September 1st, 2025, written by Crazy Miser
Coupang Inc (NYSE: CPNG) is the fastest-growing e-commerce company in South Korea and Taiwan. Coupang's Q2 2025 results showed they're hitting the sweet spot between growth and profitability. They brought in $8.5 billion in revenue, up 16% year-over-year (19% on an FX-neutral basis), and expanded their gross profit to $2.6 billion, a 20% increase. Gross margin also ticked up nearly 80 basis points to 30%, showing real operational improvement. On top of that, operating income jumped to $149 million, a $174 million turnaround from last year, while net income came in at $31 million versus a loss a year ago. Adjusted EBITDA hit $428 million, up about 30% with margins improving to 5%. For a company that's long been all about growth, seeing the profitability side catch up is a big milestone.
The momentum wasn't just in the core numbers. Coupang's Product Commerce segment brought in $7.3 billion (up 14% YoY), with active customers climbing 10% to 23.9 million. Margins improved here too, with gross profit and adjusted EBITDA each growing in the 20-25% range. Meanwhile, their Developing OfSferings-things like Coupang Eats, streaming, fintech, and international operations hit $1.2 billion in revenue, up a huge 33% year-over-year. Taiwan was the star, with "triple-digit" revenue growth quarter-over-quarter and rising loyalty that points to a repeatable playbook for expansion beyond Korea. Yes, reported EPS came in at $0.02 versus $0.07 expected, but the real story is the accelerating growth and stronger unit economics. For investors with a longer view, Coupang looks like it's moving from a "growth at all costs" player to a profitable powerhouse with more than plenty of runway left.
ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ: ASML) is at the heart of the semiconductor world - they make the machines that actually build the most advanced chips. Their Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems are the gold standard for manufacturing cutting-edge processors, giving them a near-monopoly in this space. That dominance shows in the numbers: Q2 2025 net sales were 7.7 billion Euro, up 23% year-over-year, with a 53.7% gross margin. Net income came in at 2.3 billion Euro, or 5.90 Euro per share, and they booked 5.5 billion Euro in new orders, including 2.3 billion Euro for EUV systems - a clear sign that demand for their tech is still extremely strong.
Beyond the headlines, ASML is growing on multiple fronts. Their EUV systems continue to be in high demand, while their DUV systems for slightly older chip nodes are still selling well. They also gave guidance for Q3 2025 net sales of 7.4-7.9 billion Euro and a gross margin of 50-52%, with full-year growth projected at 15% over 2024. While the company noted some uncertainty for 2026 due to macroeconomic factors and potential tariffs, ASML's combination of market dominance, strong revenue growth, and high-margin business makes it a key player in the semiconductor ecosystem and a stock worth watching for the long term.
MongoDB Inc (NASDAQ: MDB) is the leading provider of database solutions, specializing in managing unstructured data for modern applications (NoSQL). Their flagship product, MongoDB Atlas, is a fully managed cloud database service that simplifies data management and scaling for developers. In Q2 2025, MongoDB reported a 24% year-over-year revenue growth, reaching $591.4 million, with $572 million coming from subscription-based services. Atlas experienced a significant uptick, growing 29% year-over-year and now accounting for 74% of total revenue. The company also added 2,800 new customers, bringing the total to over 59,900, highlighting the expanding trust in their offerings.
Looking closer at the numbers, MongoDB is seeing strong momentum in both new customer growth and expansion within existing accounts. Their enterprise customers are increasing usage, driving higher subscription value, while Atlas adoption among smaller developers continues to expand. Gross margins remain healthy at 70%, highlighting the scalability of their cloud-based model, and operating expenses are growing at a controlled pace relative to revenue. With a raised full-year revenue guidance of $2.35 billion and an EPS forecast of $3.69, MongoDB is positioned to continue scaling efficiently. Between the combination of rapid cloud adoption, a growing enterprise footprint, and strong unit economics, MongoDB shows both growth and a path to profitability that makes it appealing for long-term investors.