Becker Business Podcast: The Magnificent Seven — Episode Summary (October 27, 2025)

Host: Scott Becker
Theme: An insightful review of the performance and highlights of the "Magnificent Seven" tech giants, with updates on their year-to-date stock performance and market capitalization.

Episode Overview

Scott Becker offers a concise, data-driven update on the state of the "Magnificent Seven" — the leading tech stocks — as of late October 2025. The episode covers individual stock performance, market capitalization, and personal investment reflections, providing business listeners with actionable insights on these influential companies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Performance of the Magnificent Seven (00:12-01:20)

• Apple (AAPL):

  • Year-to-date: Up almost 5%
  • Continues stable growth but comparatively modest against its peers.

• Microsoft (MSFT):

  • Year-to-date: Up 24%
  • Noteworthy as one of the few Magnificent Seven stocks held directly in Becker's portfolio.

• Google/Alphabet (GOOGL):

  • Year-to-date: Up 33%
  • Strong performance, reflecting Alphabet’s continued market dominance.

• Amazon (AMZN):

  • Year-to-date: Up 2.2%
  • Becker notes this is the lowest performer among the group, and he holds it directly in his portfolio.

• Tesla (TSLA):

  • Year-to-date: Up 7.4%
  • Car sales have increased, “even though profits did not.” Shows potential movement in the right direction.

• Meta Platforms (META, Facebook):

  • Year-to-date: Up 26%
  • Robust growth; Becker reflects on wishing he held more directly.

• Nvidia (NVDA):

  • Year-to-date: Up 38%
  • The standout performer in the set. Again, Becker laments not investing directly.

2. Market Capitalization Update (01:21-01:40)

• Nvidia: $4.53 trillion
• Apple: $3.9 trillion
• Microsoft: $3.89 trillion
  • “Those are the big three of the Magnificent Seven and fascinating.” (Scott Becker, 01:38)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On personal investing philosophy:

  • “Microsoft is one of the few Magnificent Seven stocks that we hold in our portfolio directly. We of course wish we held some of the others and more of them.” (Scott Becker, 00:30)

• Regarding Amazon’s modest gains:

  • “Amazon, which we do hold directly, is the least performing of the Magnificent Seven. It's literally up 2.2% year to date.” (Scott Becker, 00:48)

• Reflection on missing out on gains:

  • “Meta platforms, Facebook and Nvidia, two companies we also wish we held directly. Of course, I’m too smart for my own good and keep on going into index funds.” (Scott Becker, 01:03)

• On the current state of the market titans:

  • “Nvidia starts the day Monday at $4.53 trillion, Apple at $3.9 trillion and Microsoft closed on Friday at $3.89 trillion. Those are the big three of the Magnificent Seven and fascinating.” (Scott Becker, 01:32-01:38)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:12 — Introduction to the Magnificent Seven and rationale for discussion
• 00:30 — Individual year-to-date performance breakdowns
• 01:12 — Market capitalization snapshot for Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft
• 01:38 — Reflections on investment decisions and final thoughts

Takeaways

• The Magnificent Seven remain the primary drivers of stock market performance in 2025, with Nvidia leading in both growth and market value.
• Despite the temptation to diversify, direct investment in several of these giants would have outperformed traditional index-based approaches this year.
• Scott Becker’s candid reflections on his own strategy serve as a gentle reminder of the perennial challenge: hindsight in investing.

For business and investment professionals looking for a quick, honest update on the stock market’s biggest players, this episode provides clear numbers and refreshing transparency.