The bottom line

The big six tech companies

By the middle of 2013, just six technology companies—Apple, Microsoft, Google, Cisco, Oracle, and Qualcomm—together held more than a quarter of the $1.5 trillion held by U.S. nonfinancial corporations.

Slate.com

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Third-party sellers at Amazon

Amazon’s revenue has increased by at least 25 percent each year since 2008, largely due to the rapid growth of third-party sellers using Amazon’s website to peddle their products. Fees from such third parties make up almost one fifth of the company’s revenue.

The Wall Street Journal

Starbucks's gift cards

Starbucks customers loaded $4 billion onto the coffee chain’s gift cards in 2013, including $1.4 billion in the last quarter alone. The cards now represent more than 30 percent of the company’s U.S. transactions, and 10 percent of American adults received one over the holidays.

Qz.com

Divorce rate plunges during recession

The divorce rate among women plunged during the recession—from 2.09 percent in 2008 to 1.95 in 2009, according to a study from the University of Maryland. But the figure has inched back up—to 1.98 percent in 2010 and 2011—as the economy has recovered and couples can better afford to split up.

Los Angeles Times

Small business owners and the minimum wage

Almost half of small business owners surveyed said they don’t support raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10, while 44 percent said they endorse the idea. More than a quarter said hiking the minimum wage to $10.10 would force them to cut back on employees or hours, but 95 percent agreed that the current rate is not a living wage.

CNN.com