Traders weigh data, Amazon rival gets big cash haul; Uber poaching on Wall St.

Stocks (^GSPC) (^DJI) (^IXIC) are getting off to a sluggish start ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, as investors digest a mixed bag of economic data.

Ahead of the holiday shopping season, consumers made more, saved more, and spent less.  The U.S. Commerce Department reported that spending edged up 0.1% last month, while income doubled from September to 0.4%. The savings rate rose to 5.3%, the highest level in nearly three years.

However, business spending bounced back in October following two months of weakness. Orders for long-lasting manufactured goods rose 3% according to the Commerce Department, driven largely by strong demand for commercial aircraft, machinery and computers.

Meanwhile, the number of people filing for first-time jobless benefits fell more than expected last week. The Labor Department said initial jobless claims fell by 12,000 to 260,000.

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Deere (DE) handed in better than expected earnings and revenue for its fiscal fourth quarter as weak global demand for farm equipment was offset by cost cuts.

HP (HPQ), which started trading as two separate companies at the beginning of November, is posting its final quarterly report as a combined company. Hewlett-Packard posted a miss on both its top and bottom lines for its fiscal fourth quarter. From the two former HP companies, the guidance for Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) was a lot more encouraging.

TiVo (TIVO) posted earnings that missed analysts' estimates for the third quarter, as higher costs weighed on profits but revenue topped forecasts. Sales rose nearly 17% percent from a year earlier thanks to record subscriber growth and distribution agreements.

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Costco (COST) is on investors’ radar in early trading. An E. coli outbreak linked to the wholesale retailer's rotisserie chicken salad has infected 19 people in seven states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The states include California, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. Costco stopped selling the chicken salad after it was notified of the outbreak last week. The news comes as Chipotle (CMG) struggles to contain a separate E.coli outbreak.

Wal-Mart (WMT) is being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department for potential bribery in its operations in Brazil according to The Wall Street Journal.

Jet.com raises big cash

And another startup is soaring with a new cash horde. E-commerce shopping site Jet.com has raised $350 million in new funding and has verbal commitments for an additional $150 million.

Uber lures Goldman Sachs executives

Finally, another sign of the times in tech: Reuters reports three Goldman Sachs (GS) technology investment group bankers have left the company to join Uber.