- Funding Frenzy – Q2 2025 venture funding reached $91 billion, which is a $9 billion increase from Q2 2024. However, Q2 2025 funding did fall compared to Q1 2025’s funding of $114 billion, which was the largest quarter funding since Q3 2022 (source: Crunchbase).
- Shopping Spree – Amazon’s Prime Day event resulted in a 30.3% boost in online spending across U.S. retailers to $24.1 billion, beating estimates projecting a 28.4% growth (source: Bloomberg).
- Parcels Please – FedEx released its fourth quarter earnings report for the period ended May 31, 2025, citing a 1% year-over-year increase in consolidated revenue. At the same time, FedEx solidified a $2.2 billion cost savings over the fiscal year ended May 31, 2025 (source: The Motley Fool).
- Squaring Off – Shareholders of Meta Platforms, the parent company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, have launched an $8 billion lawsuit against CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg is accused of using Facebook as an illegal enterprise to harvest users’ data without their consent. The non-jury trial is set to begin on Wednesday, July 16, 2025 (source: Yahoo Finance).
- Hill’s Hefty Valuation – McGraw Hill, an education publisher, is seeking a $4.2 billion valuation in its initial public offering. McGraw Hill sold to Platinum, a private equity investment firm, in 2021 for $4.5 billion. The company reports that 99% of U.S public K-12 districts and 82% of U.S. higher education institutions use McGraw Hill products (source: Reuters).
- Profitable Paychex – Paychex released its fourth quarter earnings report for the period ended May 31, 2025, reporting a 10% increase in total revenue in Q4. Similarly, adjusted diluted earnings per share increased by 6% during fiscal year 2025 (source: The Motley Fool).
- Blocked Acquisition – President Donald Trump blocked the acquisition of Jupiter Systems, an audiovisual equipment supplier, by Suirui International, a Hong Kong company, after the U.S. Treasury Department found Suirui to be a national security risk. Jupiter’s products are used in U.S. military and infrastructure environments (source: Reuters).
- Generous Giving – Warren Buffett donated $6 billion in Berkshire stock to the Gates Foundation and four other family charities, which is his biggest annual donation since he began giving away his fortune. Buffett still owns 13.8% of Berkshire’s stock (source: Reuters).
- Draft Day – Eli Willits was the first overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. The shortstop will head to the Nationals. This is the third time in franchise history that the Nationals have had the top pick in the draft (source: MLB).
- Internet Epidemic – The Pew Research Center found that the number of teens being online “almost constantly” has doubled since 2014-15. Today, roughly 46% of teens surveyed are “almost constantly” online compared to 24% in 2014-15. Similarly, 96% of U.S. teens agree that they use the internet every day (source: Pew Research Center). In June 2025, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 4.3%, the S&P 500 rose by 4.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite jumped by 5.9% (source: Bloomberg).
This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation regarding any specific product or security. Past performance is not indicative of future results. You cannot invest directly in an index. All references to tax or legal matters are provided for informational purposes only. You should consult your legal or tax professional regarding your specific situation. All investing is subject to risk, including possible loss of principal.
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