Watson's Daily

Monday 08/04/24

In MACRO NEWS, Biden gets shirty with China, Aukus may get a new member and the UK looks like it's out of recession. In BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT & CONSUMER TRENDS NEWS, recruitment and starting pay growth lose momentum, flexible working rules…

Friday 05/04/24

In TMT NEWS, LG is downbeat, Samsung is upbeat, a Chinese robot maker is determined, the music industry pushes back against AI, Google's move to charge for AI power could bring cheer for rivals, X dishes out the blue ticks,…

Thursday 04/04/24

In MACRO NEWS, US inflation stays high and might delay our interest rate cuts (which might dent Sunak's bid for re-election), Eurozone inflation falls and more Baltimore repercussions emerge. In MEDIA NEWS, Bob beats Nelson, Paramount enters exclusive talks with…

Wednesday 03/04/24

In MACRO, ENERGY & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, inflation in Germany falls, EU gas storage hits new highs, the Bank of England's forecasting gets an overhaul and UK manufacturing turns around. In CAR NEWS, Tesla disappoints, Xiaomi still has room, used…

Tuesday 02/04/24

In MACRO, ENERGY & COMMODITIES NEWS, another Trump/Biden race looks likely to create more uncertainty, Turkey's Erdogan takes a hit, solar panels get used as fences and coffee prices rise. In TECH & MEDIA NEWS, the US and UK agree…

Thursday 28/03/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the yen hits a new low, more weakness is predicted for Germany and we look at the ongoing effects of the Baltimore bridge disaster. In M&A NEWS, we see that the number of big deals doubles…

Wednesday 27/03/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, US business in China stalls, the Bridge collapse sends shockwaves, Larry warns of a retirement crisis, the French budget deficit is worse than expected, the UK outlook improves and worries increase over China cornering the copper…

Tuesday 26/03/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Balkan leaders talk conscription, the US and UK accuse China of cyber attacks, British energy imports hit a new high, cocoa prices overtake those of copper and bitcoin's rise wakes VCs up. In RETAIL & LEISURE…

Monday 25/03/24

In MACRO NEWS, the US and Japan get very cosy and KPMG predicts 3% interest rates. In INVESTMENT-RELATED NEWS, US investment funds pull big money out of ESG funds, green investment trusts suffer, tech founders sell shares and bitcoin fund…

Friday 22/03/24

In MACRO NEWS, the Bank of England leaves interest rates unchanged, government borrowing is higher than expected, Turkey hikes rates and Milei gets his chainsaw out. In TMT NEWS, Apple faces an antitrust case, Reddit booms on its debut, Warner…

Thursday 21/03/24

In MACRO, BUSINESS & EMPLOYMENT TRENDS NEWS, the Fed sticks to its rate cut plans, Vietnam is in turmoil, the weight-loss drug trend could be big in China and Gen-Z rage-quitting rises. In TECH NEWS, Intel gets money from the…

Wednesday 20/03/24

In MACRO & MINING NEWS, the BoJ's decision provides a boost, UK inflation falls, Hunt hints at an October election, fund managers get bullish, Hong Kong gets a tougher security law and mining giant Vale faces a massive legal action.…

Tuesday 19/03/24

In MACRO & ENERGY-RELATED NEWS, the Bank of Japan goes crazy, China's industrial production rises, the Eurozone's trade surplus hits a record high and the world's biggest solar panel maker announces deep cuts. In REAL ESTATE NEWS, Evergrande faces accusations,…

Monday 18/03/24

In MACRO NEWS, Putin wins, Wilders is in a pickle and the Bank of England is likely to keep rates unchanged In BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, recession fears recede, pubs and bars close and ITV announces more cuts. In CAR NEWS,…

Friday 15/03/24

In MEDIA & TECH NEWS, the TikTok drama continues, Reliance buys out Paramount and the government's AI ambitions look questionable. In RETAIL NEWS, John Lewis decides to focus on retail (finally!) while US retail bounces back. In PHARMACEUTICALS NEWS, Wegovy…

Thursday 14/03/24

In BUSINESS & EMPLOYMENT TRENDS, US solar players suffer Chinese competition and Japanese workers get a hefty pay rise. In RETAIL & CONSUMER GOODS NEWS, Dollar Tree shuts stores, Inditex invests and Adidas has its first loss in 30 years.…

Wednesday 13/03/24

In MACRO, ENERGY & OIL NEWS, US inflation surprises, the UK shows signs of puling out of recession, nuke fusion gets closer and OPEC raises 2024 economic forecasts. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE-RELATED NEWS, household bills are set to rise,…

Tuesday 12/03/24

In MACRO, ENERGY & CRYPTO NEWS, Japan avoids recession, the UK's inflation basket changes, EQT creates an integrated gas group and the FCA lifts a ban on crypto-backed securities. In TECH & MEDIA NEWS, a Singapore chipmaking start-up opts for…

Monday 11/03/24

In MACRO, OIL & ENERGY NEWS, Biden's economic rating ebbs away, Saudi Aramco pays up despite oil price weakness, cheap power deals are on offer in the UK but the SMR decision has been postponed. In BUSINESS & EMPLOYMENT TRENDS…

Friday 08/03/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the ECB looks at a June rate cut, Hunt takes £200m from councils, Chinese trade is boosted by Russia, Washington pushes for more China restrictions, Apple faces an EU probe, AI's predicted to suck energy and…

Thursday 07/03/24

In MACRO & ENERGY NEWS, we take a look at the Budget, what China's doing to spark the economy and the UK's record support for renewables. In TECH & MEDIA NEWS, Worldcoin meets resistance, OpenAI counterpunches Musk, Meta and Google…

Wednesday 06/03/24

In MACRO & CRYPTO NEWS, China announces an "ambitious" growth target and we take a look at six US swing states, prospects for Hunt's budget, the end of recession and crypto reaching new highs. In FINANCIALS NEWS, the IMF warns…

Tuesday 05/03/24

In MACRO, BUSINESS TRENDS & COMMODITIES NEWS, Trump gets momentum and US defence companies lag Europeans while iron ore and pork prices fall. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, the Chinese EVs are coming, Tata wants to split out its car business and…

Monday 04/03/24

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, Le Pen kicks off her European election campaign, Hunt has budget dilemmas, Addison Lee provides a barometer of the City and OPEC+ decides to prolong production cuts. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, Chinese EVs power ahead of…

Friday 01/03/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, US inflation rises and European inflation falls, Hunt ditches 99% mortgages and mortgage approvals rise. In RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, tourists say they'll spend more if the tax is lifted, high street footfall drops, Sainsbury's cuts…

Thursday 29/02/24

In MACRO & CRYPTO NEWS, the global tax deal is looking precarious, wealthy Brits could be prolonging inflation, Hunt considers ditching "non-dom" status, 10% of English councils face bankruptcy and bitcoin breaches $60k. In TECH & MEDIA NEWS, Google gets…

Wednesday 28/02/24

In RETAIL NEWS, the UK tries to lure Shein, Currys snubs Elliott, Asda falls off the pace, Homebase reports heavy losses and Macy's shuts stores. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, Shenzhen plans to boost car exports, the UK prepares to investigate Chinese…

Tuesday 27/02/24

In BUSINESS, CONSUMER & EMPLOYMENT NEWS, Japanese robots are coming to Europe, we look at whether Toyota was right to stick to hybrids, UK consumers spend and see food price inflation slow down while junior lawyers at one firm could…

Monday 26/02/24

In ENERGY, OIL & MINING NEWS, we look at green u-turns, Britain being powered by the Sahara, Europe cutting reliance on Russian oil and Alcoa buying Alumina. In BUSINESS TRENDS & EMPLOYMENT NEWS, the Red Sea is still causing problems,…

Friday 23/02/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, markets boom, the Eurozone downturn eases, business activity rises but consumer confidence weakens while mortgage rates rise, Jezza considers 99% mortgages and petrol gets more expensive. In TECH & MEDIA NEWS, Nvidia smashes it, Google has…

Thursday 22/02/24

In MACRO, COMMODITIES & CRYPTO NEWS, we look at global debt, Fed jitters, Germany's mess, the UK's dilemma, consolidation in oil, disappointment in mining and thoughts on bitcoin. In TECH NEWS, Nvidia smashes it and Lenovo's revenues rebound. In EV…

Wednesday 21/02/24

In MACRO & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, there's chat about interest rates and we see countries and industries feeling increasingly threatened by China. In RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, Walmart puts in a solid performance, the Body Shop continues its terminal decline,…

Tuesday 20/02/24

In MACRO & MINING NEWS, the EU election campaign kicks off, Germany looks like it's in recession, France tightens finances, the Bank of England gets a warning, Birmingham council has to take drastic action, Russia shows resilience, Polymetal secures an…

Monday 19/02/24

In MACRO, COMMODITIES & ENERGY NEWS, China has a good start, natural gas prices drop, hydrogen gets exciting and Great British Nuclear seeks out a site. In BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, gaming slows down, Deloitte reacts to the lack of deals…

Friday 16/02/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Japan, Europe and the UK economies suffer, we look at business trends regarding China, Twitter and bargain retailers and consumer trends where Jet2 sees good demand and Ryanair makes progress. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, Stellantis warns of…

Thursday 15/02/24

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, US aid for Ukraine gets another go, UK inflation remains unchanged and Hunt considers more public spending squeezes while BP does a deal in Abu Dhabi, Shell predicts rising LNG demand, hydrogen navigates the hype…

Wednesday 14/02/24 ♥

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, NATO members look like they'll hit defence spending targets, US inflation is stronger than expected and OPEC left its oil demand growth unchanged. In BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT & CONSUMER TRENDS NEWS, Tui's heading stateside, Latham &…

Tuesday 13/02/24

In INVESTMENT AND M&A NEWS, PE chiefs see big gains, SSP's Aussie deal looks pretty sweet, Diamondback Energy buys Endeavour in a $26bn deal and there's some big consolidation going on in warehousing. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, European carmakers splash out…

Monday 12/02/24

In MACRO NEWS, Trump edges ahead of Biden and gives his view on Russia while the UK awaits a growth verdict. In CONSUMER/EMPLOYMENT NEWS, China's consumers spend less, UK employment weakens, firms fret about hiring and employers race to sort…

Friday 09/02/24

In MACRO, ENERGY & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, Xi and Putin unite, Putin's opponent gets booted, China's deflation problem causes concern, there's a breakthrough in nuclear fusion, Mexico overtakes China and Maersk gets a dose of reality. In CONSUMER GOODS NEWS,…

Thursday 08/02/24

In MACRO, FOSSIL FUELS & RENEWABLES NEWS, China takes action on slumping markets, Germany's industrial output falls by more than expected, Geert Wilders' bid for power falters and we look at the wider consequences of ExxonMobil's fight against the ESG…

Wednesday 07/02/24

In MACRO, MARKETS & OIL NEWS,China's stock market has a bump up, Brussels concedes to the farmers and BP sees its profits halve. In TECH, MEDIA & TELECOMS NEWS, TSMC invests in Japan, China ups the ante on advanced chips,…

Tuesday 06/02/24

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS,Putin's opposition candidate is set to get banned, UK jobs data will be unreliable for a period and a massive Zambian copper deposit is discovered. In TECH NEWS, Microsoft does a deal to create AI stories,…

Monday 05/02/24

In MACRO & ENERGY NEWS,the Bank of Japan considers moving away from negative interest rates and Biden disrupts LNG. In RETAIL NEWS, Shein continues to battle lawsuits, the UK considers the tourist tax, Hobbs looks for better sites, Sephora booms…

Friday 02/02/24

In MACRO, OIL & CRYPTO NEWS, early Eurozone interest rate cuts look unlikely, the Bank of England holds steady, Shell pumps out a dividend despite weaker profits and Hamas victims sue Binance. In CAR NEWS, Musk looks to take Tesla…

Thursday 01/02/24

In MACRO & CRYPTO NEWS, China slips, the Fed keeps rates unchanged, FTX scraps plans to revive and George Osborne joins Coinbase. In RETAIL, CONSUMER GOODS & RESTAURANT NEWS, Temu takes on Amazon, Walmart plans to open more stores, Morrisons…

Wednesday 31/01/24

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, Russia benefits from war, the Eurozone avoids recession, the IMF warns Jezza, councils are told to sell off assets and Saudi Arabia surprises on oil. In BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT & CONSUMER TRENDS NEWS, Hong Kong moves…

Tuesday 30/01/24

In MACRO, MARKETS & OIL NEWS,Hungary gets shirty, Flutter has US ambitions and BP faces pressure. In BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT & CONSUMER NEWS, Evergrande gets a wind-up order that could hit the whole Chinese real estate sector, some employers watch their…

Monday 29/01/24

In MACRO & MARKETS NEWS,Brussels pressures Hungary on Ukraine, we look at Putin's "opposition" and Xi's decision to restrict short-selling. In BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT & CONSUMER TRENDS NEWS, profit warnings hit new highs, pubs have a tough January, Channel 4 is…

Friday 26/01/24

In MACRO, CONSUMER, EMPLOYMENT & CONSUMER TRENDS NEWS,US GDP growth surprises, the ECB leaves rates unchanged, LVMH's sales lose momentum, research highlights non-compete clauses and there are job losses at Lloyds Bank, Microsoft and Levi's whilst UK consumers show confidence…

Thursday 25/01/24

In MACRO & ENERGY NEWS, China springs a surprise, Indonesia considers life without Widodo, Germany's nightmare is to continue, Orbán relents on Sweden's NATO application and English councils get thrown a bone while the IEA predicts record high nuke power…

Wednesday 24/01/24

In MACRO & ENERGY NEWS, China gets a boost, the EU recovery fund snags on red tape, Hunt gets £20bn to play with and Hinkley Point C faces an expensive delay. In BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT & CONSUMER NEWS,Red Sea troubles spread…

Tuesday 23/01/24

In MACRO & ECONOMIC INDICATOR NEWS, the ECB rates chief Lagarde as "poor", the AfD leader applauds Brexit, Japan rises, the Red Sea troubles are set to have longer-running repercussions, S4 Capital has a downbeat outlook and UK firms are…

Monday 22/01/24

In MACRO, MARKETS & INVESTMENT NEWS, EY gets positive on the UK economy, market prospects look good for the UK, everyone piles into bonds, big hedge funds make big profits and Exxon sues ESG investors. In REAL ESTATE NEWS,homeowners make…