Watson's Daily

Monday 10/05/21

In VACCINES & CRYPTO NEWS, jab rollout helps the UK services sector, we are getting closer to peanut allergy relief and Dogecoin falls. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, Nio bets on battery-swapping, EVs are set to get cheaper and self-driving cars are…

Friday 07/05/21

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, the Bank of England predicts fast growth, services bounce back and food prices rise. In RETAIL NEWS, Next and Zalando raise full-year guidance, Sainsbury's gets a John Lewis boss and Superdry turns a corner. In PROPERTY-RELATED NEWS,…

Thursday 06/05/21

In MARKETS, MACRO, VACCINE & CRYPTO NEWS, the FTSE hits new highs, Asia suffers, the US offers beer for vaccines, Biden stirs up patents and Dogecoin goes bananas. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, Tesla's about to lose millions, the UK considers stockpiling…

Wednesday 05/05/21

In MACRO, OIL & VACCINES NEWS, Yellen's US interest rate chat spooks markets, Saudi Aramco sees strong earnings and Pfizer benefits from its jab. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, there's more chip chit-chat about the chance to change chip supply chains and…

Tuesday 04/05/21

In CORONAVIRUS & CRYPTOCURRENCY NEWS, Germany aims to loosen Covid restrictions while Indian businesses call for tightening and Ethereum goes ballistic. In UK JOB MARKET NEWS, an uneven recovery continues but grads face difficulties and UK businesses brace for litigation.…

Friday 30/04/21

In MACRO & COMMODITY NEWS, the US economy rebounds, the UK is looking good, higher oil prices benefit Shell and copper prices break the $10,000 level. In RETAIL & CONSUMER NEWS, the BRC bemoans empty shops, Amazon shoots the lights…

Thursday 29/04/21

In TECH NEWS, Apple's earnings surge and Facebook ads drive sales. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Deutsche Bank announces bumper profits, Lloyds profits soar and Mifid changes are considered. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, Mini production suffers a chip hit, EV numbers will hit…

Wednesday 28/04/21

In PROPERTY NEWS, the City plans new homes, rents in the 'burbs rise and IWG talks a good game. In RETAIL NEWS, online shopping loses momentum and Waitrose deepens the relationship with Deliveroo. In CAR NEWS, Tesla's performance looks shakier…

Tuesday 27/04/21

In MACRO, BITCOIN & VACCINE NEWS, Goldman Sachs reckons the UK's growth rate will be greater than the US, Bitcoin recovers, the US plans to shares vaccine doses, the EU sues AstraZeneca and Germany's confidence is hit. In TRAVEL &…

Monday 26/04/21

In VACCINE & MARKETS NEWS, India gets supplies from abroad while markets rally. In CORONATRENDS NEWS, big banks cut business trips, US summer rental prices rise, Gousto recruits, eateries raise pay and Spotify signals a slowdown. In CONSUMER TRENDS NEWS,…

Friday 23/04/21

In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, UK consumer confidence rises, social spending shoots up and luxury sales are set to strengthen. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, Hyundai profits rocket, JLR and Renault complain of prolonged chip shortages, Intel isn't too positive about a…

Thursday 22/04/21

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, the UK looks set for big growth while inflation falls short and Draghi plans Italy's overhaul. In BOUNCEBACK NEWS, Pendragon sees growth, Pizza Express returns, Wetherspoon reopens, PureGym works out, bookshops see action and BetMGM forecasts strong…

Wednesday 21/04/21

In MARKETS & VACCINE NEWS, the FTSE drops, Johnson & Johnson's vaccine gets the OK and Avacta benefits from Covid test. In CONSUMER/RETAIL NEWS, businesses report a strong trade, UK unemployment falls, there are high hopes for luxury spending, Primark…

Tuesday 20/04/21

In TECH NEWS, Nvidia gets Nvestigated, the UK moves forwards on drones, Apple reinstates Parler, Zoom invests and Sunak looks at a digital currency. In EV-RELATED NEWS, China takes on Tesla, Musk gets involved in the Tesla crash aftermath and…

Monday 19/04/21

In MACRO, ENVIRONMENT & BITCOIN NEWS, the US and China pledge action on climate change, coal financing gets more expensive, BP vows to stop gas flaring, big investors pressure banks to stop financing carbon emitters, Lithium shortages threaten EVs and…

Friday 16/04/21

In MACRO, MARKETS & VACCINE NEWS, the US and Chinese economy strengthen and CureVac hopes to get approval by June. In FINANCIALS NEWS, BlackRock sees a surge in AUM, Bank of America sees surging profits and Peel Hunt considers an…

Thursday 15/04/21

In RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS,LVMH hits highs, Tesco counts costs and Asda axes baking while American Airlines and EasyJet get busy. In PROPERTY NEWS, British Land pursues open-air, the London skyscraper boom implies limited impact from WFH and Foxtons rakes…

Wednesday 14/04/21

In VACCINE, MACRO & CRYPTO NEWS, Johnson & Johnson delays European rollout, India does a deal with Russia and fake vaccine certificates emerge while the UK economy grows and Bitcoin hits new highs. In IPO NEWS, Coinbase's flotation approaches and…

Tuesday 13/04/21

In VACCINE-RELATED NEWS, Pfizer turns the screws on the EU, China backtracks and Apple/Google don't update. In M&A AND IPO NEWS, Microsoft buys Nuance and Veolia goes for Suez while Coinbase, PensionBee and Darktrace prepare for IPOs. In NEWS ON…

Monday 12/04/21

In MACRO, MARKETS & VACCINE NEWS, the US and UK economies look likely to take-off, EU/UK trade negotiations continue, Kwarteng makes takeover concessions and the LSE has its best Q1 for IPOs since 2007 while there are vaccine developments in…

Thursday 01/04/21

In CORONAVIRUS-RELATED NEWS, Macron extends the lockdown, the EU get feistier with jabs and teen testing goes well. In TECH NEWS, Huawei sanctions bite, Microsoft does a major US Army deal, Apple dabbles in disruption and Deliveroo falls flat. In…

Wednesday 31/03/21

In VACCINE & MACRO NEWS, Merkel and Macron crawl to Putin, Le Pen gathers pace, Suez repercussions will reverberate and the UK's economic looks towards recovery. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, we go mad for Easter eggs, the over-65s return…

Tuesday 30/03/21

In GLOBAL TRADE & VACCINE NEWS, we look at the Suez implications, Serbia's vaccine latest, Canada's AstraZeneca reticence and the possibility of certificates to go to the office. In CONSUMER NEWS, firms plan to hire, Britons pay down debt, London…

Monday 29/03/21

In MACRO, MARKETS & VACCINE NEWS, the US aims for a massive infrastructure bill, UK economic data keeps surprising on the upside, a New York fire sale makes waves, Asia tech scramble, Moderna springs to our aid and consumer confidence…

Friday 26/03/21

In MACROECONOMIC & VACCINE NEWS, US jobless numbers fall, the Suez thing drags on, India blocks vaccine exports and there's back-pedalling on pub passports. In ELECTRIC VEHICLE-RELATED NEWS, Arrival arrives, Ford ditches the Mondeo for EVs and the UK charging…

Thursday 25/03/21

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, the Suez blockage has repercussions, the UK and EU try to move forward, the UK services sector overtakes manufacturing and UK inflation falls. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Ant Group regroups, NatWest moves towards an overhaul and Nationwide workers…

Wednesday 24/03/21

In MACRO & JOBS NEWS, Abu Dhabi invests big in the UK, unemployment comes down, young people take a hit and working practices at Goldman Sachs and Citi change. In CHIPS & EV NEWS, Intel commits to up production, Bitcoin…

Tuesday 23/03/21

In IPO AND M&A NEWS, Deliveroo sets a range, a $29bn railway deal is on track, Ardian/GIP make an offer, Blackstone bids for an Australian casino operator and Mondelez buys Grenade. In CORONACONSEQUENCES & CONSUMER NEWS, property demand rises and…

Monday 22/03/21

In MACRO & VACCINE NEWS, China continues to recover, vaccine rollout in the USA continues apace but BoJo locks horns with the EU. In CONSUMER/RETAIL RELATED NEWS, UK confidence surges and Sunak holds off on online sales tax. In CHIP-RELATED…

Friday 19/03/21

In MACRO, VACCINE & OIL NEWS, the Bank of England upgrades outlook, EV subsidies are suddenly cut, EU vaccine shenanigans highlight problems and oil takes a hit. In CONSUMER & CONSUMER TRENDS NEWS, UK consumer confidence rises, people go back…

Thursday 18/03/21

In MACRO, VACCINES & OIL NEWS, the Fed commits to no rate rise until 2024 but Germany's growth stalls, the Europeans make vaccine threats while the UK vaccination has to slow and it looks like we've reached Peak Petrol. In…

Wednesday 17/03/21

In VACCINE-RELATED NEWS, Maersk says ships will get involved in transporting vaccines and Brussels proposes Covid certificates. In CONSUMER/HIGH STREET NEWS, expectations are for spending splurges in the US and the UK, Amazon opens another shop in the UK and…

Tuesday 16/03/21

In MACRO, BREXIT & VACCINE NEWS, China manufacturing powers through, the EU takes the UK to court over Brexit and more countries suspend the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. In EV NEWS, carmakers strive to drive down costs, VW commits to battery-making and…

Monday 15/03/21

In MACRO, BITCOIN & VACCINE NEWS, UK business and manufacturing confidence rise, Bitcoin hits $60k and vaccines continue to be problematic. In CONSUMER TRENDS, UK property prices rise but retail closures hit highs. In EV-RELATED NEWS, Panasonic aims to reduce…

Friday 12/03/21

In MACRO & VACCINE NEWS, Biden makes the stimulus law and a vaccine commitment while Australia targets independence, Brussels has more AstraZeneca problems, Johnson & Johnson's one-shot gets EU approval and UK ministers review City rules. In M&A, IPO AND…

Thursday 11/03/21

In MACROECONOMIC & VACCINE NEWS, Biden's stimulus gets the go ahead, Spain is in turmoil, Brussels tussles with the UK and Russia plans to manufacture Sputnik V in Italy. In RETAIL & HIGH STREET-RELATED NEWS, Next takes a chunk of…

Wednesday 10/03/21

In MARKETS & VACCINE NEWS, Biden's stimulus boosts markets, EU fails at vaccine delivery and accuses the UK of a ban on vaccine exports. In CORONATRENDS NEWS, Deutsche let staff WFH, dentists prosper, Disney+ hits a milestone, Domino's UK puts…

Tuesday 09/03/21

In CONSUMER/RETAIL TREND NEWS, China's car sales quadruple, Direct Line suffers from weaker UK car sales, UK retail sales recover and M&S expands online. In REAL ESTATE NEWS, IWG gets a big new client, Square Mile gets more offices and…

Monday 08/03/21

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, Biden moves in on stimulus but UK exports suffer. In VACCINE-RELATED NEWS, UK confidence rises due to rollout and US corporates get involved in vaccinating employees. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, US dealerships adapt to selling EVs and Aston…

Friday 05/03/21

In MACRO, OIL & VACCINE NEWS, Biden's stimulus package causes deadlock, US/UK trade thaws, Beijing targets 6% GDP growth, we take a sector-by-sector look at the UK budget impact, oil rises and Italy blocks AstraZeneca exports. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, Tesla…

Thursday 04/03/21

In MACRO, OIL & VACCINE NEWS, we take a look at Sunak's budget, reactions to stock market proposals, oil's rise, the need for vaccine passports and a potential bit of vaccine good news. In RETAIL NEWS, Disney closes US stores,…

Wednesday 03/03/21

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, Biden makes a vaccine pledge, Germany's rollout continues to disappoint, UK listing rules face changes and the new takeover rules could ease. In RETAIL/CONSUMER NEWS, CVS and Walgreens stand to gain on vaccines, Boohoo faces more trouble,…

Tuesday 02/03/21

In VACCINE & CORONAVIRUS-RELATED NEWS, France U-turns on AstraZeneca, Hungarians get the Chinese vaccine, Austria/Denmark/Israel's vaccine side-deal, Novavax triumph, vaccine passports and Covid tests. In FLOTATION-RELATED NEWS, we look at Sunak's City plans, SPACs' new record and Trustpilot listing in…

Monday 01/03/21

In VACCINE NEWS, Johnson & Johnson's one-shot jab gets the OK in the US, China's rollout slows, Germany does a U-turn on AstraZeneca, the Czech Republic considers Sputnik V, UK rollout progresses and AstraZeneca sells its Moderna stake. In CAR…

Friday 26/02/21

In VACCINE NEWS, Europe's vaccine rollout continues to cause frustration, Moderna outlines bullish projections and Russia makes Africa pay more for its jab. In RETAIL & RELATED NEWS, GameStop trading goes wild again, Klarna cashes in, Asda faces job losses…

Thursday 25/02/21

In MACRO & GIG ECONOMY NEWS, we take a snapshot of the economy before lockdown lifting, the stamp duty holiday looks like it's heading for an extension, the EU considers gig worker status and Uber will face Didi again -…

Wednesday 24/02/21

In MACRO & BITCOIN NEWS, Bolsonaro cause Brazilian wobbles, UK unemployment rises, ministers debate vaccine passports/testing in addition to online tax and we look at potential economic hurdles. In M&A, IPO & DISPOSAL NEWS, Estée Lauder makes a $1bn acquisition,…

Tuesday 23/02/21

In MACRO & BITCOIN NEWS, Boris Johnson outlines the roadmap to freedom and Bitcoin tumbles. In M&A, IPO AND SPIN-OFF NEWS, we look at purchases by M&T, Goodyear, LVMH and G4S while Roblox nears flotation and VW edges closer to…

Monday 22/02/21

In EMPLOYMENT NEWS, the US sees a boom in blue-collar jobs, UK employers seem ready to hire, "no job, no vaccine" looks like "no-go" and HSBC moves jobs east. In GIG ECONOMY NEWS, TUber loses (but employees win!) and start-ups…

Friday 19/02/21

In CURRENCY NEWS, sterling reaches a new high, a Bitcoin ETF flies on debut and there's something dodgy about Dogecoin. In AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, Tesla UK sales have shot up, Daimler doesn't pin a date on electrification and VW considers a…

Thursday 18/02/21

In MACRO, MARKETS, OIL & BITCOIN NEWS, Italy's new PM lays out his ambitions, Chinese traders push markets to new highs, the Saudis raise oil output while frackers stay on the sidelines and Bitcoin requests increase. In CONSUMER/CONSUMER GOODS NEWS,…

Wednesday 17/02/21

In MACRO, COMMODITIES & BITCOIN NEWS, Germany's lockdown grates, mining investors hope for a supercycle and Bitcoin breaks $50k. In M&A AND IPO NEWS, eBay/Adevinta looks vulnerable while Kanabo and Cornish Metals have strong debuts and Virgin Wines announces a…

Tuesday 16/02/21

In MACRO, MARKETS & CORONAVIRUS NEWS, Japan faces a downturn but the Nikkei hits new heights while Novavax gets closer to approval and the UK veers towards rapid testing. In MONEY-RAISING NEWS, Vivendi aims to spin out Universal, Europeans join…

Monday 15/02/21

In MACROECONOMIC & COMMODITIES NEWS, Trump gets acquitted, Biden is to join a G7 meeting, Draghi becomes Italian PM and crop prices put the pressure on. In VACCINE & CORONATREND NEWS, we look at the impact of Covid in the…