Core Insights - The Optimist Fund achieved a return of +9.1% in Q3 2025, significantly outperforming its benchmark [5] - The fund's year-to-date return stands at 44.5%, compared to the benchmark's 11.1% [5] - The fund anticipates continued growth opportunities over the next three and a half years, similar to recent performance [4] Fund Performance - The fund's performance over various periods shows significant volatility, with a notable recovery from a -51.4% return in 2022 to 82.9% in 2023 [5] - Compound returns as of September 30, 2025, indicate strong performance across 1-year (61.2%), 2-year (65.6%), and 3-year (61.9%) periods [5] Top Contributors - **Wayfair**: Revenue increased by approximately 5% year-over-year to $3.27 billion, marking its fastest growth since Q1 2021. Adjusted EBITDA reached $205 million, indicating a margin above 6% for the first time since Q2 2021 [7][8][9] - **ThredUp**: Revenue rose 16% year-over-year to $77.7 million, with adjusted EBITDA increasing by around 100%. Active buyers grew by 17% to 1.47 million [10][11][12] - **Carvana**: Retail units sold increased by 41% year-over-year to 143,280 vehicles, with total revenue rising 42% to $4.84 billion. Adjusted EBITDA reached $601 million, reflecting a 12.4% margin [13][14][15] Top Detractors - **Monday.com**: Despite a 27% increase in revenue, the company reduced its second-half 2025 revenue guidance due to weaker performance marketing trends, causing investor concerns [20][21][22] - **Fiverr**: Results were below expectations, leading to a reduction in position size despite maintaining an attractive risk/reward profile [25][26] Portfolio Composition - The top 10 holdings comprise approximately 85% of the portfolio, including ThredUp, Monday.com, Carvana, Uber, Wayfair, DoorDash, First Advantage, Fiverr, Latham Group, and Medpace [27] Notable Changes - The fund exited positions in HelloFresh and Revolve due to management changes and reduced confidence in growth prospects, reallocating capital to more promising opportunities [29][30] Company Insights - **Medpace**: A leading contract research organization (CRO) focused on small and mid-sized biotech companies, showing strong revenue growth of 14.2% year-over-year to $603.3 million [31][18][35] - The company has a disciplined capital allocation strategy, with a history of share repurchases during market downturns, enhancing long-term growth potential [34][35]

The new Service Management features amplify traditionally underrepresented offerings provided by equipment dealersCHICAGO, Oct. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Machinio, a Liquidity Services (NASDAQ: LQDT) company and one of the leading global online platforms for buying and selling machinery and equipment, is introducing service-specific features to enhance its Machinio System platform. These features will support the service side of their customers' businesses in tandem with the existing machinery sales plat ...

PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Upwork Inc. (Nasdaq: UPWK), the world’s human and AI-powered work marketplace, today announced that it will report its financial results for the third quarter of 2025 on Monday, November 3, 2025 after market close. The company will host a Q&A conference call to discuss these results at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on the same day. A live webcast of the call will be available on the Upwork Investor Relations website at investors.upwork.c ...

Core Viewpoint - Fiverr International (FVRR) has experienced a bearish trend recently, losing 5.8% over the past week, but the formation of a hammer chart pattern suggests a potential trend reversal as buying interest may be increasing [1][2]. Technical Analysis - The hammer chart pattern indicates a possible bottoming out, with reduced selling pressure, suggesting that bulls may be gaining control [2][5]. - A hammer pattern typically forms when a stock opens lower, makes a new low, but then closes near its opening price, indicating a potential reversal in a downtrend [4][5]. - The effectiveness of the hammer pattern is enhanced when used alongside other bullish indicators, as its strength is dependent on its placement on the chart [6]. Fundamental Analysis - There has been a notable upward trend in earnings estimate revisions for FVRR, which is a bullish indicator, as these revisions are strongly correlated with near-term stock price movements [7]. - Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased by 5.7%, indicating that analysts expect better earnings than previously predicted [8]. - FVRR holds a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), placing it in the top 5% of over 4,000 ranked stocks, which typically outperform the market [9][10].

Diy13/iStock via Getty Images Dear Partner: Liberty Park Fund, LP’s value increased by 1.13%, net of fees, in the third quarter of 2025 vs. a 12.40% increase in the Russell 2000. The 14.42% increase in our long positions contributed 12.38% on a weight-adjusted basis, while the 18.60% increase in our shorts detracted 10.85% on a weight-adjusted basis. Gross exposure averaged 142.48%. Net exposure averaged 33.61%. Gross Pure Alpha[1] — our proprietary measure of returns generated from stock selection — wa ...

Core Insights - 58% of businesses will prioritize AI proficiency and understanding when hiring freelancers in the next three months [1] - The freelance economy generates an estimated $1.5 trillion in annual earnings, highlighting its significance in the U.S. labor market [1][11] - Companies are increasingly hiring for uniquely human skills to ensure AI investments yield quality outcomes and business value [2][9] Hiring Trends - Demand for translation and localization services grew by 29% as businesses seek human oversight to address AI "workslop" [3][6] - Digital marketing contracts increased by 9% as companies adapt their strategies in the age of AI and generative search [4][6] - Project management roles among small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) surged by 102% as firms prepare for annual planning [5][6] Skills Demand - The top 10 most in-demand AI-related skills include virtual assistance, content writing, and video editing, indicating a shift towards leveraging AI to enhance human roles rather than replace them [9][15] - Quality assurance testing grew by 9%, reflecting the need for human involvement in validating AI outputs [6] - 39% of businesses cite a lack of trust in AI's accuracy as a barrier to implementing AI solutions [6] Future Outlook - 53% of businesses anticipate hiring freelance digital marketers in the next three months, indicating a strong demand for marketing expertise [6] - 35% of businesses expect to hire freelance project managers, further emphasizing the growing importance of project management in an AI-enabled economy [6][7]

Etsy is leveraging artificial intelligence to reignite growth across its platform, a decision that has caused significant volatility in its stock price. Etsy Stock price surges 12% after AI deal. Analysts say enthusiasm overdone; stock plummets 11% on Sept. 30. Etsy promises innovations for product discoverability. On Monday, OpenAI announced a partnership with Etsy, a business-to-customer global online marketplace. The deal enables U.S. ChatGPT users to shop directly with Etsy  (ETSY) sellers in the ...

Artsy, an online art marketplace, says that Indian artists saw the largest surge in demand on their site in 2024. Prices are rising as well https://t.co/sjtMCrC7uO ...

Core Viewpoint - The United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia has ruled in favor of Outdoor Holding Company, confirming GunBroker.com’s status as an online marketplace and validating its policies to protect third-party intellectual property rights [1][2]. Group 1: Legal Outcome - The court granted summary judgment in a contributory trademark infringement case brought by Microtech Knives, Inc. against GunBroker.com [1][2]. - The ruling concluded that GunBroker.com met its obligations to protect intellectual property once notified of potential infringements [1][2]. Group 2: Company Statements - CEO Steve Urvan expressed satisfaction with the court's recognition of GunBroker.com as an online marketplace, similar to platforms like eBay and Etsy, emphasizing the effectiveness of the company's policies [2]. - The decision is expected to eliminate unnecessary legal costs and distractions, allowing the company to focus on growth as a dedicated online marketplace for firearms and outdoor enthusiasts [2]. Group 3: Company Overview - Outdoor Holding Company, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, operates GunBroker.com, the largest online marketplace for firearms and related products [3]. - GunBroker.com facilitates sales by third-party sellers and adheres to federal and state laws governing the sale of firearms and restricted items [3].

Group 1 - StubHub Holdings Inc. (NYSE:STUB) experienced a significant recovery, rising 7.98% to close at $18.80 after a three-day losing streak, driven by investor bargain-hunting [1][3] - The company recently went public, raising $800 million from the issuance of 34 million shares, with plans to use the proceeds to pay down debt and for general corporate purposes [2][3] - Founded in 2000, StubHub operates as an online marketplace for buying and selling tickets for live events [3] Group 2 - Despite the recovery, there is a belief that some AI stocks may offer greater potential for higher returns and limited downside risk compared to StubHub [4]