling any of these publishers' e-books at a lower price than on the ecommerce giant's site, the authors say. The suit is seeking class-action status and claims that Amazon charges high commissions and other costs to publishers, the authors note. Reference Link

Alimentation Couche-Tard (ANCUF) has abandoned its efforts to acquire Carrefour (CRRFY) after its acquisition proposal ran into stiff opposition from the French government, Reuters' Pamela Barbaglia reports, citing a source familiar with the matter. The decision to end merger negotiations came after a meeting between French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and Couche-Tard's founder and chairman, Alain Bouchard, the author says. Reference Link