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We hope you’re having a great week! Thanks for all of the incredible feedback on our first “Rich Habits Radar” Friday Episode of the Rich Habits Podcast!
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A quick breakdown — in case you don’t have the time.
⭐ Earnings reports continue to impress (+15% better than historical averages)
⭐ We sat down w/ Reid Hoffman; one of the most influential minds in tech.
⭐ Corporate America is doubling down on itself.
⭐ Bull markets that make it to their “2nd birthday” usually last at least 5 years.
⭐ Disney struck a landmark deal for NFL media assets.
Market Overview
As of market open, 8/7/2025
Chart of the Week
Earnings reports continue to impress.
We’re currently experiencing one of the strongest earnings seasons in recent memory — possibly the best in years.
Roughly 63% of S&P 500 companies have exceeded earnings expectations by more than one standard deviation, a key metric for measuring significant outperformance. That’s the highest percentage in the last four years, signaling broad-based strength across sectors.
To put it in perspective, the long-term historical average for this level of earnings surprise is just 48%, making this quarter’s performance stand out even more. And if you set aside the unusual spike during the immediate post-COVID recovery, this may actually be the most impressive earnings season in at least 25 years.
On the flip side, the number of companies missing earnings by a wide margin has also dropped sharply. Only 10% of firms have fallen short by at least one standard deviation, which is not only well below the long-term average of 13%, but also the lowest miss rate in over a year.
In short, corporate earnings momentum isn’t just good — it’s exceptionally strong right now, reflecting resilient fundamentals even in the face of macro uncertainty.
Just a few months ago the markets were selling off due to Trump’s tariff tantrum — assuming corporate profits would nosedive. However, we’re seeing the opposite. Earnings results have been healthy and broad-based in nature. This is great news for the long-term trajectory of the S&P 500.
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In Case You Missed It…
In this week’s Monday-morning episode of the Rich Habits Podcast (linked here) — Austin and Robert sit down with one of the most influential minds in Silicon Valley: Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, former EVP of PayPal, partner at Greylock, and early investor in Facebook, Airbnb, and Dropbox.
From building billion-dollar companies to shaping the future of tech through venture capital and AI — Reid’s insights are both legendary and deeply practical. This episode is a masterclass in mindset, relationships, and the habits that create long-term wealth.
Here’s what they covered…
The Habit That Built LinkedIn — Reid shared the mindset shift he adopted as a young founder that still guides him today: treat relationships as long-term investments. That belief became the foundation for LinkedIn and shaped his entire approach to entrepreneurship.
The PayPal Years — As EVP of PayPal at just 32, Reid played a key role in strategic partnerships that helped steer the company toward its $1.5B exit. He reflected on one early decision that changed the company’s course — and how that experience later informed his confidence as a VC.
One Connection Away — Reid gave a behind-the-scenes story about how a single conversation — just one meeting — created massive downstream impact in his career. It’s proof that your network really is your net worth.
What Great Founders Have in Common — From pitch decks to personality quirks, Reid explained the unconventional signals he looks for when deciding to back a startup — and shared one huge miss he still thinks about to this day.
Your Founder Toolkit — For aspiring entrepreneurs, Reid laid out the essential “tools” you need before making the leap. Hint: it’s not about having it all figured out — it’s about knowing how to figure things out as you fall.
AI, Adaptability, and the Future — As AI reshapes industries, Reid offered a powerful framework for adapting your habits and career — and why curiosity might just be the most valuable skill of the next decade.
This one is packed with timeless takeaways and future-forward advice.
Here’s a link to the Q&A episode that was posted this morning.
We answered questions from: Reuben, Garrett, Trenton, Tatiana, Michelle, and Riley.
You can submit questions for these episodes by asking them inside of the Rich Habits Network, replying to this email, or sending us a DM on Instagram.
The Rich Habits Podcast is available on Spotify, Apple, iHeart, YouTube, and wherever else you get your content!
Robert’s Callout
Corporate America is doubling down on itself.
Buybacks are making a massive comeback. In July alone, U.S. companies announced a staggering $166 billion in stock buybacks — the highest ever recorded for the month. That shatters the previous July record of $88 billion set back in 2006, marking a dramatic return to shareholder-focused capital allocation.
To put it in perspective, this July's figure is triple the average monthly buybacks from 2021 to 2023, and more than twice the total from July of last year. It's not just a one-off, either — year-to-date buybacks have now reached $926 billion, surpassing the previous record pace of $818 billion set in 2022 by more than $100 billion.
Leading the charge are companies in the financial and technology sectors, signaling strong balance sheets and confidence in long-term growth. As interest rates remain elevated and uncertainty lingers, these firms are opting to return capital directly to shareholders — sending a clear message:
They believe their own stock is the best investment they can make right now.
Warren Buffett once that — “If you do it at the right price, there’s nothing better than buying in your own business.” It’s incredible to see so many American companies that are confident enough to commit more-and-more to their own business’ long-term trajectory.
For shareholders like us, it shows confidence and decreases the circulating supply — two great things!
Austin’s Callout
Bull markets that make it to their “second birthday” usually last at least five years.
The third year of bull markets are typically very volatile and filled with massive swings that cause investors to act with emotion. In 2025 — that’s clearly proven to be the case. Let this chart serve as a reminder that the S&P 500 could have a substantial pullback at any time — but that doesn’t mean a multi-year bull market has to end.
Back in early April, the S&P 500 dropped -12% within a matter of days. Major banks all dropped their year-end price targets — some of them even predicting that the stock market would see negative returns for years to come.
In less than four months, the S&P 500 has risen more than +27% and we’re hovering near all-time highs. You’ll never know for certain when the market is going to boom or bust — but please remember that our trend is up and to the right over time.
Regardless of what happens during the rest of 2025 — we’re thrilled about this incredible, AI-fueled, industrial revolution that we’re experiencing. Being a LONG-TERM investor makes everything a lot more fun!
The Rich Habits Radar
👉 Trump hiked tariffs on India to 50%, citing its Russian oil purchases.
👉 Disney struck a landmark deal for NFL media assets.
👉 GM secured a U.S. rare-earth magnet supply deal via Noveon Magnetics.
👉 OpenAI is reportedly exploring a $500B secondary share sale
👉 Hims & Hers reported an EPS beat by ~13% as revenue climbed +73% YoY.
👉 AMD posted record Q2 revenue (+32% YoY to $7.7B) and upbeat guidance.
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