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In today’s edition,
- Toys get a neural upgrade
- Stadiums fuel stays
- Beauty plugs into silicon
- Yield beats gold
Market Snapshot
Stock market closing data for the week of June 9th to June 13th, 2025
U.S. stocks ended the week lower as early gains from easing inflation data were undone by rising geopolitical tensions. The Dow Jones fell 1.38% to 42,197.79, the Nasdaq dropped 0.85% to 19,406.83, and the S&P 500 slipped 0.46% to 5,976.97. Mid and small-cap indexes performed worse, with the S&P MidCap 400 and Russell 2000 both down over 1.4%.
Markets gained through Thursday, supported by softer-than-expected inflation and optimism around U.S.–China trade talks. Comments from U.S. officials suggesting flexibility on tariff pauses added to the positive sentiment.
However, momentum reversed sharply on Friday after Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, prompting a retaliatory response from Iran. The resulting spike in oil prices pushed energy stocks higher but weighed on broader markets, erasing earlier gains.
Inflation data released midweek helped initially. May CPI rose 0.1%, below the 0.3% forecast. Year-over-year, CPI came in at 2.4%, and core inflation held steady at 2.8%, both under expectations. The data briefly supported hopes for a more patient Fed, but geopolitical risk ultimately dominated market direction by week’s end.
News Summaries
Mattel (MAT) is working with OpenAI to explore how artificial intelligence can bring new life to its iconic brands like Barbie, Hot Wheels, and even Polly Pocket by using AI tools to design smarter, more interactive products. The partnership, still in its early phase, could lead to toys that respond more intelligently or digital assistants that reflect the personalities of Mattel characters. Talks began late last year, and the first product is expected by the end of 2025. This move aligns with Mattel’s broader push to move beyond traditional toys into content and digital experiences, while OpenAI continues its strategy of collaborating with IP-rich firms to ground its technology in real-world applications. Importantly, Mattel remains in full control of its products, and is not licensing its IP just using AI as a creative and development tool. The logic is simple: if AI can help reimagine games like Uno or Magic 8 Ball and create new forms of play without compromising brand ownership, then it becomes a tool of competitive advantage rather than risk.
L’Oréal is stepping up its AI game by partnering with Nvidia to make two core parts of its business faster and more effective that is content creation and product recommendations. Its in-house platform, CreAItech, already uses models like Stable Diffusion, Imagen and Firefly to turn 3D product renders into realistic images and videos for marketing. But as everything runs on Nvidia GPUs, adding Nvidia’s AI microservices now helps the whole system run smoother and scale better. At the same time, L’Oréal is also rolling out a new recommendation engine for its tech-first beauty startup Noli, built with Accenture and powered by the same Nvidia tools. The engine promises sharper, more personalised suggestions based on things like skin type and hair needs something the old system could not handle as precisely. This effectively reflects a broader shift in how beauty products are marketed and sold. With purchase journeys becoming more digital and personal, L’Oréal is making sure its AI stack is ready not just to keep up, but to shape what that future looks like.
Airbnb (ABNB) is partnering with FIFA to offer football fans bookable experiences like training with Tim Howard or attending a match with Cobi Jones as it leans deeper into major global events to boost both guest engagement and host income. With 16 cities hosting the 2026 World Cup, searches on Airbnb have already jumped 15% on average, and up to 50% in cities like Philadelphia. Airbnb estimates that hosts could earn around $3,000 in just two weeks at typical nightly rates. But the strategy is more about structured support. Airbnb is investing $5 million in local infrastructure for host cities, covering logistics like guest guidance, signage, and public upkeep, aiming to build goodwill amid rising global regulatory pushback. It ties into a larger shift for the company: using curated experiences and premium services to generate $1 billion or more in annual revenue beyond rentals. This is like Airbnb’s way of embedding itself into the event economy as a layer that connects demand, experience, and local economic value.
From the World of Crypto
Some analysts now believe Ethereum could eventually become a more widely used corporate treasury asset than Bitcoin.
While that may sound counterintuitive especially given Bitcoin’s reputation as digital gold the thinking is rooted in a practical distinction: Ethereum is not just a store of value, it is also a productive asset.
In simple terms, Ethereum can earn yield. Bitcoin cannot.
Here is what that means. Ethereum runs on a system called proof of stake. When someone stakes ETH, they are locking up their coins to help validate transactions and secure the network.
In return, the network pays out rewards in the form of more ETH.
For companies, this creates a powerful proposition: instead of just holding Ethereum and hoping the price goes up, they can stake it and earn a steady income usually around 3 to 5% annually just by participating in the system.
Think of it like earning interest on a savings account, except it is built into the structure of the Ethereum blockchain itself.
This is a very different dynamic from what we have seen with Bitcoin.
Bitcoin does not have a staking mechanism. It relies on proof of work, which requires mining, an energy-intensive process that is not feasible for most corporations.
Some companies like MicroStrategy have used financial engineering to increase their exposure to Bitcoin, such as taking on debt to buy more BTC. But that requires risk appetite and access to capital markets something not every company is willing or able to do.
Ethereum, on the other hand, allows companies to earn returns without additional financial risk. It is a plug-and-play yield model that fits more naturally into traditional treasury strategies.
That is one reason some investors are paying attention to companies like SharpLink Gaming (SBET), which holds around $425 million in ETH but trades at a $1.87 billion market cap. That is a large premium, but it reflects a shift in thinking that is valuing not just the ETH held, but the potential for that ETH to generate future income through staking.
The bigger picture is this: as corporate finance teams look for smarter ways to hold and grow assets, Ethereum’s ability to generate native yield could make it more attractive than Bitcoin. It is not just about security or scarcity anymore. It is about utility and ETH may be the better tool for a more dynamic balance sheet.
