Jun 25, 2025

Today’s news covered a range of financial topics, including Oak Investment Partners’ success in Circle’s IPO, raising shares valued at over $3 billion despite former general partner Iftikar Ahmed’s insider trading and legal issues. In other news, Halter, a New Zealand company producing smart cow collars for virtual fencing, raised $100 million to expand in the U.S. amid labor shortages in cattle ranches. The ag-tech sector, particularly in robotics and smart field equipment, has shown strength in 2025.

Venture capital deals included Digital Asset raising $135 million, Decagon raising $131 million, ForSight Robotics raising $125 million, Neuron23 raising $96.5 million, and Botpress raising $25 million. Additionally, there were various acquisitions, public offerings, and fundraising activities in the financial sector, with companies like Navan and Wealthfront filing for IPOs, EQT selling Recover, and Illumina acquiring SomaLogic. Notable mergers included C&S; Wholesale Grocers buying SpartanNash for $1.77 billion.

I learned about the planned launch of the Calamos Autocallable Income ETF, aiming to provide stable monthly income through exposure to autocallables. The Permuto Capital MSFT Trust I also caught my attention, offering investors a unique structure with Dividend and Asset Certificates linked to Microsoft Corporation shares. Furthermore, there is a trend of US public companies combining with cryptocurrencies, as well as private equity recruiting being highlighted as a competitive process.

Lastly, the news discussed stock buybacks as a dividend substitute, citing their tax efficiency and flexibility compared to traditional dividends. The debate over whether buybacks are the best use of a company’s capital remains complex, with varying perspectives on their effectiveness in returning cash to shareholders. The financial industry’s dynamic and evolving nature was further illustrated by diverse events such as private fund increases for retail investors, big banks racing to appease Republicans, and US Congress planning a tax cut for private credit investors.

Stay Well!