Core Insights - FTSE Russell recalibrates its U.S. indexes annually to reflect market changes, with the Russell 1000 Index seeing significant additions and exclusions in 2025 [1] - The reconstitution event was marked by a record 2.5 billion shares traded in 0.9 seconds, amounting to $102.4 billion in securities [2] Russell 1000 Additions and Exclusions - The Russell 1000 Index added 37 new constituents, including 19 companies promoted from the Russell 2000 Index and 18 new entrants, with notable IPOs like SailPoint, Inc. and Karman Holdings, Inc. [3] - Core Scientific, Inc. made a significant leap from being a micro-cap stock to entering the Russell 1000 directly [4] - Rivian was added to the Russell 1000, while other EV makers such as Nikola and Lucid were removed, along with green energy company Plug Power and Beyond Meat [5] Market Implications - Understanding the Russell reconstitution is essential for investors, with advice from LPL Financial suggesting patience and awareness of potential volatility due to various economic factors [6]

Core Insights - DraftKings Inc. (DKNG) is outperforming competitors in customer acquisition within the sports betting sector, showcasing strong user growth and retention strategies in Q1 2025 [1][5] Customer Acquisition and Marketing Efficiency - New customer acquisition met expectations, with a notable emphasis on the efficiency of scaling operations, optimizing marketing costs, and benefiting from brand equity and improved promotional targeting [2][4] - The company has achieved better gross margins and EBITDA performance despite facing challenging sports outcomes [2] Product Innovation and Engagement - Over 50% of the total handle in Q1 2025 originated from live betting, marking a significant milestone for DraftKings [3] - Successful integration of acquisitions like SimpleBet and Sports IQ has enhanced real-time wagering capabilities, leading to increased user engagement [3] - There is a notable rise in the adoption of parlay and same-game parlay bets, which are associated with higher structural hold rates [3] Profitability and User Maturity - Despite customer-friendly outcomes reducing actual sportsbook hold to 9.5%, structural hold increased to 10.4%, indicating strengthening profitability [4] - As newly acquired users mature, promotional intensity decreases while contribution profit rises, demonstrating effective management across jurisdictions [4] Competitive Landscape - DraftKings is gaining ground against FanDuel and BetMGM, with recent trends indicating a lead in live betting and product enhancements [6][7] - FanDuel, while still leading in market share, is experiencing pressure as DraftKings narrows the gap through efficient customer acquisition strategies [7] - BetMGM is lagging in sportsbook engagement despite strong iGaming performance, highlighting DraftKings' advantage in product innovation [8] Financial Performance and Valuation - DKNG shares have increased by 30.3% over the past three months, slightly trailing the industry's growth of 31.2% [9] - The company is currently trading at a premium with a forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio of 5.69X [12] - Zacks Consensus Estimates indicate a significant year-over-year earnings growth of 226.7% for 2025 and 61.3% for 2026 [15]

Group 1 - YieldMax® launched the YieldMax® DKNG Option Income Strategy ETF (NYSE Arca: DRAY) to generate current income through options-based strategies on DraftKings, Inc. (DKNG) [1] - DRAY is managed by Tidal Financial Group and does not invest directly in DKNG [1][2] - DRAY is the newest addition to the YieldMax® ETF family, which aims to deliver current income to investors [2] Group 2 - DRAY will be classified as a Group C ETF, with its first distribution expected to be announced on August 20, 2025 [2] - The distribution information for all outstanding YieldMax® ETFs includes various ETFs with different distribution rates and frequencies [3][4] - The YieldMax® ETFs have a gross expense ratio of 0.99%, with some exceptions having different management fees and acquired fund fees [7]

Core Insights - DraftKings is in negotiations to acquire Railbird, a regulated prediction market platform based in New York [1] - Railbird was founded in 2021 by former Point72 analyst Myers Safran and Edward Tian, and received approval from the CFTC in June 2025 to operate as a designated contract market [1] - Railbird's platform allows users to trade event contracts, enabling betting on real-world event outcomes across various sectors, including economic indicators, public policy decisions, weather patterns, entertainment trends, and sports results [1] Company Developments - DraftKings has previously applied for federal approval to operate a prediction market but withdrew the application months later [1] - In the sports betting sector, Flutter Entertainment's FanDuel has reportedly engaged in discussions with Kalshi, a well-known regulated exchange focused on trading future event outcomes [1] Investment Landscape - Railbird's investors include the CEO of SeatGeek and several venture capital firms, indicating strong backing and interest in the prediction market space [1] - The platform aims to cover all 50 states in the U.S., highlighting its ambition to expand its reach and user base [1]

You bought more DraftKings. DraftKings is up 14% in a month. It's great when you can have these midcap, small cap names ride the coattails, but I mean your true investment are in the large cap.It's fun to get into some of these smaller names. We bought DraftKings. To your point, it's up 14%.I like the momentum, but this is like a dualopoly. They have 80% of the market share in combined with um the other name DraftKing and FanDuel. Thank you.Yeah, FanDuel. So 80%. And you've only got 25 states so far for Dra ...

Core Insights - DraftKings Inc. is shifting from a high-growth model to a disciplined, cash-generating business, with 2025 expected to be a pivotal year for the company [1] - The company has reaffirmed its free cash flow target of $750 million, indicating improvements in core business fundamentals such as margin expansion and promotional efficiency [1][5] - Despite short-term volatility from sports outcomes, DraftKings is leveraging strong operational capabilities to pursue long-term cash generation [1] Financial Performance - In Q1 2025, DraftKings reported $103 million in adjusted EBITDA, a significant increase from $22.4 million in the same period last year, despite a $170 million revenue hit from unfavorable sports outcomes [2] - Management anticipates a substantial increase in EBITDA for Q2, projecting it to exceed $200 million, driven by sportsbook handle [2] - The structural sportsbook hold is expected to rise from 10.4% in Q1, contributing to improved net revenue margins in the range of 7-7.5% [3] Margin and Revenue Expectations - DraftKings expects to generate an additional $50 million in revenues and $37 million in EBITDA in 2025 through optimized promotional spending and improved margins [3] - The company forecasts an adjusted gross margin of 46% in 2025, reflecting an increase of over 300 basis points year-over-year [3] Regulatory Environment - The operating environment remains challenging due to regulatory issues, including Maryland's tax hike on sports betting and Jackpocket's exit from digital lottery operations, which together are expected to impact revenues by $30 million and EBITDA by $26 million [4] Capital Discipline - DraftKings is maintaining strong capital discipline, with an expected $100 million gap between adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow, supported by low capital expenditures and controlled working capital [5] - The company has $1.1 billion in cash on its balance sheet, positioning it well to meet its 2025 free cash flow target [5] Stock Performance and Valuation - DraftKings shares have increased by 24% over the past three months, compared to the industry's growth of 40.5% [6] - The stock is currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-sales multiple of 5.31X, significantly higher than the industry average of 3.66X [7] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DraftKings' 2025 earnings per share has been revised upward from $1.40 to $1.46, indicating strong analyst confidence in the stock's near-term prospects [8] - Projections suggest a 239.1% rise in earnings for DraftKings in 2025, while competitors like Accel Entertainment and Boyd Gaming are expected to see declines [10]

Group 1 - Building Benjamins is a free stock picking and market commentary investment newsletter published by Tradition Investment Management, LLC [1] - Benjamin Halliburton, the founder, has a notable background in investment, having founded Tradition Capital Management in 2000 and received multiple accolades for his performance [1] - Halliburton has extensive experience in the investment field, starting his career at Merrill Lynch in 1986 and earning an MBA with a focus on finance from Duke's Fuqua School of Business in 1990 [1] Group 2 - Halliburton was recognized as the top-performing portfolio manager at Brundage, Story and Rose, where his "Disciplined Growth Strategy" outperformed the S&P 500 during the 1990s bull market [1] - He was the youngest partner at his firm and received high praise from senior managing partners for his investment acumen [1]

Core Insights - DraftKings has launched a new Responsible Gaming tool called My Budget Builder, aimed at helping players manage their entertainment budgets across various platforms [1][2] - The tool allows players to set customized limits and reminders for their gaming activities, reflecting DraftKings' commitment to promoting responsible gaming [2][3] Group 1: My Budget Builder Features - My Budget Builder is designed to be intuitive, proactive, and personalized, enabling players to create a gaming budget based on deposit amounts, total wagers, maximum wager size, loss limits, time spent, contest entries, and contest fees [2] - Players can set limits or reminders for a specified duration (e.g., day, week, or month), and while limits can be decreased at any time, they cannot be increased until the selected time period expires [2] Group 2: Commitment to Responsible Gaming - The introduction of My Budget Builder enhances DraftKings' existing Responsible Gaming initiatives, which focus on accessibility, education, and innovation [3] - This new tool complements the previously launched My Stat Sheet, which has recorded over 20 million visits and provides players with insights into their gaming activity [3] Group 3: Company Overview - DraftKings Inc. is a digital sports entertainment and gaming company that operates in various sectors, including daily fantasy sports and regulated gaming [5] - The company is headquartered in Boston and is the only U.S.-based vertically integrated sports betting operator, with operations in 28 states and Ontario, Canada [5]

Company Performance - DraftKings (DKNG) closed at $42.24, reflecting a -1.17% change from the previous day, underperforming the S&P 500 which gained 0.8% [1] - The stock has increased by 22.05% over the past month, outperforming the Consumer Discretionary sector's gain of 4.49% and the S&P 500's gain of 5.12% [1] Earnings Forecast - DraftKings is expected to report an EPS of $0.4, representing a 233.33% increase from the same quarter last year [2] - The projected revenue for the upcoming earnings report is $1.38 billion, up 25.37% from the previous year [2] Annual Estimates - For the entire year, the forecasted earnings are $1.36 per share and revenue is expected to be $6.27 billion, indicating increases of +229.52% and +31.46% respectively compared to the previous year [3] Analyst Sentiment - Recent changes to analyst estimates for DraftKings are important as they reflect short-term business trends, with positive revisions indicating analyst optimism [3] - The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has decreased by 6.67% over the past month, and DraftKings currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [5] Valuation Metrics - DraftKings has a Forward P/E ratio of 31.54, which is higher than the industry average of 19.85, suggesting it is trading at a premium [6] - The company has a PEG ratio of 0.6, compared to the Gaming industry's average PEG ratio of 1.6, indicating a favorable growth expectation relative to its valuation [7] Industry Context - The Gaming industry is part of the Consumer Discretionary sector and currently holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 96, placing it in the top 40% of over 250 industries [7] - The Zacks Industry Rank indicates that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [8]

Regulatory Changes & Impact - Illinois legislature imposed a $050 per wager tax increase, described as "illconceived" [1][2] - The tax increase is set to take effect on September 1st [1] - The company was not warned about the tax increase, which was decided unexpectedly [2][3] Business Strategy & Consumer Behavior - The company intends to pass the $050 tax on to consumers [2] - The company anticipates the tax will drive consumers to illegal markets or encourage them to bet more [2] - The company hopes for public reaction that will lead to reconsideration of the tax [3] Financial Implications - The $050 per wager tax makes it unprofitable for the company to accept small bets (e g, $1, $050, $5, or $10) [2] - The company is implementing the tax pass-through to continue offering its product in Illinois [3]