AnalytixInsight

Last week, Dow Jones gained 1.3%, S&P 500 rose 1.5%, and Nasdaq composite was up 1%. Next week, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Apple will all report earnings. Comments on AI monetization and capital spending will likely set the tone for large tech stocks, and the broader market. Several prominent companies moved toward IPOs amid rising investor optimism. Figma set its IPO price range between US$25-$28 per share, targeting a valuation around US$16 billion, slightly below Adobe’s earlier US$20 billion bid. Crypto custody firm BitGo and tax software provider Avalara both confidentially filed for IPOs, signaling renewed confidence in public market conditions. Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman echoed this sentiment, citing strong performance by recent large-cap listings, including Chime and CoreWeave, as driving optimism through 2026. The AI sector attracted significant financings as AI startups raised US$104 billion in the first half of 2025, driven by OpenAI’s historic US$40 billion round and Meta’s US$14.3 billion investment in Scale AI. OpenAI also revealed itself as the client behind Oracle’s massive US$30 billion annual data-center services contract, underpinning its ambitious Stargate project. Alphabet significantly raised its capital expenditure forecast due to growing Cloud demand, and Tesla reported weaker-than-expected quarterly results as vehicle sales declined. Lastly, ServiceNow impressed investors with strong quarterly revenue growth fueled by increased adoption of AI-enhanced solutions, lifting its share price over 7%. Amazon acquired wearable AI startup Bee, highlighting ongoing interest in conversational AI, and Jeff Bezos is reportedly exploring acquiring CNBC. In Canada, Sophic Client, Cybeats Technologies announced a $3 million financing through a Beacon Securities-led LIFE offering, and Boardwalktech closed the second tranche of a private placement raising a total of around $750K. XTAO, successfully raised $31 million from digital-asset venture capitalists and commenced trading on the TSXV.

Last week, Dow Jones declined less than 0.1%, S&P 500 rose 0.6%, and Nasdaq composite gained 1.5%. Investors aggressively allocated funds into U.S. tech stocks at the fastest rate in 16 years, despite geopolitical tensions and market volatility. Nvidia became the first company to reach a valuation of US$4 trillion. Crypto asset manager Grayscale confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO, following Circle’s successful public debut. Elon Musk suggested Tesla shareholders would vote on whether to invest in his AI initiative, xAI, after reports surfaced regarding SpaceX’s planned US$2 billion investment into the same entity. Uber unveiled plans for significant investments in Lucid Motors and Nuro, collaborating on the deployment of over 20,000 robotaxis by 2026. Apple committed a US$500 million investment toward rare earth magnet production, partnering with MP Materials. Meta Platforms announced expansive multi-gigawatt data center projects in Ohio and Louisiana. Robinhood reported that nearly half of its new coding is generated by AI tools, highlighting swift adoption in software engineering. The past few weeks saw a revival of financing announcements in the Canadian innovation sector totalling nearly $200 million following an extended period of low activity. Sophic Capital client Kraken Robotics successfully completed a $115 million bought deal. BTQ Technologies closed a $40 million brokered LIFE financing. Volatus Aerospace announced two separate fully subscribed LIFE offerings totaling $15 million. Gatekeeper Systems (GSI-TSXV) initiated a $10 million bought deal private placement. Sophic client Plurilock Security secured a major $2.54 million AI cybersecurity contract with a NASDAQ-listed enterprise and was named a Certified Services Partner by global cybersecurity leader Forcepoint. EMERGE Commerce’s newly acquired golf brand Tee 2 Green (T2G) exceeded expectations, achieving 34% revenue growth and rapidly surpassing its upfront acquisition cost, reflecting robust synergies and targeted marketing execution. The Company also issued a positive Q2 pre-announcement, and held an investor update call.

Last week, markets held up narrowly in the face of ongoing geopolitical tensions, Fed meeting and triple witching Friday. Dow Jones was up fractionally, S&P 500 lost 0.15%, Nasdaq composite was up 0.2%. Global IPO activity has remained sluggish, with volumes down about 9.3% year-on-year to US$44.3 billion, driven by uncertainty from tariffs, volatility, and rising interest rates. Despite this, Asian markets, particularly China and Japan, showed strength, with CATL’s US$4.6 billion IPO marking the largest globally this year. Goldman Sachs resumed SPAC underwriting, reflecting easing regulatory pressures in the U.S., while crypto billionaire Justin Sun’s Tron announced plans to go public via a reverse merger with SRM Entertainment. Coinbase and Circle surged following the U.S. Senate’s passage of the landmark GENIUS Act to regulate stablecoins, boosting investor confidence in digital assets. Coinbase rose 16%, and Circle jumped 30%, significantly outperforming payment giants Visa and Mastercard, whose stocks fell amid concerns over potential disruptions from stablecoins. JPMorgan will launch a Dollar token on Coinbase’s blockchain. Meanwhile, major tech developments included Apple’s internal discussions on acquiring AI search startup Perplexity, valued at US$14 billion, and Elon Musk’s xAI burning US$1 billion monthly as it aggressively builds its AI models. Meta expanded its smart-glasses collaboration to Prada and Oakley brands, underscoring its wearable tech ambitions. Microsoft prepared for thousands more layoffs primarily in its sales division, continuing a broader restructuring strategy. In Canada, Sophic Capital client, Kraken Robotics announced a substantial $100 million bought-deal financing to accelerate global expansion, acquisitions, and bolster its balance sheet, highlighting its transition into a prime global contractor. Boardwalktech raised ~$400K through a non-brokered private placement, strengthening its financial position. Cybeats highlighted a major market inflection point as the EU formally adopted mandatory SBOM data exchange requirements, positioning Cybeats to capitalize significantly across 27 EU countries.

Last week, as geopolitical tensions resurfaced once again, Dow Jones fell 1.3%, S&P 500 index lost 0.4%, and Nasdaq composite was down 0.6%. Voyager Technologies’ IPO surged 82%, reflecting strong investor appetite for space technology stocks. Crypto exchange Bullish confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO, continuing the trend set by Circle’s recent blockbuster debut. Meta finalized a substantial US$14.3 billion investment in Scale AI to accelerate superintelligence development. Databricks projected reaching US$3.7 billion annual revenue. Qualcomm announced it would acquire semiconductor firm Alphawave Semi for US$2.4 billion to bolster its data center capabilities, while DoorDash acquired Symbiosys for US$175 million to enhance its ad technology platform. OpenAI, despite competition, opted to rent chips from Google Cloud to expand its AI computing capabilities. OpenAI claims to have hit US$10 billion in annual revenue, and according to Sam Altman, AI will be able to have ‘novel insights’ next year. Nvidia’s CEO confidently predicted competitors’ AI chip projects would likely be canceled given Nvidia’s accelerating innovation. A more than two-fold gain in CoreWeave’s shares since the end of April has saddled short sellers with US$1.6 billion in paper losses. Snap plans to sell AR glasses in 2026. Walmart, Amazon, Expedia and other companies have explored whether to issue their own stablecoins in the US. Shopify announced it will be integrating stablecoin payments through partnerships with Coinbase and Stripe, marking a significant crypto expansion slated to roll out widely later this year. Thinkific announced a $13 million secondary share offering. In news pertaining to Sophic Capital clients, Boardwalktech renewed a key multi-year agreement with a major U.S. bank, expanding the use of its Velocity product, which has demonstrated strong ROI potential, further attracting other banks including entering proof-of-concept stages in Mexico.