Watson's Daily

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…

Monday 18/01/21

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, Biden prepares for The Great Unwinding, China's economy motors, the Eurozone's splutters and UK taxes are discussed. In CORONATRENDS NEWS, US banks benefit from trading, Deliveroo racks up more fundraising, Warehouses are hot among investors, WeWork cuts…

Friday 15/01/21

In MACRO & BITCOIN NEWS, Biden aims to push through a big stimulus, US unemployment rises, Germany scrapes through, UK worker rights are being reviewed and Bitcoin ignores the haters. In CORONAVIRUS NEWS, Russia has vaccine distribution issues, a vaccination…

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…