Watson's Daily

Tuesday 05/05/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we consider the latest war developments and impact, China builds soft power, Putin tightens his security, Starmer remains defiant and the Trump crypto venture fights back. In BUSINESS & CONSUMER TRENDS, UK goods exports haven't recovered,…

Friday 01/05/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we see the latest war developments and consequences, US GDP bounces back and stocks hit record highs, Trump drops scotch tariffs, the ECB and BoE keep rates unchanged and oil companies are having another look at…

Thursday 30/04/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, oil surges again, the Fed leaves rates unchanged, Trump's golden visa fails to excite and there are rumours of a cabinet reshuffle. In TECH NEWS, Big Tech spending plans keep growing and Google expresses pride about…

Wednesday 29/04/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the UAE leaves OPEC, more winners and losers from the war emerge, Trump fights back, Germany accelerates defence spending, Starmer bats away a Mandelson probe, Reeves talks rents and Abu Dhabi is to make big investments…

Tuesday 28/04/26

In IN BIG PICTURE NEWS, Charles does America, Merz criticises Trump, central banks look poised to do nothing, Canada launches a sovereign wealth fund, global oil stockpiles get depleted and Shell does a big deal. In TECH NEWS, China blocks…

Monday 27/04/26

In IN BIG PICTURE NEWS, the Iran war continues to reverberate, another person takes a pop at Trump and the UK government faces tricky times. In BUSINESS TRENDS, UK high streets rebound and more hospitality venues close. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS,…

Friday 24/04/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the UK's public sector borrowing climbed in March, business activity increased, prediction markets create a kerfuffle, BP gets push-back and there's more to oil prices. In EMPLOYMENT NEWS, Meta, Microsoft, Nike and KPMG all announce job…

Thursday 23/04/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the war drags on, Russia's facing a banking crisis, Putin moves to shut down a major pipeline to Germany and the EU rethinks drilling in the Arctic. In BUSINESS & CONSUMER TRENDS, UK firms keep going…

Wednesday 22/04/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we see the latest developments and fallout from the war, Kevin Warsh promises not to be a sock puppet, Starmer's authority continues to weaken and UK unemployment falls unexpectedly. In AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, China looks at spreading…

Tuesday 21/04/26

In IN BIG PICTURE NEWS, oil jumps and markets fall back, US refiners benefit from the war, China sends warships to the Pacific, Japan OKs ban on weapons exports, South Korea's in a pickle, Maga's war chest builds, Trump's Labour…

Monday 20/04/26

In IN BIG PICTURE NEWS, the war drags on, economists say the UK will "flirt" with recession, there's a push to get EU deals in steel and EVs, Starmer can't shake off the Mandelson problem and banks meet with Reeves…

Friday 17/04/26

In IN BIG PICTURE NEWS, Trump dishes out the threats again, NHS drug shortages loom, China's Q1 GDP grows pace accelerates, the UK government is still under pressure and the silver market looks poised. In BUSINESS TRENDS & EMPLOYMENT NEWS,…

Thursday 16/04/26

In IN BIG PICTURE NEWS, Trump dishes out the threats again, NHS drug shortages loom, China's Q1 GDP grows pace accelerates, the UK government is still under pressure and the silver market looks poised. In BUSINESS TRENDS & EMPLOYMENT NEWS,…

Wednesday 15/04/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we see the latest war developments and repercussions while BP reorganises for the future. In CONSUMER NEWS, we look at spending changes and olive oil accusations. In TECH NEWS, Amazon ups the ante with SpaceX and…

Tuesday 14/04/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the war continues, Trump has a bad day, Carney consolidates, China's exports slow down and we consider the implications of regime change in Hungary. In TECH NEWS, Anthropic really creates a stir, Bain & Co gets…

Monday 13/04/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Hungary gets a new leader, Iran peace talks fail and Brexiters turn one-by-one on Trump. In CONSUMER NEWS, we see the impact of the war on the majority and the minority. In FINANCIALS NEWS, optimism among…

Friday 10/04/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Lebanon suffers hell, the Strait stays shut and North Sea oil prices hit a high. In TECH NEWS, Bessent brings in bank CEOs to talk cybersecurity, OpenAI suspends the Stargate UK datacentre project, Khan pressures social…

Thursday 09/04/26

In IN BIG PICTURE NEWS, the US and Iran talk but industries react while the move splits opinion. In CONSUMER-RELATED NEWS, Constellation Brands suffers a revenue slide, petrol prices won't get back to normal for a while and UK house…

Wednesday 08/04/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, there's a ceasefire but the impact from the Iran war persists while Trump backs Orbán and Vietnam swears in its most powerful leader. In BUSINESS TRENDS, carmakers increasingly eye a defence pivot, EV sales hit a…

Tuesday 07/04/26

In IN BIG PICTURE NEWS, Trump threatens, Iran keeps attacking, Ukraine's drones limit Russia's oil windfall and we consider Britain's defences. In BUSINESS & INVESTMENT TRENDS, SMEs are to suffer the brunt of energy cost rises, new Rayner laws kick…

Thursday 02/04/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we see Trump's latest outbursts on the war, Hormuz as inspiration for China and prospects for gold. In UK CONSUMER NEWS, there are tough times ahead for mortgages and food prices. In TECH NEWS, Intel buys…

Wednesday 01/04/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we consider the latest war developments and impact, Trump's domestic woes, Italy's decision to carry on with coal and the dire state of investment in the UK economy by British companies. In M&A AND FUND-RAISING NEWS,…

Tuesday 31/03/26

In WAR DEVELOPMENTS, Iran soldiers on while Trump makes more demands, the UK is to receive its last tanker of jet fuel and wealth managers come to the rescue. In WAR IMPACT NEWS, the IMF states the obvious, the war…

Monday 30/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we see the latest developments, reactions and consequences of the war. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, there's good news on solid state batteries, bad news on UK charging points and scepticism surrounding VW's switch to bombs. In BUSINESS…

Friday 27/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the war drags on, the impact grows and the Trump administration gets blocked from punishing Anthropic. In BUSINESS TRENDS, banks face down Iran, AI and private credit, UBS gates a big property fund and a European…

Thursday 26/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Putin rakes it in, we consider more war impact, UK inflation held steady, the government rebuffs Chinese investment and there's bad news for Reform UK. In TECH NEWS, Meta and Google are liable, UK iPhone users…

Wednesday 25/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Trump talks a good game, Iran allows some ships through the Strait, Canada and Norway mobilise, Meloni faces challenges and Denmark has a dilemma. In BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, Millennium looks at quitting Dubai for Jersey, VW…

Tuesday 24/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Trump gets contradicted, Cuba's on the horizon, economists differ on UK inflation prospects, the government reviews free childcare thresholds and ministers reject the idea of raising oil and gas production. In BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, the war…

Monday 23/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we consider Iran developments and implications, Trump's ICE moves and legal actions, Starmer trying to sort the cost of living crisis, HMRC on returnees and France's right seeing a mixed reaction. In TECH NEWS, OpenAI says…

Friday 20/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we look at more war developments and consequences as the Bank of England keeps rates on hold. In EMPLOYMENT NEWS, JPMorgan goes all Big Brother, HSBC looks like it's going to swing the axe and UK…

Thursday 19/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we see the latest on the war and the repercussions, the Fed keeps rates unchanged, economists raise UK inflation forecasts and the UK is to double steel tariffs. In TECH NEWS, Deezer fights AI fraud, PwC's…

Wednesday 18/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Trump lashes out at Starmer, Takaichi is set for a meeting, the administration sees a big resignation and we see the latest consequences of the Iran war. In TECH NEWS, Nvidia is restarting chips to China,…

Tuesday 17/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Trump delays the China summit, threatens Cuba and his allies, Iran gets a windfall, the IEA considers releasing more oil, US shale producers are unmoved and BA cancels Dubai flights until the summer. In EMPLOYMENT NEWS,…

Monday 16/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Trump bandies about the threats again, oil continues to be problematic, war repercussions continue but China's economy rebounds. In CONSUMER NEWS, Starmer promises energy support, UK housing costs shoot up and we see how wealth taxes…

Friday 13/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we see the latest on the war and the consequences while the US deepens tariff investigations and Canada announces Arctic military investment. In CAR NEWS, Rivian readies for an important moment, Lucid is to launch three…

Thursday 12/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we look at the reaction and ongoing impact of the Iran war, the tariffs that just won't go away and US inflation. In BUSINESS TRENDS, warehouses are back in demand, Cliffwater becomes the latest private credit…

Wednesday 11/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the war drags on, Reeves looks to protect households and Lammy's jury plan gets the OK. In TECH NEWS, Oracle reassures and Nvidia's boss advises non-tecchies to become plumbers. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, the Dutch could give…

Tuesday 10/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, I bring you the latest developments on the Iran war and news of China's big surge in exports. In TECH NEWS, Anthropic sues the Pentagon, Microsoft adds Anthropic's AO models to Copilot and SoftBank's bet on…

Monday 09/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Iran picks a new leader, Trump's still on the offensive, the world reacts, China consumer prices rise and the UK gets impacted. In TECH NEWS, KKR looks at selling a data centre cooling company, Samsung seeks…

Friday 06/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we look at the latest war developments and impact, Trump fires Noem, US states sue the administration and UK ministers talk about how to mitigate energy price rises. In TECH NEWS, Anthropic stays positive, Nvidia curtails…

Thursday 05/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we see ongoing effects of the war in Iran, China sets its lowest growth target in decades, the EU gets inclusive, Anthropic has talks with the Pentagon, Trump suggests "PR help" with datacentres and crypto surges.…

Wednesday 04/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we see the latest on Iran and the impact, Reeves announces the Spring Statement, Trump slags off Starmer and the DoJ fights back. In PRIVATE CREDIT & PREDICTION MARKETS NEWS, Blue Owl continues to slide, Polymarket…

Tuesday 03/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we look at the latest developments in Iran, the reaction, consequences and OpenAI's push-back, Trump's law firm U-turn and France's offer. In INVESTMENT-RELATED NEWS, private credit goes down, AI poses risks for shadow banking, Modella looks…

Monday 02/03/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we look what's going on in Iran and the implications as UK business and consumer confidence gets knocked. In EMPLOYMENT-RELATED NEWS, the mood in Amazon gets tricky and South Korea looks to bring in foreign workers.…

Friday 27/02/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, a nuclear fusion start-up wins state backing, green power causes earthquakes in Cornwall and Oxford Street's going to get pedestrianised. In BUSINESS & CONSUMER TRENDS, over 900 legal challenges over tariffs get unleashed, private credit has…

Thursday 26/02/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the US has a blip, traders look for the next trade, UK military spending won't hit target, UK house price bunching occurs and Engie buys UK Power Networks. In AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, VW wants to be Europe's…

Wednesday 25/02/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, TWall Street recovers but tech companies are forced to think, Trump drones on, Hegseth threatens and Reeves aims to bore everyone. In INVESTMENT NEWS, biotech M&A looks likely, Paramount's new bid could be tempting and Meta…

Tuesday 24/02/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Trump tariffs proceed unabated, markets react, World Liberty's stablecoin is attacked and Panama switches canal ports control. In EMPLOYMENT-RELATED NEWS, UK unemployment looks set to rise, young and low earners fall behind and the HR sector…

Monday 23/02/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we see the latest developments in the Middle East, Trump tariffs after the Supreme Court decision and rare earths. In BUSINESS & EMPLOYMENT TRENDS, China overtakes the US for Germany, Canada's retail sales rise, consultancies look…

Friday 20/02/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Trump threatens Iran, has a crypto bash at Mar-a-Lago and is about to offer up a way for Brits to bypass online safety laws while Repsol aims to triple oil output. In BUSINESS, CONSUMER & EMPLOYMENT…

Thursday 19/02/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we see Trump push-back, progress for Carney, Lagarde's plan and falling UK inflation. In EMPLOYMENT & CONSUMER-RELATED NEWS, ministers consider slowing down the minimum wage plans, a City law firm uses an AI chatbot to choose…

Wednesday 18/02/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Trump blames the US consumer protection agency for high prices, Japan plans big US investments and Rheinmetall wins in Italy. In EMPLOYMENT NEWS, UK unemployment hits a new high and it's particularly hard on young people…

Tuesday 17/02/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the Fed looks to boost mortgage lending, Starmer makes another U-turn and looks to accelerate defence spending while rising gold prices force unusual action. In BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT & CONSUMER TRENDS, EU cross-border banking deals jump, Goldman…

Monday 16/02/26

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Trump plans to roll back some tariffs, US companies jack up prices, Canada shifts away from American manufacturers and Swiss companies moan about their strengthening currency. In TECH NEWS, the US military is rumoured to have…