2025's Best Investment So Far Probably Isn't What You Think

Market Overview - The S&P 500 has shown a year-to-date increase of just under 10%, recovering from a drop of nearly 14% in April due to various market factors [1][2] - Gold has emerged as one of the best-performing assets in 2025, with a year-to-date increase of 36%, significantly outperforming Bitcoin, which is up 21% [2][3] - Newmont Mining's stock has more than doubled year-to-date, making it one of the few S&P 500 constituents to achieve such growth [2] Gold Market Insights - Newmont Mining's profitability remains strong, with production costs significantly lower than the current gold prices, trading at about eight times enterprise value to EBITDA [3] - Market volatility tends to favor gold and similar assets, with factors such as tariff fluctuations and interest rate uncertainties contributing to gold's price increase [4][5] Figma's IPO and Earnings Report - Figma's stock has declined approximately 17% following its earnings report, reflecting concerns over decelerating growth, with revenue growth dropping from 46% at IPO to 41% in the latest quarter, and an expected 33% for the next quarter [8][9] - The net dollar retention rate has also decreased from 132% at IPO to 129%, indicating a slowdown in customer spending growth [8][9] - Figma's valuation remains high at around 26 times expected revenue, raising concerns about future growth sustainability [9][10] Upcoming IPOs - Upcoming IPOs include notable companies such as Gemini, a crypto exchange founded by the Winklevoss Twins, which has innovative products but faces a crowded market [15][16] - Black Rock Coffee Roasters is another company going public, showing strong same-store sales growth but has a complex corporate structure that may not be favorable for minority shareholders [16][17] - Figure Technologies aims to innovate lending using blockchain technology, currently focusing on home equity lines of credit, but faces challenges with accounting weaknesses [17][18]