Watson's Daily

Tuesday 07/03/23

In MACRO & MARKETS NEWS, we look at US/China/Taiwan wobbles, differences between markets and another crypto scandal. In TECH NEWS, Twitter has yet another malfunction, TikTok tries charm and Intel could be held back by the Chips Act. In CAR…

Monday 06/03/23

In MACRO NEWS, China announces its lowest GDP target for decades but could also transform Putin's fortunes. In BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, we see that US listed tech companies continue to face challenges, that deglobalisation pushes automation, that international schools look…

Friday 03/03/23

In MACRO NEWS, we look at China's tricky position, a Russia sanction crackdown and pressure on the ECB. In TECH NEWS, ESG causes a kerfuffle, Bridgewater cuts jobs, Revolut posts its first annual profit, Vanguard gives up and Chinese banks…

Thursday 02/03/23

In MACRO & CRYPTO NEWS, the West wants the UAE to clamp down on Russia sanction-dodging, Germany's inflation jumps, hopes increase for post-Brexit financial regulation progress, the BoE hints at peak interest rates and there's more crypto drama. In FINANCIALS…

Wednesday 01/03/23

In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, inflation hits, the Treasury reviews energy subsidies, Shapps extends coal-burning plant usage, Sainsbury's slims down, M&S rolls out more self-service tills, Ocado racks up losses and AO World gets a boost. In AUTOMOTIVE-RELATED NEWS, Berlin…

Tuesday 28/02/23

In MACRO NEWS, we see a new Brexit agreement and bickering over funding. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, consumers face higher bills and weaker house prices while Lidl rations salad and Primark expects higher profits. In TECH NEWS, Canada bans…

Monday 27/02/23

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, a Brexit deal is afoot, British companies get more optimistic, war drives US oil exports to Europe but frackers are only seeing limited gains. In MANUFACTURING NEWS, Adani companies lose $145bn in one month, Thales…

Friday 24/02/23

In MACRO & CRYPTO NEWS, China backtracks, Turkey cuts interest rates and SBF faces further charges. In TECH NEWS, Alibaba posts sales growth, Apple continues with China, Nvidia and WPP benefit from AI as AI replaces Web3 as the hot…

Thursday 23/02/23

In MACRO, ENERGY & COMMODITY NEWS, the Fed talks of more rate rises, Citi thinks UK inflation could breach 2% this year, Japan tries to address its falling birth rate, Eskom drama intensifies and Rio Tinto takes a hit. In…

Wednesday 22/02/23

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, US concerns about rate rises hit markets, chances of UK recession recede, Russian oil exports to China rise and Ineos moves into US oil and gas. In TECH NEWS, we look at further developments in…

Tuesday 21/02/23

In MACRO NEWS, we see contrasting views re Ukraine from the US and China. In RETAIL NEWS, M&S gets sporty, the UK runs short of salad, Morrisons cuts prices again and Tesco announces a pay rise. In TECH NEWS, Kyocera…

Monday 20/02/23

In MACRO NEWS, we look at the current developments regarding Ukraine, Ireland defending itself and how the UK's recession may be mild. In TECH NEWS, China's tech chill goes up a notch, Facebook and Instagram launch paid options and there's…

Friday 17/02/23

In MACRO, ENERGY & CRYPTO NEWS, Biden looks at "balloongate", China imposes sanctions and a Pentagon official visits Taiwan while the Bank of England's economist hints at a slowdown, Centrica rakes it in and the SEC sues Terraform. In TECH…

Thursday 16/02/23

In MACRO & MARKETS NEWS, UK inflation slows, the FTSE breaks 8,000 and Sturgeon resigns. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Barclays sees profits fall, Revolut is targeted for crypto and KPMG cuts US headcount. In TECH NEWS, Allen & Overy introduces an…

Wednesday 15/02/23

In MACRO, CRYPTO & MARKETS NEWS, US inflation eases, NATO suggests a solution for Finland and Sweden, Sunak looks at a wage deal, we look at Erdogan and his earthquake response, nuke gets green status in the UK and Binance…

Tuesday 14/02/23 💘

In MACRO, ENERGY & OIL NEWS, we look at why the eurozone may avoid recession, clean energy impact and what's next for oil producers. In AUTOMOTIVE & BATTERY NEWS, EV makers seek out cleaner batteries, Ford licences tech from CATL…

Monday 13/02/23

In MACRO & ENERGY NEWS, Taiwan talks balloons and Erdogan targets construction firms while we consider our avoidance of recession and some energy developments. In TRENDS NEWS, we look at the return to China, UK pessimism and UK pub closures…

Friday 10/02/23

In MACRO, MARKETS & ENERGY NEWS, inflation in Germany falls to a new low, the FTSE hits another high, MSCI revises Adani Group weightings, Exxon plans cost cuts, China coal use poses a dilemma and South Africa's Eskom problem persists.…

Thursday 09/02/23

In MARKETS, MACRO & OIL NEWS, US equities slide, investors pour money into China, MSCI reviews Adani Group, the FTSE100 hits an all-time high and the Istanbul stock exchange shuts while Turkey responds and Equinor reports massive profit. In TECH…

Wednesday 08/02/23

In MACRO, OIL & ENERGY NEWS, the Fed warns of more interest rate rises, Sunak breaks up the business department, Modi's opponents double-down on Adani's problems, a state of emergency is declared in Turkey, BP reins in climate goals, Serica…

Tuesday 07/02/23

In MACRO & CRYPTO NEWS, Turkey's earthquake devastates, Sunak is about to do a mini post-Zahawi reshuffle and Britcoin moves forward. In TECH NEWS, Google brings out Bard, Baidu sets an AI bot launch date, Amazon has plans for Alexa,…

Monday 06/02/23

In MACRO & CRYPTO NEWS, China gets annoyed with the US for shooting down its spy balloon and "Britcoin" progresses. In CONSUMER-RELATED NEWS, we look at house prices and mortgage lending while interest rates for savers face scrutiny and return…

Friday 03/02/23

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, the Bank of England raises interest rates and Shell makes record profits. In TECH NEWS, Qualcomm posts weaker sales, Apple and Google disappoint while Amazon reports higher sales, Meta gets real, ChatGPT hits 100 million…

Thursday 02/02/23

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, the Fed raises US interest rates and we take a closer look at the EU vs US subsidies situation, how the IMF has a history of getting forecasts wrong and a few challenges facing Shell…

Wednesday 01/02/23

In MACRO, CRYPTO & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, Chinese manufacturing declines, the UK goes ahead with crypto regulation and UK companies fail at a rapid rate. In STREAMING & TECH NEWS, Spotify adds new users, Universal Music looks to review the…

Tuesday 31/01/23

In MACRO NEWS, we look at interest rate trends, IMF forecasts, China's rebound, the EU's plans to relax state aid, Germany in a pickle and a downer for the UK. In EMPLOYMENT, CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, Big Tech gets brutal,…

Monday 30/01/23

In MACRO, ENERGY & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, anticipation increases ahead of the Bank of England's interest rate decision this week, power stations make record gains, Russia's war speeds up the shift to renewables and BP cuts long term forecasts while…

Friday 27/01/23

In MACRO, ENERGY & CRYPTO NEWS, US GDP growth beats forecasts, UK productivity loses momentum, National Grid stands down, Shell reviews its energy supply business and bitcoin is attacked while Tesla suffers losses. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & EMPLOYMENT TRENDS, LVHM…

Thursday 26/01/23

In MACRO, OIL & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, UK inflation falls, the dollar weakens, Erdogan calls for an early election in Turkey, Harbour Energy cuts jobs and the IEA predicts big oil demand while we look at trends in gambling, plastics…

Wednesday 25/01/23

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, the UK's public sector borrowing sets a new record and oilfield services companies feel a boom. In EMPLOYMENT & CONSUMER TRENDS, US companies shed temps and 3M cuts manufacturing jobs while Chinese save, UK consumers…

Tuesday 24/01/23

In TECH NEWS, Microsoft confirms big investment in ChatGPT maker, Salesforce gets a feisty investor, Spotify axes 600 jobs, Strava goes shopping and Arm puts the pressure on. In REAL ESTATE TRENDS, we see a rise in cash buyers, more…

Monday 23/01/23

In MACRO & ENERGY NEWS, economists think the eurozone will avoid recession, differ on how deep ours will be and coal power stations roar back to life. In TECH NEWS, Microsoft looks set for disappointing results and ChatGPT passes an…

Friday 20/01/23

In MACRO, OIL & CRYPTO NEWS, Xi Jinping is warned about super-spreading, central bankers talk higher rates for longer and Bailey emphasises likelihood of recession while we see why Harbour Energy is affected by the windfall taxes, the failure of…

Thursday 19/01/23

In MACRO, OIL & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, UK inflation falls, the dollar weakens, Erdogan calls for an early election in Turkey, Harbour Energy cuts jobs and the IEA predicts big oil demand while we look at trends in gambling, plastics…

Wednesday 18/01/23

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, the IMF gets optimistic (and FMs agree with them!), Europe appeals to the US, Scholz says Germany will avoid recession and Total coughs up. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & REAL ESTATE NEWS, UK wages continue to…

Tuesday 17/01/23

In MACRO & HOUSEHOLD ENERGY NEWS NEWS, China's GDP weakens and its population shrinks, Yellen plans an African trip, Turkey tries to reassure NATO, UK inflation could drop sharply (but it's already taken its toll) and British Gas goes on…

Monday 16/01/23

In BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, company valuations fall, Bayer looks to the US and commercial construction rates hit highest levels in twenty years. In CONSUMER TRENDS NEWS, home buyers return and BNPL demand booms while M&S opens more stores, FatFace has…

Friday 😱 13/01/23

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, US inflation slows, the US and Japan expand their security alliance while Biden gets in trouble, the Bank of England makes money from Truss and we see developments in energy, commodities and the latest in crypto.…

Thursday 12/01/23

In ENERGY, MINING & OIL NEWS, Sweden aims to change the rules, UK wind power generation hits a high, UK coal gets a stay of execution, the Saudis put money into mining and the oil cap hurts Russia. In CONSUMER…

Wednesday 11/01/23

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, the World Bank talks world gloom, the UK and Japan sign a defence agreement, Russia suffers, Macron aims to increase the retirement age and the LME/nickel review is out. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS,…

Tuesday 10/01/23

In MACRO & ENERGY NEWS, the EU's recession may be shallower than expected, a Northern Ireland agreement gets closer, the Bank of England warns on inflation, energy support for business gets an unpopular rejig and Lula has problems. In CONSUMER…

Monday 09/01/23

In MACRO, OIL & GAS NEWS, the US and Japan prepare for China/Taiwan, Sweden gives up on Turkey, oil rebounds and cheaper gas could give the government wiggle room. In TECH NEWS, OneWeb powers down in Alaska while SpaceX boost…

Friday 16/12/22

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, interest rates get a 0.5% boost from the ECB, Bank of England and the Swiss National Bank. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, US consumers spend less, UK consumer confidence hits a 50-year low, we look at the…

Thursday 15/12/22

In MACRO, ENERGY & CRYPTO NEWS, the Fed hikes interest rates, the BoE looks likely to follow while inflation slows, Hunt considers more energy aid, Binance tries to reassure, more SBF dirt is uncovered, Hong Kong suffers crypto fallout and…

Wednesday 14/12/22

In MACRO, ENERGY & CRYPTO NEWS, US inflation eases, the Bank of England urges caution and we look at what's behind the strikes while fusion advances, Turkey sorts the logjam and SBF is charged. In BANKS, FINTECH & PRO SERVICES…

Tuesday 13/12/22

In MACRO, ENERGY & CRYPTO NEWS, the EU struggles against the US's green attraction, the UK economy unexpectedly rebounds, factories hybernate, Rolls-Royce rivals jockey for position, Binance faces possible charges, FTX's former chief is arrested and a bitcoin miner slides.…

Monday 12/12/22

In MACRO, ENERGY & CRYPTO NEWS, China eases Covid restrictions further, UK manufacturing contracts, France and the UK struggle with electricity and investors withdraw money from digital coins. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, we look at house and EV price…

Friday 09/12/22

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, Xi and MbS are now BFFs, Beijing runs out of fever meds, Exxon announces a massive share buy back and Trafigura divvies out the profits. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Big Bang 2.0 is set to be…

Thursday 08/12/22

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, we look at the change in China as economists predict rising unemployment in the US. In CONSUMER TRENDS & LEISURE NEWS, UK job vacancies slow, house prices drop, Mitchells & Butlers is cautious about the future and…

Wednesday 07/12/22

In MACRO & LEGISLATION NEWS, the EU mulls sanctions on Russian mining, both TikTok and Amazon face the music and Sunak is pressured on anti-strike laws. In CONSUMER, LEISURE & RETAIL NEWS, pump prices face scrutiny, Christmas dinner price rises,…

Tuesday 06/12/22

In MACRO, ENERGY & CRYPTO NEWS, Ramaphosa survives, oil prices gyrate, European gas demand falls but we export it, Circle's $9bn deal falls through, Genesis owes, Coinbase looks tired, Binance is ordered to hand over data and the UK looks…

Monday 05/12/22

In MACRO, COMMODITIES & CURRENCY NEWS, markets foresee interest rate cuts next year, the EU looks to help companies tempted by the US, Opec readies itself to adjust output, Posco suffers from a strong dollar, a Brazilian mine aims for…

Friday 02/12/22

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, China looks like it's about to change its Covid stance, South Africa's Ramaphosa's on the edge, UK inflation expectations ease, Europe debates a price cap on Russian oil and Total cuts North Sea investment. In…

Thursday 01/12/22

In MACRO, CRYPTO & BUSINESS TREND NEWS, Jay Powell indicates calming in rate rises, Eurozone inflation falls, China problems persist, Japan & UK warn on Taiwan, crypto's framework comes under scrutiny, biz leaders get more optimistic and Chinese companies change…