Watson's Daily

Tuesday 09/11/21

In MACRO, ENERGY & CRYPTO NEWS, central bankers have different ideas on inflation, gas prices skyrocket, China's power-down has supply chain impact, mini-nukes get funding and Bitcoin booms. In CONSUMER NEWS, world labour markets improve, UK consumer confidence continues to…

Monday 08/11/21

In MACRO NEWS, Biden gets his funding through, China ups the coal imports and UK business output continues to fall while the labour market remains tight. In ELECTRIC VEHICLE NEWS, EV charging gets a Biden boost, Tesla goes on Twitter,…

Friday 05/11/21

In MACRO, CLIMATE & CRYPTO NEWS, the Bank of England leaves interest rates (but furlough and wage numbers keep the pressure on), climate pledges have a wobble and BTS NFTs are going to be a thing. In POSTCORONATRENDS NEWS, airlines…

Thursday 04/11/21

In INTEREST RATES & ENERGY NEWS, the US and Europe dismiss interest rate speculation while the UK is on the cusp, green energy faces hurdles as industry calls for energy storage while coal miners profit. In RETAIL/SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS, Ikea…

Wednesday 03/11/21

In MACRO, CLIMATE & ENERGY NEWS, China advises food stockpiling, the government faces a North Sea dilemma, banks go under the microscope for their green promises and four more energy suppliers go bust. In SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS, Maersk warns that…

Tuesday 02/11/21

In MACRO, INFLATION & CRYPTO NEWS, India commits to an emissions target, factory prices skyrocket, diesel prices reach new highs and Bitcoin attracts more interest. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Franklin Templeton makes a bolt-on acquisition, Barclays has leadership turmoil and Nubank…

Monday 01/11/21

In MACRO, SUPPLY CHAIN & OIL NEWS, China manufacturing slows, Japan's LDP wins the election, Portugal seeks a new government, US warehouses are running out of space and Saudi Aramco's valuation climbs above $2tn. In CONSUMER TRENDS NEWS, first class…

Friday 29/10/21

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, US growth slows, traders bank on an interest rate rise and Shell targets emissions. In TECH NEWS, Facebook outlines a new future while both Amazon and Apple suffer. In UK PROPERTY NEWS, mortgage rates rise…

Thursday 28/10/21

In MACRO & TRENDS NEWS, we take a look at yesterday's UK Budget, advertisers' bullish spending intentions and inflation winners. In AUTOMOTIVE-RELATED NEWS, GM and Ford rue chip shortages, UK car production hits new lows and Hertz announces Uber links…

Will Facebook’s rebranding stop the Meta…Curse? by Yenli Nguyen

In What's the story?, Facebook is to announce its plans to shift from being a social media company to becoming a Metaverse company. In Why is it interesting?, CEO Mark Zuckerberg thinks the Metaverse is an inevitable ‘reality,’ which means…

Wednesday 27/10/21

In CONSUMER & RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, households fear inflation as prices rise but they spend on BNPL, which gets a boost with a Klarna/Strip tie-up. Meanwhile, Ikea buys Topshop's former flagship.... In CAR-RELATED NEWS, we look at reasons behind Tesla's success…

Tuesday 26/10/21

In CONSUMER-RELATED NEWS, house sales and petrol prices hit new highs - but an MPC member wants to wait-and-see for longer - and Americans are likely to hit the credit cards again. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, Tesla becomes a $1tn company,…

Monday 25/10/21

In MACRO NEWS, Poland fights back against the EU. In CONSUMER TRENDS/RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, consumer confidence weakens but employers aim to hire, the Giggling Squid and Las Iguanas do well, shoppers go mad for frozen, Tesco has an outage, in-store pick-up…

Friday 22/10/21

In MACRO, ENERGY AND CRYPTO NEWS, the US drops its tariff threat, Brazil hits difficulties and the UK's chief economist, manufacturers and consumers fret while Putin talks gas pressure and over 100,000 go wild for free crypto. In FIN/TECH NEWS,…

Thursday 21/10/21

In MACRO, ENERGY AND CRYPTO NEWS, inflation growth eases - but wages, paint prices and utility bills rise - SMRs could be the future of nuke and Bitcoin hits a new high. In CHINA CRACKDOWN NEWS, new home prices fall…

Wednesday 20/10/21

In SUPPLY CHAIN & CRYPTO NEWS, businesses say supply chain strain is to continue, restaurants and hotels face huge inflation and P&G ups prices while a Bitcoin ETF starts trading and Facebook launches a digital currency wallet. In POST-CORONATRENDS NEWS,…

Tuesday 19/10/21

In MACRO & ENERGY NEWS, speculation increases over an early UK interest rate rise and the merits/downsides of an online sales tax while French presidential hopeful Zemmour makes waves. Russia keeps gas prices up, Goto Energy goes under and the…

Monday 18/10/21

In MACRO & SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS, China's GDP growth slows, the Bank of England hints at an interest rate rise, China's energy crisis shows no signs of easing and Sunak mulls cutting VAT on energy bills. In JOBS & CONSUMER…

Friday 15/10/21

In MACRO, OIL & ENERGY NEWS, China's producer prices shoot up, shalers face higher costs and energy companies get sneaky with direct debits. In SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS, Biden's 24/7 approach has flaws, butchers are given visas, supply chain woes broaden…

Thursday 14/10/21

In MACRO, COMMODITIES & CRYPTO NEWS, US inflation rises, the UK economy picks up (but MPC members are banned from talking), Vietnam's recovery sputters, coal stages a comeback while aluminium and zinc prices hit new highs. US>China on crypto mining....…

Wednesday 13/10/21

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, NEWS, Germany's woes continue, the IMF downgrades the UK and recession fears rise, Maersk swerves Felixstowe and supply chain problems hit bikes and builders while Philip Morris and CureVac get involved in new vaccines. In CONSUMER…

Tuesday 12/10/21

In MACRO & SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS, everyone's talking about an interest rate rise, the oil price goes stronger and Felixstowe gets overwhelmed. In CONSUMER NEWS, confidence takes a beating, Christmas dinner will be more expensive, companies indulge in shrinkflation and…

Monday 11/10/21

In MACRO, OIL & SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS, the UK interest rate may rise earlier than expected, oil prices look likely to strengthen and retailers charter ships. In REAL ESTATE NEWS, we take another look at Evergrande's repercussions, UK mortgage rates…

Friday 08/10/21

In MACRO & GAS NEWS, both the ECB and Bank of England are worried about prolonged inflation as UK households face rising house prices, rail fares and secondhand car costs. Russia has gas and Ireland caves to Biden. In SUPPLY…

Thursday 07/10/21

In MACRO, MARKETS & ENERGY NEWS, Germany starts coalition talks against a backdrop of weak demand, inflation spooks markets while Poland and New Zealand increase interest rates and utility bills are set to go higher on expensive gas that Putin…

Wednesday 06/10/21

In SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS, Facebook faces a lot of questions and Ofcom cracks down on TikTok, Snap and OnlyFans. In REAL ESTATE NEWS, China's property situation is set to have repercussions while New York gets stronger. In RETAIL & CONSUMER…

Memes and avatars: What’s the tea on NFTs?

In What's the story?, The original image of the “Side-eying Chloe” meme was sold at auction as a “non-fungible token” (NFT) for £54,000. Bids kicked off at 5 Ether, the equivalent of £11,000 and it was bought by 3F Music..…

Tuesday 05/10/21

In MACRO, OIL & SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS, the German economy heads for slowdown, US oil hits a seven-year high, the UK fuel shortage is set to continue and the pork industry faces challenges. In RETAIL NEWS, US retailers fear a…

Monday 04/10/21

In MACRO & ENERGY NEWS, China sends ripples around the world, Ovo eyes Bulb and nuclear power goes up the agenda. In EMPLOYMENT NEWS, staff shortages continue, Sunak pledges a boost and there are appeals for HGV learner loans. In…

Friday 01/10/21

In MACRO, ENERGY & CRYPTO NEWS, China's manufacturing activity slows, Germany's inflation hits a 29-year high, UK GDP grows faster than expected, a new subsea cable project launches, Ofgem braces for another collapse and there are varying opinions on crypto.…

Thursday 30/09/21

In ENERGY, FUEL & FURLOUGH NEWS, the UK plans to kick China out of nukes, China itself suffers with coal shortages, 3 more UK energy suppliers go bust, fuel deliveries are prioritised and furlough comes to an end. In RETAIL…

Wednesday 29/09/21

In MACRO & GAS NEWS, the pound suffers from inflation and debt concerns, the government takes over Southeastern, wholesale gas prices keep rising and Serica benefits. In FUEL & CAR NEWS, the UK panic eases, fuel prices may be higher…

Tuesday 28/09/21

In ENERGY, FUEL & MACRO NEWS, China power outages hit supply chains, US LNG exporters aim to step in, the UK's fuel problem spreads, the case for nuclear power strengthens, oil prices head for $80 and the Bank of England…

Monday 27/09/21

In MACRO & SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS, Scholz's SPD wins, the US supply chain is struggling, businesses say that UK visa changes aren't enough, Shapps' longer hours plan hasn't worked and we take a look at the current petrol pump crisis.…

Friday 24/09/21

In MACRO, OIL & GAS NEWS, the Bank of England leaves inflation unchecked, oil production is set to rise in the US, winners emerge on gas price increases but Europe looks like it'll be next for CO2 shortages. In CHINA…

Thursday 23/09/21

In MACRO, EVERGRANDE & ENERGY NEWS, the Fed edges towards raising rates, Germany has a wobble, Evergrande calms fears, the US wades in to the gas drama and two more energy companies go bust. In M&A AND IPO NEWS, Netflix…

Wednesday 22/09/21

In CLAMPDOWN NEWS, we look at Evergrande and the wider China clampdown as the US Treasury imposes sanctions on a crypto exchange. In GAS NEWS, the IEA urges Russia to boost supply to Europe, the UK returns to square one…

Tuesday 21/09/21

In MARKETS & ENERGY-RELATED NEWS, Evergrande rocks global markets, Kwarteng reassures on gas, CO2 problems persist and mini-nukes could be the solution. In M&A AND INVESTMENT, Shell sells assets to ConocoPhillips, EA buys Playdemic, Pimlico Plumbers gets bought, Mishcon de…

Monday 20/09/21

In GAS & MACRO NEWS, gas shortages hit the US and UK, energy prices are set to push up inflation, chicken producers face CO2 shortages and Japan narrows down PM candidates to a choice of four. In UK CONSUMER NEWS,…

Friday 17/09/21

In MACRO, ENERGY & LOGISTICS NEWS, the US economy shows resilience, BoJo has an eye on the next election, Sunak is to unveil new fiscal rules, higher gas prices trigger fertiliser problems, Maersk goes bananas and Yodel heads for strikes.…

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…