Watson's Daily

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…

Friday 12/02/21

In MACRO, TRADING & BITCOIN NEWS, the Chinese economy may get a further boost because of travel restrictions, London's golden age fades and Bitcoin gets yet another boost. In TECH-RELATED NEWS, Biden's administration aims to address chip shortages, Bumble's IPO…

Thursday 11/02/21

In MACRO, MARKET TREND & VACCINE NEWS, the Fed stays low, Amsterdam does more trade than London, cannabis gets the Reddit treatment, von der Leyen admits vaccine shortcomings, the WHO suuports AstraZeneca/Oxford and Pfizer gets a boost. In CORONATRENDS NEWS,…

Wednesday 10/02/21

In BITCOIN & OIL NEWS, we look at Bitcoin's immediate future and Total reports a big loss. In RETAIL NEWS, web grocery sales rise and Ocado prospers. Oxford Street holes get bigger and JD Sports has the Brexit blues. In…

Tuesday 09/02/21

In MACRO, COMMODITIES & BITCOIN, we see Draghi's positive influence, oil hitting $60 a barrel and Bitcoin getting a Tesla boost. In M&A NEWS, Veolia goes hostile on Suez, EA buys Glu Mobile, Boohoo buys the remnants of Arcadia, Frasers…

Monday 08/02/21

In BREXIT-RELATED NEWS, we look at potential import nightmares and those doing well out of it. In M&A NEWS, the UK has its fastest start in M&A since 2008 and Renesas looks to buy Dialog. In TRADING-RELATED NEWS, we look…

Friday 05/02/21

In MACRO, VACCINE & OIL NEWS, the Bank of England puts faith in a vaccine-fuelled recovery, Johnson & Johnson seeks authorisation and Shell has a tough time. In M&A/INVESTMENT-RELATED NEWS, the Nvidia/Arm acquisition attracts scrutiny, JD Sports and Greene King…

Thursday 04/02/21

In MACRO & VACCINE-RELATED NEWS, Mario Draghi returns, Denmark launches coronavirus passports, the Swiss rejects AstraZeneca and GSK gets with CureVac. In CORONATRENDS NEWS, we look at a hybrid work future, De Beers sees a diamond serge, Sony benefits from…

Wednesday 03/02/21

In MACRO & VACCINE NEWS, the Eurozone double-dips, Brexit creates Northern Ireland nastiness and the government embraces state aid while Sputnik succeeds, the Balkans seek out alternative solutions, Oxford/AstraZeneca has good and bad news and Pfizer benefits. In CONSUMER-RELATED NEWS,…

Tuesday 02/02/21

In BITCOIN, TRADING & CONSUMER NEWS, Elon boosts Bitcoin, Robinhood raises cash, Redditors try a silver lining, Hargreaves Lansdown sees more action, UK households save and mortgage approvals gather pace. In RETAIL NEWS, Asos snaps up Topshop and JD Sports…

Monday 01/02/21

In VACCINES & BREXIT NEWS, the EU gets criticism for its vaccine kerfuffle, the debate continues over "no jab, no job" and we look at Brexit one month on as well as current shipping problems. In REDDIT TRADING-RELATED NEWS, Melvin…

Friday 29/01/21

In MACRO & MARKETS NEWS, the US economy shrank by 3.5% in 2020, Covid pushes UK towards double-dip and GameStop continues to rile the amateurs. In VACCINE & CORONATRENDS NEWS, the EU gets nastier and Novavax shows its efficacy while…

Thursday 28/01/21

In MACROECONOMIC & MARKETS NEWS, Vietnam shows how it's done, Asian markets follow US lead and GameStop trading shows pros getting their &rses kicked. In VACCINE & CORONATRENDS NEWS, the EU gets nasty, "no jab, no job" needs clarification while…

Wednesday 27/01/21

In VACCINE-RELATED NEWS, Germany tries to block vaccine exports, drugmakers work on variants, J&J gets a booster, all eyes are on vaccine passports and there's still time to join the Saga-louts. In TECH NEWS, Microsoft continues to benefit from WFM,…

Tuesday 26/01/21

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, Biden says "Buy American" but Xi Jinping warns against protectionism, Italy's PM Conte heads for the door and Bitcoin gets a dig from the Bank of England governor. In RETAIL NEWS, Boohoo buys Debenhams, Jenners closes and…

Monday 25/01/21

In VACCINE-RELATED NEWS, poorer nations' vaccine problems could spread, AstraZeneca gets into hot water over EU shortages, Panasonic partakes in the vaccine storage race and Saga sees an uptick in holiday bookings. In INVESTMENT NEWS, hedge funds rake it in…

Friday 22/01/21

In VACCINE NEWS, the US joins global efforts, Hungary approves Sputnik V, we look at the next vaccine candidates and vaccine storage. In CONSUMER/RETAIL NEWS, Uconsumers spent less, borrowed more and bought houses but are finding problems with orders from…

Thursday 21/01/21

In VACCINE & CORONATREND NEWS, Pfizer/BioNTech claims to cover the variants - but has EU supply issues - while poor countries suffer and we see trends in streaming, cleaning, travel and a rise in distressed companies. In CONSUMER & RETAIL…

Wednesday 20/01/21

In CAR & BATTERY NEWS, Stellantis fires a warning shot and Microsoft invests in Cruise while QuantumScape and StoreDot make amazing batteries. In BANKS NEWS, Bank of America and Goldman profit while HSBC closes branches. In RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, Hammerson collects…

Tuesday 19/01/21

In VACCINE-RELATED NEWS, China/Russia vaccines fly off the shelves, UK rollout is a comparative success and "no job, no jab" appears to be legal. In ELECTRIC VEHICLE NEWS, Tesla rolls out its China-made Model Y, EV charging picks up but…