If you're feeling good about the market, you're not alone. Take my hand as we go over some of this week's more uplifting headlines.
1. Waffling about
Yum! Brands' (YUM +1.22%) Taco Bell may have another head-turning hit on its hands.
The fast food chain is expanding its test of a waffle taco that apparently was a hit at the first three Southern California stores it was introduced in earlier this year.
The breakfast treat -- essentially a waffle wrapped around scrambled eggs and a sausage patty -- will be added to roughly 100 stores in three different markets.
This is the kind of news that will draw media attention, just as its Doritos-dusted tacos did last year. We saw how well that played out for Taco Bell, with comps soaring 8% in 2012. The waffle taco won't have that kind of a dramatic impact on the chain's business, but it will draw attention to Taco Bell as a breakfast destination.
Now, if only someone could drum up a jalapeno maple syrup.
2. Par for the Kors
Affluent shoppers are replacing their Coach handbags with Michael Kors' (KORS +1.55%) luxury goods.
A week after its larger rival posted disappointing quarterly results that were weighed down by a 1.7% decline in comps at North American stores, Kors posted another blowout quarter, with North American same-store sales surging 25%.
Revenue itself soared 55%, to $640.9 million, as strong wholesale activity, and brisk expansion on top of the spectacular comps, drove high-end buyers to Kors. Net income skyrocketed 82%.
Luxury is alive and well, as long as investors buy the right brands.
3. Groupon deals with success
Groupon (GRPN 0.41%) broke through the ceiling of single-digit share prices for the first time in more than a year after posting robust quarterly results this week.
The daily deals leader posted better-than-expected growth, and the gains look even stronger when you back out Groupon's iffy international endeavors.
Sure, a lot of Groupon's growth is coming from low-margin goods. This isn't the same high-margin model that investors fell in love with when the reborn dot-com darling went public at $20 two years ago. Despite beating on the top line, Groupon merely met bottom-line estimates.
4. Lion around
Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF +0.00%) is a pretty big cat in Hollywood.
The media mogul saw its revenue climb 21%, to $569.7 million, and that was despite being stacked against last year's theatrical success of The Hunger Games. Wall Street was only holding out for $523 million on the top line.
Strength in television production, home entertainment, and international releases helped offset a dip in domestic box office revenue.
Lions Gate's profit of $0.10 a share also surpassed expectations.
The fun's likely just getting started at Lions Gate, as The Hunger Games: Catching Fire -- the sequel to last year's blockbuster -- hits theaters in three months.
5. The electric slide
Shares of Tesla Motors (TSLA 0.96%) hit another all-time high on Thursday after once again surprising analysts with another profitable quarter.
Tesla delivered a record 5,150 Model S sedans during the quarter, and this week, it began sending cars to Europe. One can always argue that Tesla shouldn't be exporting its plug-in electric vehicles when there's a growing number of drivers waiting for their own Model S cars closer to home, but it's hard to find fault with Tesla's run.
Someone who invested a Volt-sized investment in Tesla when they started, can now buy a Model S -- with change to spare.
Tesla's valuation isn't for the squeamish, but when you're priced for perfection, it helps to be better than perfect.
