If you're feeling good about the market, you're not alone. Take my hand as we go over some of this holiday-shortened trading week's more uplifting headlines.
1. Tesla's safe
Tesla (TSLA -0.05%) is still one of this year's biggest winners, but the electric-car maker slumped during the fourth quarter on valuation concerns and safety fears after a few highly visible cases of Model S sedans catching fire as a result of road debris penetrating its battery pack.
There may be little that Tesla can do about the valuation, but the safety of its signature vehicle got a welcome nod this week after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reaffirmed the Model S sedan's top safety rating of five stars.
2. Disney does Dorsey
Disney's (DIS -0.41%) board will never get Steve Jobs back, but it has another visionary in tow.
The family entertainment giant announced that Jack Dorsey -- Twitter's (TWTR) chairman and Square's CEO -- is joining its board of directors. Board member appointments aren't typically newsworthy, but Dorsey is an entrepreneurial guru with a hand in the creation of social-media giant Twitter and commerce darling Square, and will be a valuable asset.
Disney's in the process of sprucing up the tech at its theme parks, and you can never have enough creative power at the leading media company.
3. Making up for stockings that went unfilled
It was a surprisingly brutal holiday-shopping season for e-commerce in terms of fulfillment as swamped parcel-delivery giants failed to deliver many gift orders in time for Christmas. This happens every year, but the volume was unusually high this time.
One company that quickly made the best out of a bad situation is Amazon.com (AMZN -1.64%). The Wall Street Journal reports that the leading online retailer is refunding shipping charges and giving customers $20 gift cards if their orders didn't arrive on time as promised. The shipping refund may not be a big deal to Amazon Prime customers and others who went for free shipping, but the gift card will come in pretty handy -- and assure that Amazon sees an uptick in business in post-holiday sales.
4. It's finally time for iChina
The bad news is that Apple (AAPL -1.06%) won't be making its iconic iPhone available through China's largest wireless carrier this year. The good news is that we only have to wait three more weeks for that to happen, as Apple will be available through China Mobile (CHL) come Jan. 17.
This is a pretty big deal. Now the iPhone will be officially available across China's three largest players. Adoption rates may not be high -- China Mobile customers who want the iPhone have had a few years now to switch to carriers in the country that offer subsidies for the expensive smartphone. But the deal will offer incremental growth in a market that is essential to Apple as it tries to regain its global growth in a world where Android is becoming the mobile-operating system of choice.
5. SodaStream fizzes up flat presents
SodaStream (SODA) has been milking this holiday shopping season for viral marketing success with its #GreenSanta campaign where it got the pleasantly plump Coke-sipping Santa fit by switching to SodaStream's healthier beverages. Why stop now that Christmas is in the rear-view mirror?
SodaStream rolled out a #SodaSwap campaign, asking folks to post their unwanted gifts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. It will then pick out five winners from each of the three social media sites and trade those unwanted presents for SodaStream Source beverage makers. Once again, SodaStream's using the power of free publicity and viral social media sites to help promote its beverage-making platform. Well played, SodaStream.
