Watson's Daily

Thursday 14/01/21

In TRUMP & BITCOIN NEWS, Trump is impeached again, New York cuts him off and Lagarde goes on the offensive over Bitcoin. In M&A NEWS, American Tower buys Telxius, JD Sports and Barneys' owner consider Topshop, the LSE/Refinitiv deal gets…

Wednesday 13/01/21

In CORONAVIRUS/CORONATRENDS NEWS, EU vaccine distribution is criticised, the Chinese vaccine works less well than thought, America will require covid tests for travellers, Landsec gets low rent, Netflix unveils new movies and DHL keeps delivering. In RETAIL/CONSUMER NEWS, B&Q's owner…

Tuesday 12/01/21

In TRUMP-RELATED & CRYPTO NEWS, impeachment rears its head again, social media gets in a tizz and Bitcoin hits a bump. In M&A AND IPO NEWS, Staples has another crack at Office Depot, Sanofi buys Kymab and Dr Martens aims…

Monday 11/01/21

In TRUMP-RELATED NEWS, US senators are reluctant to impeach, US banks prepare to delist Hong Kong products and Apple and Amazon shun Parler. In RETAIL NEWS, some companies are telling customers to keep unwanted goods while the UK retail sector…

Friday 08/01/21

In TRUMP & BITCOIN NEWS, Trump faces a backlash by politicians and Facebook while Bitcoin goes to the moon. In RETAIL NEWS, Eurozone retail sales fall, Sainsbury's and B&M report glad tidings, Joules benefits from online and John Lewis abandons…

Thursday 07/01/21

In MACRO, MARKETS & BREXIT NEWS, Trump sparks a debacle, Chinese apps face uncertainty, NYSE U-turns on the U-turn, markets rock and Brexit causes consternation. In M&A NEWS, the Nvidia/Arm deal faces scrutiny and Walgreens sells Alliance. In CORONAVIRUS NEWS,…

Wednesday 06/01/21

In MACRO, MARKETS, OIL & CRYPTO NEWS, we see Trump's bitter farewell, Germany's stricter lockdown, China markets reaching new highs, oil agreement and Bitcoin potential. In PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES NEWS, Ryanair sees fewer passengers, UK railways take a severe…

Tuesday 05/01/21

In MACRO, MARKETS & CRYPTO NEWS, BoJo presents Lockdown 3.0, trading goes to Europe, Asia goes meh, NYSE backtracks on Chinese company expulsion and the bitcoin drama continues. In M&A NEWS, we look at what's going on in cars, drugs,…

Friday 18/12/20

In MARKETS, MACRO & CRYPTO/CURRENCY NEWS, markets rise on vaccine hopes, Brexit talks continue - as does stockpiling chaos - while sterling and Bitcoin continue to strengthen. In CONSUMER/RETAIL NEWS, Sunak extends furlough, consumers are powered by a vaccine-inspired confidence…

Thursday 17/12/20

In MACROECONOMIC & CURRENCY NEWS, UK exports lag, BMW and Hornby fret but the UK economy is turning on hopes of a Brexit deal and Bitcoin hits news highs as it edges even further into the mainstream. In IPO &…

Wednesday 16/12/20

In MACROECONOMIC & REGULATION NEWS, China's industrial production goes higher, sterling appreciates on Brexit deal hopes and the EU ups the ante on tech regulation. In RETAIL NEWS, JD Sports expands in the US via acquisition, Inditex stages a recovery…

Tuesday 15/12/20

In MACROECONOMIC & COMMODITIES NEWS, Germany teeters on the brink of a double-dip recession, the pound strengthens on Brexit hopes and steel orders jump up. In REAL ESTATE-RELATED NEWS, sellers cut prices, NatWest reintroduces 90% mortgages and Polypipe gets a…

Monday 14/12/20

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, the EU and UK continue Brexit negotiations while ports have IT problems and Germany goes for hard lockdown. In CORONAVIRUS NEWS, vaccines face scepticism in the US and Russia. In INDUSTRY TRENDS, Roblox pulls back from the…

Friday 11/12/20

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, there's agreement on the EU budget, BoJo warns of no-deal, UK signs a trade agreement with Singapore and oil breaches $50 a barrel. In TECH NEWS, France fines Big Tech, Airbnb's IPO goes bananas and…

Thursday 10/12/20

In TECH & GIG NEWS, Facebook faces the FTC, Airbnb raises the bar, DoorDash has a stellar debut, Just Eat pays, Uber sells off flying taxis and the UK Treasury targets gig overlords. In GLOBAL TRADE & LOGISTICS NEWS, we…

Wednesday 09/12/20

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, we look at Japan's chunky stimulus, Brexit bottlenecks and the UK's digi-dog. In RETAIL NEWS, UK grocery sales are strong, Primark calls for co-ordinated effort and Debenhams sells Guildford. In M&A AND IPO NEWS, G4S agrees to…

Tuesday 08/12/20

In MACRO, CURRENCY & VACCINE NEWS, China exports continue to climb, Merkel is on a vital European mission, sterling weakens and the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine hits supply issues. In CORONATRENDS NEWS, the UK housing boom continues, Dentsu makes cuts but ad…

Monday 07/12/20

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, Trump causes chaos, Brexit clogs up supplies but UK jobs get a Covid jab. In FAST-FOOD/HIGH STREET NEWS, Burger King and Wendy's slug it out in India, Nando's has a crisis and Mike Ashley gives Debenhams another.…

Friday 04/12/20

In MACROECONOMIC & OIL NEWS, economists fiddle with their forecasts, sterling strengthens, Opec & friends boost production but Chevron cuts capex. In VACCINE NEWS, business confidence rises on hopes but Wall Street cools on Pfizer's latest and the UK defends…

Thursday 03/12/20

In CORONATRENDS NEWS, vaccinations kick off and UPS puts limits on big retailers. In M&A NEWS, the fight for G4S continues and Countrywide rejects a bid. In RETAIL/HIGH STREET NEWS, Tesco hands back the handouts, Bonmarché goes into administration again…

Wednesday 02/12/20

In TECH NEWS, Salesforce buys Slack, Google/Facebook/Amazon change ad spending and Zoom's ongoing battle with Teams. In RETAIL/HIGH-STREET NEWS, we look at Debenhams failure, what's on the cards for Arcadia, Caffè Nero buying time and Sephora setting up at Kohl's.…

Tuesday 01/12/20

In MARKETS, CURRENCY & OIL NEWS, the FTSE has a record November, Bitcoin reaches new heights and Exxon cuts spending. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, the stamp duty frenzy continues and Arcadia goes into administration. In M&A NEWS, S&P Global…

Monday 30/11/20

In MACROECONOMIC & MARKETS NEWS, the EU tries to pitch to the US, China motors on, investors pile in and Tesla's inclusion causes much head-scratching. In M&A AND IPO NEWS, UK M&A shoots up and S&P Global approaches IHS Markit…

Friday 27/11/20

In MACROECONOMIC & BITCOIN NEWS, Merkel suggests closing ski resorts, economic sentiment improves and Bitcoin suffers. In RETAIL/HIGH-STREET NEWS, hopes are high for Black Friday, Klarna benefits, Mulberry does better in Asia and UK pubs warn of more hurt. In…

Thursday 26/11/20

In TECH NEWS, France imposes the digital tax, Facebook makes an error, TikTok gets an extension, Salesforce eyes Slack and IBM announces job cuts. In M&A NEWS, Bertelsmann buys Simon & Schuster, Future buys GoCompare and AA agrees to takeover.…

Wednesday 25/11/20

In MARKETS, CRYPTO & VACCINE NEWS, US stocks rise, Bitcoin breaks $19k and Sputnik is looking good. In RETAIL NEWS, we look at the problems faced by global retailers as well as the fortunes of Best Buy, Debenhams, AO World…

Tuesday 24/11/20

In PHARMACEUTICAL NEWS, we take a closer look at the impact of AstraZeneca/Oxford University's vaccine, Merck buying OncoImmune and Amazon's recent foray into pharmacy. In RESCUE NEWS, Cineworld gets a lifeline, the AA gets a private equity offer and JD…

Monday 23/11/20

In CORONATRENDS NEWS, propane demand explodes in the US but in the UK, office projects stall, moves towards railway nationalisation continue, covid prompts reshoring, motor insurers await a nice bump, there's an elephant in the room regarding house prices and…

Friday 20/11/20

In CONSUMER/GOODS/RETAIL NEWS, UK consumer confidence weakens, the PS5 launch crashes sites, Frasers increases its stake in Mulberry, Peacocks and Jaeger go under and Naked Wines toasts more subscriptions. In CORONAVIRUS DRUG NEWS, the WHO dismisses Remdesivir but an arthritis…

Thursday 19/11/20

In CONSUMER/RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, Inflation rises, wages freeze, Halford peddles well and British Land offloads retail while in the US, Target hits the spot and TK Maxx's parent makes an online push. In ELECTRIC VEHICLE NEWS, Arrival aims for NY and…

Wednesday 18/11/20

In BITCOIN & FINANCIALS NEWS, Bitcoin reaches new highs, Santander buys Wirecard's European business and Co-Op Bank gets an approach. In CONSUMER/RETAIL NEWS, we look at US and UK sales trends and Walmart's slowing rise. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Amazon…

Tuesday 17/11/20

In VACCINE-RELATED NEWS, Moderna's news boosts markets. CORONATRENDS NEWS, Home Depot splashes out, the birth rate falls, Cinemark signs a historic deal and UK Lockdown 2.0 has less impact. In ELECTRIC VEHICLE-RELATED NEWS, Tesla is to join the S&P while…

Monday 16/11/20

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, a historic Asian trade deal is signed, Japan's economy rebounds and BoJo self-isolates. In CORONATRENDS NEWS, Simon Property and Taubman agree on a lower price, the Supreme Court readies itself for an insurance battle and Johnson &…

Friday 13/11/20

In CORONATRENDS NEWS, WeWork burns even more cash, Emirates announces its first loss in over 30 years and Tui faces criticism. In RETAIL NEWS, WH Smith announces cuts and closures, Burberry wants tax-free to continue and B&M announces big profits.…

Thursday 12/11/20

In CONSUMER/RETAIL NEWS, we see rising household debts, a hot residential property market into the end of the year and worries about retailers coping. TECH NEWS, China tech suffers, Alibaba has a stellar Singles Day and TikTok tries another delay.…

Wednesday 11/11/20

In REGULATION NEWS, China draws up antitrust rules, the EU accuses Amazon and UK takeover rules tighten. VACCINE NEWS, we look at who's in the race as well as Pfizer and potential logistical challenges. In TECH NEWS, the sector gets…

Tuesday 10/11/20

In CORONAVIRUS NEWS, Pfizer's revelation sparks a rally, optimism is tinged with caution and Eli Lilly gets approval. MACRO & TREND NEWS, the EU starts to impose tariffs on the US and the Turkish lira jumps while. In M&A NEWS,…

Monday 09/11/20

In TRUMP/BIDEN NEWS, Trump kicks and screams his way out of the White House and we see what Biden has in store. In FINANCIAL NEWS, Buffett benefits, fund raising is about to increase, Scottish Widows gets a conscience and there's…

Friday 6/11/20

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, uncertainty continues over the US election while Sunak and the Bank of England give support. FINANCIALS NEWS, Ant Group looks at a long delay, SocGen profits on trading and RSA announces a takeover bid. In CORONATRENDS NEWS,…

Thursday 05/11/20

In US ELECTION & MACRO NEWS, it's all looking a bit tricky in the US as the UK heads for a double-dip recession. In NEWS ABOUT THE UK HIGH STREET, shoppers make a last minute dash - but jobs are…

Wednesday 04/11/20

In CORONATRENDS NEWS, we see why Lockdown 2.0 may not be so bad and consider more winners and losers. In FIN/TECH NEWS, Ant Group's IPO gets a kick in the teeth and Nvidia/Arm is getting Chinese resistance. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY…

Tuesday 03/11/20

In CORONATRENDS NEWS, we take a look at what the forecasters are saying, long-term and short-term winners and losers and how coronavirus is changing behaviour. In RETAIL NEWS, Ocado lifts its forecasts while Alibaba makes a fashion investment. In INDIVIDUAL…

Monday 02/11/20

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, we look at the US election and beyond, downbeat Eurozone forecasts, UK lockdown implications and an agreement with TfL whilst oil prices fall. In RETAIL NEWS, footfall slides, toyshops close, Sainsbury's looks like getting a…

Friday 30/10/20

In MACROECONOMIC & OIL NEWS, the US economy bounces back, oil hits a low and Exxon makes deep cuts. FAANG NEWS, Facebook's revenues rise, Amazon aims to keep up with demand, Netflix ups its prices and Google's ad sales return.…

Thursday 29/10/20

In MACRO & MARKETS NEWS, India/China relations get testier, Germany and France impose new measures and markets wobble. CONSUMER/CONSUMER GOODS-RELATED NEWS, Visa and Mastercard point to a nervous US consumer (but US car sales are strengthening), UK estate agents push…

Wednesday 28/10/20

In M&A AND IPO NEWS, AMD buys Xilinx, LVMH and Tiffany renegotiate terms and Airbnb aims for a listing. TECH NEWS, Microsoft rides the cloud and TikTok turns to Shopify. In AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, Waymo does a deal with Daimler Trucks,…

Tuesday 27/10/20

In MARKETS & CORONAVIRUS TRENDS, US and European markets weaken and we see how Lockdown 2.0 could highlight different winners. In FINTECH & TECH NEWS, Ant Group aims to raise $34bn, Facebook moves into cloud-based gaming and SAP takes short…

Monday 26/10/20

In CORONATRENDS NEWS, private jets get popular, home workers seek refuge elsewhere, Lloyds tells staff to go home until spring and copper prices rise. In RETAIL NEWS, Debenhams' suitors face a deadline while Cath Kidston returns online. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY…

Friday 23/10/20

In CONSUMER NEWS, Sunak gets more generous, consumer confidence takes a dent and take a bit wealth hit. RETAIL/CONSUMER GOODS NEWS, Gap considers European closures, Hermès and Kering show a recovery in luxury, Barbie sales take off, Coca-Cola fizzes and…

Thursday 22/10/20

In FAANG NEWS, Facebook launches its dating site in the UK and we look at why Netflix ain't dead yet and what's going on with Google. ELECTRIC VEHICLE NEWS, Tesla's profits rises as it talks about mining and we see…

Wednesday 21/10/20

In TRANSPORT-RELATED NEWS, Cathay Pacific takes drastic action, airports lose £83m a week, the Trainline boss quits and TfL gets threatened by government. TECH-RELATED NEWS, Google gets sued by the Justice Department, Snapchat adds more users and Sweden is the…

Tuesday 20/10/20

In M&A AND IPO NEWS, Conoco Phillips buys Concho, Alibaba takes control of Sun Art, Intel sells NAND business to SK Hynix and Ant's $30bn gets the go-ahead. In CORONATRENDS NEWS, Landsec decides to sell a massive chunk of its…

Monday 19/10/20

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, China GDP grows, Europe faces a double-dip and fund managers back Biden to win. TECH NEWS, it looks like Big Tech will suffer whoever wins the election and Facebook could get a big fine. In RETAIL NEWS,…

Friday 16/10/20

In CONSUMER/RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, credit card borrowing costs are expected to rise and we're spending money on Domino's and AO World but not at Boots. Marston's faces reality, the EG Group brothers face scrutiny and LVMH offers hope. FINANCIALS NEWS, Stripe…