Watson's Daily

Thursday 16/09/21

In MACRO NEWS, the OECD bigs us up, UK inflation growth continues and BoJo has a reshuffle. In CONSUMER/HIGH STREET NEWS, UK house prices drop, fire at a substation could lead to blackouts, employment recovery could see bumps, Inditex recovers…

Wednesday 15/09/21

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, Norway goes left and Chevron commits to clean energy. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, US consumers continue to spend, UK job vacancies rise, Amazon and Deliveroo offer free delivery and JD Sports has a corker.…

Tuesday 14/09/21

In CHINA CLAMPDOWN NEWS, Beijing is to break up Alipay, Tencent and Alibaba are to open up and Soho China falls through the floor. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, energy prices and global house prices rise while Primark and Shein…

Monday 13/09/21

In MACRO, TRADING & CRYPTO NEWS, growth slows in the UK economy, Le Pen sets the stage, investors have a wobble on Chinese stocks and South Korea does a major crypto crackdown. In ELECTRIC VEHICLE-RELATED NEWS, everyone fights over nickel…

Friday 10/09/21

In MACRO & TRADING NEWS, the ECB slows bond-buying, Cathie Wood cuts China positions and NFT mania continues. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Mastercard buys CipherTrace and Buy Now Pay Later legislation drags on. In POST-CORONATRENDS NEWS, workers return to the City,…

Thursday 09/09/21

In FINANCIALS & CRYPTO NEWS, PayPal buys Paidy, BlackRock raises $1bn for a China mutual fund, the SEC moves on Coinbase and Bitcoin steadies. In RETAIL NEWS, more retailers warn of shortages - including Halfords - while Morrisons heads for…

Wednesday 08/09/21

In MACRO & CRYPTO NEWS, Germany and Norway elections get closer, Sunak sets the date for the Budget, tax on dividends rises and El Salvador's bitcoin launch stutters. In SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS, Ikea sees furniture shortages and Iceland says the…

Tuesday 07/09/21

In MACRO NEWS, Germany's economy loses momentum and the FCA wants to tighten up on crypto "influencers". In PRICE INFLATION NEWS, Aluminium hits new heights, electricity and gas prices rise and UK builders face rising materials costs. In CONSUMER NEWS,…

Monday 06/09/21

In UK LABOUR/SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS, the CBI reckons the labour shortage could drag on, UK hotels face staff shortages, Wagamama's can't find enough chefs, logistics boss calls for the shortening of driver training, M&S worries about an import crisis and…

Friday 03/09/21

In TECH NEWS, Alibaba tries to suck up, Apple relents and WhatsApp gets whacked. In CONSUMER/HIGH STREET NEWS, gas prices look likely to rise, UK wages increase but "buy now, pay later" customers get pursued while retail footfall increases and…

Thursday 02/09/21

In MACRO, MARKETS & CRYPTO NEWS, China manufacturing activity slows, hog stocks fall as China recovers from swine fever, the Dax grows and the SEC boss turns focus onto crypto. In SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS, Walmart adds 20,000 workers to improve…

Wednesday 01/09/21

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, Brazil's recovery falters, Vietnam suffers, Eurozone inflation climbs to a new peak and Aluminium prices hit a 10-year high. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, US consumers stockpile loo roll, UK consumers save, the end of…

Tuesday 31/08/21

In MACRO, SUPPLY CHAIN & BUBBLE NEWS, the Eurozone recovers, German inflation hits record levels, UK business confidence reaches new highs, supply chain issues highlight employee conditions and we look at five bubbles that could burst. In TECH-RELATED NEWS, China…

Friday 27/08/21

In LEISURE & TRAVEL NEWS, British Airways plans a budget airline, Soho House talks a good game, Peloton cuts bike prices and PureGym prepares for flotation. In CONSUMER TRENDS NEWS, HP and Dell see strong PC demand, shoppers stay at…

Thursday 26/08/21

In MACRO, CRYPTO & INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS, South Korea raises interest rates, German business confidence continues to waver, UK services confidence wobbles, the FCA gives up on Binance, HS2 gets scaled back and Wales ponders mini-nuke power. In SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS,…

Wednesday 25/08/21

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, a big US spending package is in the offing, the oil price rises and JPMorgan sells oil and defence while Maersk goes greener. In SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS, Asia's Covid impact has global implications, industries across…

Tuesday 24/08/21

In MARKETS & MACRO NEWS, equity and commodity markets strengthen but the UK recovery slows as manufacturing is hit by supply chain disruption. In POST-CORONATRENDS NEWS, City airport is returning to growth, the West End is moving in the right…

Monday 23/08/21

In SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS, Container ship demand looks set to continue, the UK refuses EU truck drivers and food firms employ prisoners. In CONSUMER TREND-RELATED NEWS, cinemas pin hopes on blockbusters, PayPal is to let users trade crypto and UK…

Wednesday 11/08/21

In MACRO, MARKETS & CURRENCY NEWS, US infrastructure gets a massive boost, investor confidence in Germany wanes and sterling strengthens. In TECH NEWS, SoftBank is set to avoid China, a Newport Wafer alternative appears, Arm benefits from semiconductor shortage and…

Tuesday 10/08/21

In VACCINE, COMMODITIES & CRYPTO NEWS, BioNTech benefits, oil has a wobble, Aluminium prices continue to rise, the Bank of England ponders "Britcoin" and we see why CBDCs cause concern for banks and how crytpto exchanges plan on going mainstream.…

Friday 06/08/21

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Biden outlines EV targets, the Bank of England acknowledges inflation and WPP sees an ad rebound. In CONSUMER-RELATED NEWS, Amazon's the latest employer to delay an office return, wages rise and car sales fall. In REAL…

Thursday 05/08/21

In MACRO, MARKETS & SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS, Germany's Greens make up ground, the UK's pingdemic holds back growth, the LSE looks at rule changes and the lorry driver shortage continues to bite. In BATTERY & CAR-RELATED NEWS, Tesla has a…

Wednesday 04/08/21

In CHINA CRACKDOWN NEWS, Tencent tries to appease, Alibaba takes flak, Beijing freezes Ericsson out and Hong Kong gets trickier. In M&A NEWS, UK firms get record approaches, Sweaty Betty is snapped up, Sanofi buys Translate Bio and PepsiCo offloads…

Tuesday 03/08/21

In SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS, Germany and the UK have supply chain problems and M&S offers £2k to drivers. In BANKS & FINTECH NEWS, HSBC sees its profits more than quadruple, Goldman Sachs ups its pay, Sunak refuses to lift the…

Monday 02/08/21

In CONSUMER, JOBS & JABS NEWS, the US consumer spends as companies pay higher wages, UK employers pay golden hellos and offer more remote working, banker bonus caps look like disappearing, French and British resist "passports" and Pfizer/Moderna increase prices.…

Friday 30/07/21

In MACRO, VAX & SCANDAL NEWS, the US has a wobble, German inflation hits new highs, Biden calls to pay vaxxers, AstraZeneca mulls its vaccine future, Nikola's Milton is charged and Didi considers going private 😱. In POST-CORONATRENDS NEWS, Airbus…

Thursday 29/07/21

In BIG/FIN/TECH NEWS, Facebook grows, Robinhood prices up its IPO, Shopify stays bullish on online shopping, Samsung has a corker and Welsh chips highlight China wobbles. In BANKS NEWS, Deutsche Bank has a great quarter, Santander benefits from cribs and…

Wednesday 28/07/21

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Xi's education crackdown is part of something bigger, the IMF upgrades our GDP forecasts and the FCA relaxed SPAC rules. In TECH NEWS, Chinese tech stocks tank while Google, Apple and Microsoft report big profits. In…

Tuesday 27/07/21

In MACRO, OIL & CRYPTO NEWS, German confidence has a wobble, France pushes through its health passes (with compromises), shale oil consolidates into a force and Bitcoin gets an Amazon bump. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, UK house prices hit…

Monday 26/07/21

In MACRO, COVID & CRYPTO NEWS, the UK's economy grows apace, inflation is higher than they are saying, Germany has Covid issues, the race for a Covid pill gets serious, a digital Yuan puts pressure on, crypto losses could be…

Friday 23/07/21

In TECH NEWS, Intel says the chip shortage could stretch into 2023 and a start-up has made a breakthrough in long-duration batteries. In TRAVEL-RELATED NEWS, US airlines see a recovery in demand while the UK and France try to cobble…

Thursday 22/07/21

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the German government pledges flood aid, insurers count the costs of extreme weather and opioid suits are close to settlement. In RETAIL & CONSUMER TRENDS, Northern Ireland faces difficulties, Next raises profit forecasts, Wickes benefits from…

Wednesday 21/07/21

In MARKETS/MARKET TREND NEWS, markets bounce-back and gyms raise money. In RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, online sales fall, Apollo swings in behind Fortress for Morrisons and HMV backs vinyl. In CONSUMER TREND NEWS, people are spending less on Netflix, more on diamonds…

Tuesday 20/07/21

In MARKETS & VACCINE NEWS, global markets wobble, the UK pushes vaccine passports as the "pingdemic" grips the nation and France adopts "health passes". In IPO AND M&A NEWS, Robinhood aims high for its IPO, Zegna heads SPAC-wards and Tencent…

Monday 19/07/21

In ENVIRONMENTAL & OIL NEWS, Merkel emphasises the environment, the UK races to improve battery storage, the billionaire space race comes at huge cost and Opec reaches agreement. In CONSUMER/RETAIL NEWS, consumer confidence returns to pre-Covid levels and we are…

Friday 16/07/21

In TECH NEWS, TSMC sees an end to the chip shortage, Intel eyes GlobalFoundries, Darktrace ups forecasts and Avast causes a stir. In JOBS NEWS, UK vacancies are up, Hays lifts profit guidance and NHS App pinging causes staff headaches.…

Thursday 15/07/21

In MACRO & BITCOIN NEWS, China's Q2 GDP growth slows, the US and UK central banks take more inflation flak, UK house prices jump and Bitcoin miners move. In FINTECH & BANKS NEWS, Apple moves into Klarna territory and US…

Wednesday 14/07/21

In MACRO NEWS, US inflation picks up and Chinese exports rise. In FINANCIAL SECTOR NEWS, the Bank of England OKs payouts, Goldman and JP Morgan benefit from advisory and Vanguard makes its first acquisition. In TECH NEWS, Google gets a…

Tuesday 13/07/21

In RETAIL NEWS, UK sales rise rapidly, Superdrug has a tough time, Topshop reappears in the US and Flipkart raises cash. In POST-CORONATRENDS NEWS, Ryanair hires, Center Parcs plans a new village and McDonald's offers incentives. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, Europcar…

Monday 12/07/21

In CONSUMER-RELATED NEWS, household savings rise under lockdown, pay rates rise, a deal could be on the cards for haulage, commuters want the commute but not the four-day week, Goldman considers upping wages for juniors and business confidence rises. In…

Friday 09/07/21

In MARKETS, MACRO & OIL NEWS, the FTSE100 dips below 7,000 as Covid concerns dent confidence, the ECB decides to change the inflation goalposts as property price growth hits new highs and OPEC is sitting pretty. In POST-CORONATREND NEWS, WH…

Thursday 08/07/21

In MACRO, COMMODITY & CRYPTO NEWS, the global tax deal faces a US challenge, coffee's set to get more expensive, Binance has a suspension and Bitcoin proves to be baffling for punters. In IPO AND M&A NEWS, the China/US crackdown…

Wednesday 07/07/21

In TECH NEWS, Didi craters, Microsoft gets a slap from the Pentagon, Samsung basks in chip glory but shortages will affect TV and smartphone OLED displays. In CAR NEWS, Toyota's smug about chips, JLR halves sales expectations and Stellantis commits…

Tuesday 06/07/21

In MACRO, MARKETS & OIL NEWS, the OECD talks global inflation, Big Tech could take a Big Tax Hit on the global minimum, BoJo announces the lifting of restrictions, the services sector improves, London's IPO rules change and oil has…

Monday 05/07/21

In POST-CORONATRENDS NEWS, corporate travel recovers and London property sales rise once again. In RETAIL NEWS, Morrisons gets a Fortress boost, Sainsbury's goes on the offensive and John Lewis builds homes. In TECH NEWS, Didi gets a kicking and ByteDance…

Friday 02/07/21

In MACRO, OIL & JOBS NEWS, 130 countries agree on a global minimum corporate tax rate and oil prices jump while signing bonuses become the norm for US job-seekers and European unemployment falls. In RETAIL NEWS, H&M shuts down stores,…

Thursday 01/07/21

In MACRO & ECONOMIC INDICATOR NEWS, the City carves out a global tax exemption, Japanese business sentiment hits a new high, M&C Saatchi sees an ad recovery, Haldane warns on inflation, factories raise prices and so will boozers (probably). In…

Wednesday 30/06/21

In CONSUMER NEWS, UK consumer spend increases, unemployment falls but economists warn of furlough ending. In CORONA/POST-CORONATREND NEWS, US and UK house price growth hits new highs, UK hospitality takes another hit, US car sales go crazy and United makes…

Tuesday 29/06/21

In MACRO AND OIL NEWS, the Swedish PM resigns and Opec is expected to up production. In JOBS, CONSUMER & HIGH STREET NEWS, employee shortages continue, UBS champions WFH, buyers face a stamp duty hit, the staycation bonanza has its…

Friday 25/06/21

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, Biden agrees a $1tn infrastructure plan, the Bank of England ups its inflation expectations and consumer confidence in the UK stalls. In EMPLOYMENT NEWS, US jobless claims fall, JP Morgan pushes for jabbed employees, Deliveroo wins a…

Thursday 24/06/21

In MACRO & ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS, inflationary pressures continue to build in the US, Europe and UK, business confidence hits new highs in the UK, China continues to burn coal and Lego thinks it has come up with a greener brick!.…

Wednesday 23/06/21

In MACRO & CRYPTO NEWS, Bermuda pushes back on global tax, the UK's economic rebound is better than expected, British industrial output hits new highs, Bitcoin's plunge continues and Monero is fast becoming the criminals' cryptocurrency of choice. In CONSUMER…

Tuesday 22/06/21

In MACRO & BITCOIN NEWS, the Eurozone recovers, Macron suffers and crypto falls. In M&A AND IPO NEWS, Legal & General rejects the Morrisons offer, PE firms continue sniffing around, Axiata and Telenor merge, tractors collide and Soho House has…

Monday 21/06/21

In MACRO & CRYPTO NEWS, UK inflation concerns grow, UK output increases and China cracks down again on Bitcoin. In CONSUMER TRENDS NEWS, timber prices fall and UK house prices lost momentum. In EMPLOYMENT NEWS, McDonalds announces a UK hiring…