Watson's Daily

Wednesday 09/08/23

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, Chinese exports fall, Italy imposes a surprise tax on banks, Glencore suffers the commodity price blues and Cornish Lithium gets some money. In TECH NEWS, Google and Universal do an AI deal, SoftBank makes investment…

Tuesday 08/08/23

In MACRO, OIL & ENERGY NEWS, Germany suffers, Saudi Aramco pays out, sceptics diss the fusion illusion but then Siemens warns, wind is in crisis and France exports energy to the UK. In CONSUMER, BUSINESS & EMPLOYMENT TRENDS, UK spending…

Monday 07/08/23

In MACRO, ENERGY & COMMODITIES NEWS, Chinese economists are told to be more positive, US scientists make a fusion breakthrough, Asian energy groups flock to London and Rio Tinto has copper plans. In BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT & CONSUMER TRENDS, US companies…

Friday 04/08/23

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, the Bank of England raises interest rates, the UK services sector weakens, Turkey's inflation rate jumps and oil prices rise on Saudi threats. In TECH & GAMING NEWS, Apple beats expectations, Altman's Worldcoin runs into…

Thursday 03/08/23

In MACRO, MARKETS & COMMODITIES NEWS, the US downgrade prompts anger, European IPOs dwindle and wheat prices rise. In REAL ESTATE-RELATED NEWS, house price discounts increase, rental home numbers are likely to fall further, home-buyers take on longer mortgages and…

Wednesday 02/08/23

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Saudi finances get tricky, UK industry gets gloomy and UK house prices drop dramatically while more lenders cut mortgage rates. In FOOD & DRINK NEWS, Greggs wants to expand, Starbucks does well in China, Diageo puts…

Tuesday 01/08/23

In MACRO, OIL & CURRENCY NEWS, El Niño's set to take its toll and the Eurozone economy returns to growth while stocks, oil and sterling rebounded over the month. In CONSUMER & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, mortgage approvals and consumer credit…

Monday 31/07/23

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, the Bank of England is expected to raise interest rates this week and oil majors face more scrutiny. In TECH NEWS, Apple's due this week, we look at X's ambitions, SK Hynix and Samsung benefit…

Friday 28/07/23

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, US economic growth picks up, the ECB raises interest rates, Shell and Total see profits fall, British Gas sees profits boom and Anglo American is hit by a sluggish China. In TMT NEWS, the EU…

Thursday 27/07/23

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, the Fed hikes US interest rates again, Spain's power vacuum has consequences and Rio Tinto reports falling demand. In TECH NEWS, Meta surges, Threads loses steam and tech companies get together to sort AI. In…

Wednesday 26/07/23

In MACRO NEWS, the IMF gets more upbeat, UK businesses get more confident on hiring and Brussels has a grain plan. In TECH NEWS, Sam Altman's world expands, Microsoft benefits from AI, Google's sales jump, X cuts ad prices, Snap's…

Tuesday 25/07/23

In MACRO, ENERGY & CURRENCY NEWS, China promises to boost the economy, Spain's at an impasse, a UK battery storage plant gets the OK and the pound has a bad run. In TMT NEWS, we look at the latest in…

Monday 24/07/23

In UK MACRO & MARKETS NEWS, the UK faces economic stagnation but UK stocks rally after last week's inflation news. In BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, UK exports to the EU rise, consultant work dries up in China and City lawyers brace…

Friday 21/07/23

In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, UK consumer confidence drops but Premier Foods thinks price rises have peaked while the CMA looks into it. We look at house prices, mortgages and rents, M&S gets rebuffed while consumers' desire for holidays…

Thursday 20/07/23

In MACRO NEWS, the UK's inflation slowdown prompts hope and Thailand's in a pickle. In TECH & MEDIA NEWS, ASML has a healthy backlog, Microsoft/Activision extend the deadline and Netflix moves forwards. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, the UK…

Wednesday 19/07/23

In TECH NEWS, Microsoft makes moves in AI and stays committed to Activision Blizzard while more writers join the AI lawsuit, Asian superapps falter and Darktrace feels relieved. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, US retail sales boost confidence but…

Tuesday 18/07/23

In MACRO, ENERGY & COMMODITIES NEWS, China's slowdown has repercussions, Rolls-Royce edges closer to making its SMRs, wheat prices rise on the lapse of the Black Sea deal and olive oil is is in crisis. In CONSUMER & RETAIL TRENDS,…

Monday 17/07/23

In TECH & MEDIA NEWS, Microsoft/Activision advances, Twitter's cashflow still falls short, Hollywood's strike looks like it could have a major impact and Netflix gets more subscribers. In BUSINESS & CONSUMER TRENDS, Multinationals shift in China, UK companies collapse and…

Friday 14/07/23

In MACRO & ENERGY NEWS, China's exports fall, its slowing economy hits oil and we look at why it's approaching deflation while the ECB looks to continue increasing interest rates, Europe decides to resume Japanese food imports, the UK's GDP…

Thursday 13/07/23

In MACRO, MARKETS & ENERGY NEWS, US inflation slows - putting more pressure on Bailey - BP invests big in offshore wind power and the Hornsea Four wind farm gets the OK. In RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY-RELATED NEWS, would-be homebuyers get nervous,…

Wednesday 12/07/23

In TECH NEWS, Microsoft/Activision Blizzard gets closer to approval, Amazon takes on the EU's digital rules, China draws up AI rules, the FCA warns about AI, Reuters reckons AI will write news, KPMG invests $2bn in AI and Cloud services…

Tuesday 11/07/23

In MACRO, MARKETS & CRYPTO NEWS, China heads towards deflation, Mark Rutte quits, Hunt announces reforms, UK stocks look cheap and Bitcoin may head to $100k. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, Bailey & Hunt ask for wage restraint, home sales…

Monday 10/07/23

In BUSINESS, CONSUMER & EMPLOYMENT TRENDS, we look at Saudi Arabia's moves into sport, how fewer people are getting married and what's going on in hiring. In RETAIL NEWS, Shein takes on Amazon while M&S gets annoyed with Ocado. In…

Friday 07/07/23

In TECH NEWS, Threads creates a splash, AI chips aren't breaking the chip slump and NYC regulates AI in hiring. In FINANCIALS NEWS, the FCA prods banks, Man Group moves into private credit, CAB Payments falls on debut and Hunt…

Thursday 06/07/23

In MACRO, OIL & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, the US reiterates that rate rises will return, Xi takes credit for Putin, Eurozone producer prices fall, UK interest rates could rocket, services sector momentum slows, UK borrowing costs rise and we battle…

Wednesday 05/07/23

In MACRO & CRYPTO NEWS, UK inflation continues to rise, we look at why rising interest rates aren't working, Sunak drops the UK's climate pledge, the UAE aims to triple renewables and Binance has a tricky time in Europe. In…

Tuesday 04/07/23

In TECH, MEDIA & TELCO NEWS, China retaliates on chips, Japan ups the stakes on chips, Apple Vision Pro has production issues and Threads nears launch while Netflix overhauls its advertising strategy and Ambani launches a $12 phone in India.…

Monday 03/07/23

In TECH NEWS, Google's made a quantum leap, crypto miners repurpose and Twitter puts in limits. In CONSUMER-RELATED NEWS, we see what the consumer is up to in the US and the UK, why UK mortgage relief may have repercussions…

Friday 30/06/23

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, US growth surprises, Germany sees inflation increase, China puts laws in place to combat sanctions, the UK blocks Russia from legal advice and we get our first lithium mine in Cornwall. In TECH NEWS, Microsoft…

Thursday 29/06/23

In MACRO NEWS, central bank chiefs warn about interest rates, Bailey blames it on Covid and Hunt gets the regulators together. In WATER NEWS, Thames Water's in a pickle and we consider the impact. In TECH NEWS, the US considers…

Wednesday 28/06/23

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, it looks like the ECB will keep raising rates, Vitol and Gunvor facilitate Russian oil and the North Sea windfall tax is disappointing. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, property prices weaken, food price rises have…

Tuesday 27/06/23

In MACRO NEWS, we look at the latest repercussions of the Wagner incident and Germany struggles. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, there's more evidence of a slowdown in food price inflation, shops see falling sales, Primark's owner is confident,…

Monday 26/06/23

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, we look at what happened in Russia over the weekend and how oil and gas companies are looking into lithium. In BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, we look at corporate strategy for China, GLG reducing its China…

Friday 23/06/23

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, the Bank of England raises the interest rate by 0.5% - and we ponder the consequences, Turkey makes a dramatic about-face on interest rates and the Church ditches oil. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS,…

Thursday 22/06/23

In MACRO NEWS, we look at the UK's high inflation, the consequences and rather shocking debt. In REAL ESTATE NEWS, house prices rise, Berkeley says interest rate fears are hitting home, mortgage repossessions look unlikely and there's more evidence of…

Wednesday 21/06/23

In REAL ESTATE NEWS, we take a look at the current mortgage situation and its effects. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, we see why UK inflation is so bad, there's more evidence that food price inflation is slowing, Alibaba has…

Tuesday 20/06/23

In MACRO NEWS, the Xi/Blinken meeting seemed to go quite well but Goldman Sachs downgraded its growth forecast for China. In CONSUMER/RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, mortgage rates hit a new high, we look at the arguments against intervention, food price inflation slows,…

Monday 19/06/23

In MACRO, ENERGY & CURRENCY NEWS, Lula has trouble in Brazil, UK geothermal energy is switched on, Ørsted wants more wind support and Turkey's lira falls. In TECH NEWS, Google praises UK's take on AI regs, celebs get on the…

Friday 16/06/23

In MACRO, BUSINESS TRENDS & OIL NEWS, the ECB raised interest rates, China unveiled disappointing numbers, Siemens invests in China and Informa bounces back while oilfield services consolidate. In FINANCIAL SECTOR NEWS, HSBC and Standard Chartered get pressure to take…

Thursday 15/06/23

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, China ponders a stimulus, the US Fed leaves rates on hold, the UK economy grows but Hunt says interest rates will still go up as HSBC jacks up mortgage rates amid a mortgage crisis, Sweden blames…

Wednesday 14/06/23

In MACRO & MARKETS NEWS, China has a rate cut, US inflation slows, UK inflation proves stubborn and the Nikkei flies. In M&A NEWS, Goldman and Morgan Stanley reckon dealflow will turn around as we see big pharma deal-making, Bunge…

Tuesday 13/06/23

In TECH NEWS, the US eases its stance on chipmakers, Google ad-tech comes under fire, the US regulators side with the UK on Microsoft/Activision and Chinese tech companies suffer. In REAL ESTATE NEWS, unusual measures are employed to tempt Chinese…

Monday 12/06/23

In FINANCIALS NEWS, UBS sets parameters in the CS takeover, HSBC is to outline SVB plans, Odey makes changes and Andreessen aims for London. In CONSUMER & CONSUMER GOODS NEWS, London homeowners face painful mortgage hikes, Waitrose cuts prices, Nike…

Friday 09/06/23

In MACRO, MARKETS & OIL NEWS, Europe falls into recession, the UK needs to watch out, CAB seeks out an IPO, CRH decides to quit London and Hunt is about to ease oil windfall tax parameters. In CONSUMER, RETAIL &…

Thursday 08/06/23

In MACRO, COMMODITIES & CURRENCY NEWS, the OECD calls for fiscal tightening, China's exports fall, the Eurozone looks vulnerable, oil traders profit from the energy crisis, greenwashing gets a bashing, El Niño forecasts cause concern, the Turkish lira falls and…

Wednesday 07/06/23

In MACRO NEWS, we look at the Ukrainian dam breach and its consequences, the World Bank touts its views and Australia gets a shock interest rate rise. In CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE RELATED NEWS, UK construction activity increases, we look…

Tuesday 06/06/23

In TECH NEWS, a Russian cyber attack hits the BBC, Boots and British Airways, we look at the latest discussions in AI, Apple reveals its expensive headset, Spotify sheds 200 and a former ByteDance exec admits state interference. In FINANCIALS/PROPERTY…

Monday 05/06/23

In BIG PICTURE & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, OPEC decides on oil production cuts, Coinbase suffers, higher inflation is powering fast-food chains and AstraZeneca bets on China. In TECH NEWS, Apple's set for a big announcement and we look at why…

Friday 02/06/23

In MACRO, MARKETS & ENERGY NEWS, the US avoids default, Eurozone inflation falls, UK deals dry up while some investors use AI to source suitable ones, renewables' capacity looks set to ramp up and OPEC restricts guests. In RETAIL NEWS,…

Thursday 01/06/23

In MACRO, ENERGY & CRYPTO NEWS, the US and UK see slowing growth, while France and Germany see falling inflation, Erdogan lifts Turkey, a new gas deal demonstrates the pulling power of the US and crypto could get a boost.…

Wednesday 31/05/23

In MACRO NEWS, Turkey faces pressure, Spain's inflation surprises but UK inflation looks set to stay higher. In TECH NEWS, AI pioneers sound warnings while Nvidia hits $1tn. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, US consumers have a wobble, UK…

Tuesday 30/05/23

In MACRO & POWER NEWS, China falters, Erdogan wins, Sánchez gambles and nukes need to hurry up. In TECH NEWS, AI chips get scarcer, WPP does an AI deal but there are power issues. In RETAIL & CONSUMER NEWS, Amazon…

Friday 26/05/23

In MACRO NEWS, the US slows down and Germany falls into recession. In TECH NEWS, Nvidia booms, OpenAI warns Europe, Bertelsmann sees opportunities in AI, TikTok tests its own AI chatbot and the metaverse loses investors. In RETAIL & CONSUMER…

Thursday 25/05/23

In TECH NEWS, Samsung faces its first ever strike, TikTok adapts, Meta begins its final round of layoffs, tablets get the upper hand and Embracer abosolutely tanks. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, the UK car industry calls for more slack on export…