Watson's Daily

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…

Thursday 15/10/20

In BANKS NEWS, Goldman Sachs profits while falling interest rates take the shine off Bank of America and Wells Fargo. In PROPERTY NEWS, WeWork discounts rents, residential seems to be running out of steam but the top end is buzzing.…

Wednesday 14/10/20

In MACRO/TRADE-RELATED NEWS, China grows, EU/US Boeing/Airbus tensions rise and Boeing's orders hit a covid pocket. In CORONATRENDS NEWS, trials are halted for Lilly and J&J, UK unemployment rises and we spend on booze but not at cinemas. In INDIVIDUAL…

Tuesday 13/10/20

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, India unveils a $10bn stimulus package and the Bank of England talks about negative interest rates. In TECH NEWS, digital tax reforms hit snags, Apple is about to unveil new phones and Samsung has BTS problems. In…

Monday 12/10/20

In TECH NEWS, EU targets Big Tech and Facebook puts out dodgy ads. In EMPLOYMENT NEWS, banks tell staff to come home and Silicon Valley companies look at pay cuts. In NEWS ON CONSUMER & CORONAVIRUS TRENDS, EV sales triple,…

Friday 09/10/20

In CORONATRENDS NEWS, Trump's re-election chances stumble, Madrid resists curbs, WarnerMedia cuts, UK rail traffic hit lows last seen in the mid-19th century and Ladbroke's owner raises profit forecasts. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Morgan Stanley buys Eaton Vance, Danske cuts jobs…

Thursday 08/10/20

In TECH NEWS, Arm/Nvidia faces close scrutiny in China, Samsung announces bright forecasts, there's a new turn in the TikTok saga and Codemasters shines. In PHARMACEUTICAL-RELATED NEWS, Trump announces a "cure", Lilly seeks emergency approval and it seems there are…

Wednesday 07/10/20

In TECH NEWS, the Big Tech report calls for action and Facebook defies Turkey. In CONSUMER/RETAIL/HIGH STREET NEWS, UK consumers stay upbeat but don't spend, Rolex's main UK dealer does a roaring trade, Wagamama benefits from the 'burbs, Ikea opens…

Tuesday 06/10/20

In MACROECONOMIC & OIL NEWS, Trump returns, Spain looks precarious, Indonesia announced reform and Exxon Mobil cuts jobs. In CONSUMER/HIGH STREET NEWS, car sales fall to new lows, the 10pm curfew hits footfall and Chanel buys into Bond Street. In…

Monday 05/10/20

In NEWS ON CORONATRENDS, China rolls out a vaccine, WFH looks set to become the norm, DPD boosts jobs, Cineworld closes cinemas and law firms face an increase in PI insurance. In 5G NEWS, Samsung aims to profit from Huawei's…

Friday 02/10/20

In RETAIL & CONSUMER NEWS, Ocado faces a lawsuit, retailers expect a muted Hallowe'en, M&S freshens up a bit, H&M aims to cut stores, Halfords moves up a gear and the US consumer takes an income hit. In CAR NEWS,…

Thursday 01/10/20

In CONSUMER/HIGH ST/RETAIL NEWS, savings are rising, jobs are looking tenuous, pubs, bars and restaurants get hit by the curfew, high street rents are down, Boohoo benefits despite scandal and Morrisons aims to add 1,000. In TRANSPORT-RELATED NEWS, American Airlines…

Wednesday 30/09/20

In TECH NEWS, the Google/Fitbit deal nears approval, fashion tech helps shoppers, Amazon tests a palm reader and Pinterest expands in online retail. In RETAIL/HIGH STREET NEWS, Ocado is now bigger than Tesco, B&M gets new customers, Greggs axes staff,…

Tuesday 29/09/20

In RETAIL/RESTAURANT-RELATED NEWS, a PE firm closes in on Asda, Aldi creates more jobs, Côte is saved, Pizza Hut cuts jobs and Deliveroo aims to expand. In EV/TRANSPORT-RELATED NEWS, VW and its Chinese partners pour money into the EV market,…

Monday 28/09/20

In CORONATRENDS NEWS, Europeans return to the workplace, Russia prepares for more lockdowns, UK high streets fear a second wave and US grocers stockpile. In UK REAL ESTATE NEWS, the UK housing market looks vulnerable, first-time buyers are set to…

Friday 25/09/20

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, Sunak announces new measures. In RETAIL NEWS, ByteDance seeks Chinese approval, developers get together to fight Apple, Amazon has a reveal event and ChargePoint aims to go public. In CONSUMER TRENDS & RETAIL NEWS, workers look outside…

Thursday 24/09/20

In CORONATRENDS NEWS, Sunak scraps the Budget, the City abandons a return to the office, Upper Crust suffers, Ryanair expects a decimated ski season, Asda takes precautionary measures and we look at where we are on coronavirus vaccines. In TECH…

Wednesday 23/09/20

In LEISURE/TRAVEL NEWS, Airbus and Tui announce more job cuts as the whole industry suffers. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Deutsche Bank decides to axe 20% of its branches and the FCA's review on insurers reaches a verdict. In CONSUMER GOODS/RETAIL NEWS,…

Tuesday 22/09/20

In MARKETS NEWS, we see that global stocks fell on second wave fears. In PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES NEWS, Airbus promises zero emission aircraft, UK railways get a massive shake-up and VW is in talks to sell Bugatti. In TECH…

Monday 21/09/20

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, China exports power up while Rishi Sunak aims to extend business support loans. In TECH NEWS, the WeChat ban hits California-shaped buffers but TikTok moves forward. In CORONATRENDS, US meat is plentiful, family homes prices in the…

Friday 18/09/20

In TECH-RELATED NEWS, Oracle and Walmart aim for chunky TikTok stakes, the Nvidia/Arm deal continues to have China niggles, Sony readies itself for console wars, a Tesla co-founder gets Amazon funding for batteries and Cornish lithium is looking good. In…

Thursday 17/09/20

In RETAIL NEWS, Inditex returns to profit and The Hut Group has a smokin' IPO. In FINANCIALS NEWS, the FCA targets Klarna while Handelsbanken shuts a ton of branches. In TECH NEWS, Beijing expresses concerns over the Arm deal, Snowflake's…

Wednesday 16/09/20

In SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH NEWS, we look at the TikTok deal, how the FTC is gearing up for an antitrust suit with Facebook, Spotify's plans for livestreaming concerts, Nvidia/Arm shockwaves and Apple's new stuff. In RETAIL NEWS, China sales…

Tuesday 15/09/20

In TECH NEWS, Nvidia/Arm and Oracle/TikTok face more scrutiny while Huawei tries to appeal to developers. In CONSUMER/RETAIL NEWS, London renters move to the 'burbs, shopper numbers fall and retailers call for continued VAT relief for overseas shoppers, Aldi does…

Monday 14/09/20

In MACROECONOMIC & OIL NEWS, we see what's next following the UK-Japan trade deal and BP's "alternatives" future. In TECH NEWS, Trump boosts Triller, TikTok hits 100m European users and Oracle beats Microsoft. Apple aims to unveil and Nvidia aims…

Friday 11/09/20

In MACROECONOMIC & OIL NEWS, the ECB keeps rates unchanged and BP buys into wind. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Oracle benefits from cloud-computing, LVMH takes the fight to Tiffany, Nikola faces friction, AstraZeneca "stays on track" and British Airways launches…

Thursday 10/09/20

In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, LVMH tries to back out of its purchase of Tiffany, Tesla has valuation problems, AstraZeneca's pause gives cause for thought and airlines cut schedules. In TECH NEWS, TikTok options are mooted and Epic Games pits its…

Wednesday 09/09/20

In MACROECONOMIC & OIL NEWS, Global trade boosts Germany and France but fears of a wobble hit oil prices. Blue collar jobs in the UK surge but warnings are made over furlough extension. In TECH NEWS, Apple countersues Fortnite maker,…

Tuesday 08/09/20

In CONSUMER/RETAIL/HIGH ST NEWS, US shoppers will see an early Christmas, UK consumer spending strengthens and house prices rise while out-of-town retail benefits, Morrisons employs and Pizza Express announces a rescue. In TECH & TELCO NEWS, Samsung signs a big…

Monday 07/09/20

In CONSUMER/RETAIL NEWS, the end of furlough looms for Sunak, the Asda bidding war is set to end shortly, Lidl talks expansion and we take another look at Amazon's drones. In TECH NEWS, Apple is now bigger than the Russell…

Friday 04/09/20

In MACROECONOMIC & MARKETS NEWS, Macron pledges €100bn, UK business slashes investment and US stocks fall. In RETAIL & HIGH STREET-RELATED NEWS, European retail sales drop and in the UK, vacant shop numbers rise, Costa makes cuts, Pret does dinner,…

Thursday 03/09/20

In CONSUMER/RETAIL NEWS, we take a look at what consumers are and aren't spending their money on as Macy's in the US has a bumpy recovery. In CAR NEWS, investors scramble to find the next Tesla, electric cars sales stall…

Wednesday 02/09/20

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, China exports rise, the Eurozone dips into deflation and Brazil enters recession. In CONSUMER/RETAIL NEWS, UK mortgage approvals rise, Dunelm benefits, Ocado has a rough first day with M&S, Debenhams edges towards oblivion, Morrisons champions flower power,…

Tuesday 01/09/20

In MACROECONOMIC, MARKETS & OIL NEWS, India has a GDP shocker, global markets have a stellar August and oil prospects improve. In CONSUMER-RELATED NEWS, white-collar jobs lag, landlords suffer, Swissport and Addison Lee turn to job cuts while car finance…

Friday 21/08/20

In RETAIL/HIGH ST/CONSUMER NEWS, Alibaba sees stellar online sales, House of Fraser hustles, Asda has suitors and car sales rise. In LEISURE NEWS, Genting Hong Kong signals more cruise operator woes, nightclubs face ruin and 'EOTHO' gives a seaside boost.…

Thursday 20/08/20

In NEWS ON ECONOMIC INDICATORS & TRENDS, Maersk turns a corner while UK inflation rises, traffic returns, suburbs see spending and cosmetics experience changes. In TECH NEWS, Apple breaks $2tn, Huawei phones users could be about to suffer badly and…

Wednesday 19/08/20

In MARKETS & MACROECONOMIC NEWS,new highs divide opinion while Germany extends furlough. In HIGH STREET/RETAILER NEWS, Pizza Express closes 73 sites, Asda unveils stellar online performance, Walmart powers through, M&S announces drastic changes and Amazon offers Morrisons' full range. In…

Tuesday 18/08/20

In MACRO & MARKETS NEWS, Japan's economy suffers and London IPOs are down. In TECH NEWS, rHuawei faces more US pressure, Apple turns it up with Epic, Tencent buys into Voodoo and Robinhood gets a chunky valuation. In PHARMACEUTICAL NEWS,…

Monday 17/08/20

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the UK government moots offering loans to PE-backed companies and gold continues to rise. In RETAIL NEWS, retailers push for biz rates review, Tesco takes on Amazon, Debenhams continues to flounder, Mike Ashley eyes DW Sport…

Friday 14/08/20

In TECH NEWS, US companies worry about the China tech backlash, Reliance talks to ByteDance about TikTok, Apple and Google ban Fortnite and Lenovo's sales stay strong. In M&A NEWS, Thermo Fisher/Qiagen gets dropped while the British M&A market hits…

Thursday 13/08/20

In NEWS ON REAL ESTATE TRENDS, we look at high-rise-to-low-rise, UK estate agents fearing boom-bust, potential first-timer difficulties and the surge in warehouse demand. In CORONATRENDS NEWS, we see that WFH increases work time, benefits cybersecurity providers and cloud computing…

Wednesday 12/08/20

In CORONATRENDS NEWS, we look at jobs, what's happening in the office market and what we've been eating at home. In RETAIL NEWS, Debenhams makes deeper cuts and Brooks Brothers finds buyers. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Prudential spins off its US…

Tuesday 11/08/20

In AUTOMOTIVE-RELATED NEWS, China car sales were up again, Hyundai reveals new electric cars, Nikola gets an order and Uber/Lyft get another kick in the teeth. In HIGH STREET & CONSUMER NEWS, retail sales and footfall recover, Superdry gets a…

Monday 10/08/20

In MACROECONOMIC & OIL NEWS, the UK has the worst GDP drop of the G7 and Saudi Aramco keeps its dividend despite conditions. In CORONATRENDS NEWS, megadeals revive M&A while UK's trad banks trounce the challengers. In TECH NEWS, TikTok…

Friday 07/08/20

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Donald Trump makes some big announcements, Chinese firms face de-listing in the US and the BoE is surprisingly chirpy. In TECH NEWS, Microsoft broadens its TikTok ambitions and Nintendo sees a massive rise in profits. In…

Thursday 06/08/20

In TECH NEWS, Twitter cuts Trump, TikTok rivals lure creators and the Microsoft deal gets closer. In HIGH STREET & CONSUMER NEWS, WH Smith, River Island and William Hill announce cuts while consumers spend on cars and Sunak's meal deal.…

Wednesday 05/08/20

In COMMODITIES NEWS, BP tries to go green, oilfield services companies continue to suffer and gold breaks $2,000. In TECH NEWS, the TikTok drama continues, Twitter gets a big fine, Sony benefits from lockdown and Google/Fitbit gets the full EU…

Tuesday 04/08/20

In TECH NEWS, the Trump/Microsoft/TikTok thing moves on, Apple faces a $1.4bn lawsuit in China and Amazon drones on. In FINANCIALS NEWS, HSBC accelerates job cuts as profits plunge, SocGen has a surprise loss, Hiscox ups its coronavirus claims estimate…

Monday 03/08/20

In TECH NEWS, the US broadens action against Chinese tech and a Microsoft/TikTok deal is still in play. In CONSUMER & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, Britons shun foreign travel, Hobbycraft sees a massive uptick, face masks worsen the plastics problem while…

Friday 31/07/20

In MACRO, MARKETS & COMMODITIES NEWS, US GDP crashes and Trump moots an election delay while the German economy shrivels and markets tumble. Shell reports a massive loss and Anglo American suffers with coal and diamonds. In BANKS NEWS, Credit…

Thursday 30/07/20

In TECH NEWS, Big Tech is roasted, Spotify strengthens podcasts, TikTok gets a chunky valuation and Qualcomm signs with Huawei. In CORONATRENDS NEWS, NEWS, UPS and FedEx get pricing power, Shopify overtakes eBay, UK consumers pay down debt and landlords…

Wednesday 29/07/20

In TECH NEWS, the Biggies go to Congress, we look at why Silicon Valley is interested in India and Facebook wants TikTok creators. In RETAIL/HIGH STREET-RELATED NEWS, UK retail sales surge, Games Workshop and B&M are sitting pretty while Travis…