Watson's Daily

Tuesday 12/05/20

In MARKETS, MACRO & OIL NEWS, Asia markets wobble, Russia has leadership issues, German employers slash jobs and cheap oil has consequences. In CONSUMER & SPENDING NEWS, Americans face challenges, UK household spending is actually worse than originally thought and…

Monday 11/05/20

In MARKETS & MACRO NEWS, financial markets get a bit excited, Eastern Europe sees an opportunity with the German ruling and Johnson outlines a slight easing of lockdown. In CARS 'N PLANES NEWS, car rental companies' nightmares continue, pickup sales…

Friday 08/05/20

In MARKETS & MACRO NEWS, the NASDAQ makes up all its coronavirus losses, China exports pick up, Lagarde bats away the German problem, Denmark and Norway talk lockdown lifting and the Bank of England predicts a baaaaad recession. In RETAIL…

Thursday 07/05/20

In MACRO NEWS, the US ratchets up the rhetoric with China, Brussels warns of the consequences of discord and UK business rates face a delay in their overhaul. In CORONAVIRUS "WINNERS" & LOSERS, we see "winners" in online shopping, news…

Wednesday 06/05/20

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, Germany stirs things up with the ECB, world inflation drops, accurate stats will be more difficult to come by and oil prices calm down. In CORONAVIRUS "WINNERS" & LOSERS, we look at online gainers and…

Tuesday 05/05/20

In MACRO NEWS, Trump brings up the China trade deal, Eurozone factory output slows right down while Europe and the UK wrestle with lockdown lifting. In AVIATION NEWS, there's bad news for GE and good news for Norwegian Air. In…

Monday 04/05/20

In POST-CORONAVIRUS NEWS, China picks up, fears of second-wave job losses persist and companies provide social distancing gadgetry. In AIRLINE-RELATED NEWS, Buffett sells out of airlines, Rolls-Royce suffers from lack of air time and leasing companies brace for turbulence. In…

Friday 01/05/20

In MACRO, MARKETS & OIL NEWS, demand for Chinese goods falls, the Eurozone heads for recession, markets falter and Shell cuts its dividend. In TECH NEWS, Apple gains, Twitter suffers and Zoom makes another gaffe. In RETAIL NEWS, Macy's reopens,…

Thursday 30/04/20

In MACRO, MARKETS & REOPENING NEWS, we see US and China difficulties, French and German protectionism, market hope and varying degrees of bids to reopen. In PHARMACEUTICALS-RELATED NEWS, Gilead is on the up again, GSK highlights delays and AstraZeneca is…

Wednesday 29/04/20

In LOCKDOWN & OIL NEWS, Putin extends, Trump forces meat processors to stay open and BP has a 'mare. In BANKS NEWS, it's a mixed bag for UBS, HSBC and Santander. In RETAIL NEWS, M&S is "never the same again"…

Tuesday 28/04/20

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, Sunak promises more money and oil price prospects look poor. In INDUSTRIES IN CRISIS NEWS, anything to do with planes looks pretty bad and meat processing nightmares aren't good for pigs. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS,…

Monday 27/04/20

In CORONAVIRUS & OIL NEWS, Europe eases lockdowns and the US considers it while weak oil price fallout continues. In RETAIL NEWS, John Lewis faces tough times and retail faces new rules. In NEWS ON "WINNERS", Qatar scopes for bargains…

Friday 24/04/20

In MACRO & LOCKDOWN NEWS, the French ban state aid for some, Merkel cautions on lockdown relaxation while carmakers and builders plan a return. In RETAIL/CONSUMER NEWS, Amazon stiffs its own sellers, shopping habits change and the US is facing…

Thursday 23/04/20

In COMMODITIES, CORONAVIRUS & MACRO NEWS, Trump gets involved in oil, Cornwall finds high-grade copper, we look at anti-coronavirus efforts in parts of the US, South Korea and France and UK inflation falls to 1.5%. In M&A NEWS, Facebook invests…

Wednesday 22/04/20

In OIL NEWS, we look at the slump, rising tanker rates, Trump's lifeline and why petrol prices at the garage ain't going down!. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, China gives out vouchers to encourage spending, universal basic income pops up…

Tuesday 21/04/20

In OIL & MACRO NEWS, the US oil price hits historic lows and we see who is lifting the lockdowns. In MANUFACTURING NEWS, Russia's heavy industry, Europe's car industry and US food production hit hurdles. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Alibaba…

Monday 20/04/20

In CORONAVIRUS DEVELOPMENTS, China and Singapore get second outbreaks. In NEWS ON IMMINENT PROBLEMS, British household finances will be dented but high-end retailers hope their clientele will go on a spending spree, imports are about to hit ports and lawsuits…

Friday 17/04/20

In MARKETS & MACRO NEWS, markets rise on Gilead's news and we look at macro developments in the US, Asia and Europe. In "WINNERS" & STRUGGLERS NEWS, Verizon buys BlueJeans, Chinese splurge on release, Netflix and warehousing wins while investors…

Thursday 16/04/20

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, the EU clamps down on bonus and dividend payouts while oil demand continues to be weak. In SECTOR-BY-SECTOR NEWS, US banks make big loan loss provisions, US airlines now have the finance but no passengers,…

Wednesday 15/04/20

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, the IMF tells us what we already know, talks abound over an exit strategy, South Africa cuts interest rates to record lows, Sunak looks at more measures and we look at what's going on in…

Tuesday 14/04/20

In MACRO, MARKETS & OIL NEWS, the Eurozone bailout has Italian wobbles, Brexit talks are set to resume, Goldman gets positive and the oil production cut underwhelms while Trump talks things up. In INDUSTRY TRENDS, China's venture capitalists go shopping…

Thursday 09/04/20

In MACRO, MARKETS & COMMODITIES NEWS, EU talks fail as lockdowns relax, the UK regulator eases fundraising rules, Wall Street analysts warn against over-exuberance and uranium prices go nuclear. In CORONVIRUS "WINNERS" & LOSERS, Disney+ racks up the subscribers, esports…

Wednesday 08/04/20

In MARKETS, MACRO & OIL NEWS, share prices rise again, Wuhan's lockdown eases and Exxon cuts capex. In CORONAVIRUS "WINNERS" & LOSERS NEWS, we take a look at small businesses repurposing but Samsung and Lufthansa suffer. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS,…

Tuesday 07/04/20

In MARKETS, OIL & CORONAVIRUS GEAR NEWS, markets rally but oil talks are delayed, UK testing hits a setback and the US orders 3M masks. In TRANSPORT & LEISURE RELATED NEWS, EasyJet faces potential insolvency, Carnival gets a big Saudi…

Monday 06/04/20

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, Europe moves to ease lockdown, BoJo goes to hospital, various industries appeal for financial help and I give you an update on the oil drama. In RETAIL/HIGH STREET NEWS, famous names fall, fashion retailers experience…

Friday 03/04/20

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, the US has disastrous jobless figures, UK borrowers offer payment relief, Turkey faces more lockdown pressure and oil rises on deal hopes. In CORONAVIRUS "WINNERS" & LOSER NEWS, Chinese apps profit, gaming surges and Amazon…

Thursday 02/04/20

In MARKETS & OIL NEWS, share prices fall on Trump's warning, BP cuts capex and shale group Whiting goes under while oil tankers benefit. In TOBACCO NEWS, BAT claims progress on a vaccine while the FTC sues Altria over its…

Wednesday 01/04/20

In MACRO & MARKETS NEWS, China shows signs of life, five countries look vulnerable and markets tank over the quarter. In FINANCIALS & FINANCE NEWS, the ECB presses banks on cutting bonuses, insurers close loopholes, Grant Thornton gives its employees…

Tuesday 31/03/20

In CORONAVIRUS FIGHTBACK NEWS, global pharma companies vow to work together, US firms win approval for rapid tests, J&J moves to human vaccine trials, British engineers get together to produce ventilators and the UK works on contact tracing. In RETAIL/HIGH…

Monday 30/03/20

In MACRO NEWS, the US extends social distancing, China's masks get rejected, Venezuela faces catastrophe and South Africa employs extreme measures. In CORONAVIRUS "WINNERS" AND LOSERS, we see who is doing well and which companies and industries are vulnerable. In…

Friday 27/03/20

In MACRO & PROPERTY NEWS, US job losses shoot up (as do the number of coronavirus cases), Russia raids deposits, Japan gets the fear, Rishi unveils a package for the self-employed and the UK housing market grinds to a halt.…

Thursday 26/03/20

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, Trump, Vlad, BoJo and Rishi react while shale producers take a beating and oil (possibly) heads for $10 a barrel. In RETAILER & HIGH STREET NEWS, Target sees higher sales, UK supermarkets are still overwhelmed,…

Wednesday 25/03/20

In MARKETS, MACRO & CORONOVIRUS MEASURES NEWS, markets rise and we look at the latest responses from China, Trump, Putin and Sunak. In GROCERY-RELATED NEWS, food service companies are roped in, better weather helps UK farmers, grocers continue to hire…

Tuesday 24/03/20

In MACRO NEWS, the US wades in, Germany takes action, BoJo gets stricter and Ramaphosa orders a three-week lockdown. In HIGH STREET/SUPERMARKET NEWS, Burger King wobbles, Eat shuts down for good and we look at US and UK supermarkets. In…

Monday 23/03/20

In NEWS ON UNUSUAL MEASURES, India goes into lockdown, the IOC considers postponing the Olympics, American jails release prisoners and debate rages about potential financial market closures. In NEWS ON CORONA-SUFFERERS, some predict a deep UK recession, WeWork looks vulnerable…

Friday 20/03/20

In MACRO NEWS, banks and central banks implement more measures to combat coronavirus impact. In RETAIL/HIGH STREET NEWS, we look at the shops that would stay open through the crisis and some of the current strugglers and survivors. In INDIVIDUAL…

Thursday 19/03/20

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, fear strikes markets and oil heads downward. In CORONAVIRUS NEWS, we look at the latest situation at home and abroad, the ongoing impact and "winners". In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Apple updates the iPad. In OTHER…

Wednesday 18/03/20

In MACRO NEWS, the US and UK unveil new packages and we look at why the UK stepped-up. In RETAIL NEWS, Amazon and Sainsbury's start prioritising while Carphone Warehouse and Laura Ashley slip away. In MANUFACTURING NEWS, US factories face…

Tuesday 17/03/20

In MARKETS & MACRO NEWS, the Dow collapses but there's still ammo. In RETAIL & HIGH STREET NEWS, Amazon announces a hiring spree, Halfords, Primark and Debenhams all have problems while LSL abandons talks with Countrywide, hospitality faces death and…

Monday 16/03/20

In MACRO, MARKETS & OIL NEWS, US interest rates get another drastic cut (but Asian markets still fall), Spain and France go on lockdown and BoJo comes under pressure to do more while Saudi Aramco cuts spending and UK oil…

Friday 13/03/20

In MARKETS NEWS, the US fails to calm markets and Lagarde's attempts fail to inspire confidence either. In CORONAVIRUS NEWS, increasing numbers of Europeans face lock-down, indebted companies look shaky and Starbucks' frontline staff want more support. In SECTOR NEWS,…

Thursday 12/03/20

In MACRO, CORONAVIRUS & OIL NEWS, Rishi Sunak unveils a massive Budget, Wall Street's bull-run ends and we look at more coronavirus effects while Saudi Arabia turns the screws. In CONSUMER GOODS NEWS, PepsiCo buys energy drink maker Rockstar while…

Wednesday 11/03/20

In MACRO, CORONAVIRUS & OIL NEWS, Putin enshrines his own power, the UK Budget goes for growth, the Bank of England makes a deep interest rate cut and we see more losers from the coronavirus while the oil shock endangers…

Tuesday 10/03/20

In MACRO, MARKETS & OIL NEWS, the US and UK consider further measures to mitigate coronavirus damage and we see market carnage and oil nightmares. In RETAIL & LEISURE-RELATED NEWS, Tesco sells its Asian business, Amazon offers its tech and…

Monday 09/03/20

In CORONAVIRUS & OIL NEWS, Italy goes into lockdown, anti-coronavirus efforts increase and Saudi Arabia ignites an oil price war. In CONSUMER TREND & RETAIL NEWS, US make-up takes a turn, US plant-based food sales increase and the UK high…

Friday 06/03/20

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, BoJo outlines a response while Opec considers production cuts. In RETAIL/LEISURE NEWS, Costco benefits from panic buying, Gap gets a new CEO and cinemas suffer. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, we see a Flybe post mortem,…

Thursday 05/03/20

In CORONAVIRUS NEWS, China makes steps towards normality and we see an array of winners and losers. In FINANCIALS-RELATED NEWS, Alibaba buys into Klarna while Facebook changes plans for Libra. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, GM makes a battery breakthrough, Flybe…

Wednesday 04/03/20

In MACRO, MARKETS & CORONAVIRUS NEWS, the Fed makes a big cut - but markets take fright - and the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on Iran, aviation, shipping and US shale oil producers. In UK HIGH STREET NEWS, calls…

Tuesday 03/03/20

In MARKETS, MACRO & OIL NEWS, markets recover, the UK's digital services tax could be ditched, weaker oil prices could hit Putin. In CORONAVIRUS NEWS, the OECD warns on global growth, airlines face continued turbulence and Finablr counts the cost.…

Monday 02/03/20

In CORONAVIRUS NEWS, Italy unveils a stimulus, businesses head for a credit crunch and drugmakers warn about impact. In CONSUMER/RETAIL NEWS, food prices look set to rise and Waitrose employees to get their lowest bonus in 67 years. In INDIVIDUAL…

Friday 28/02/20

In CORONAVIRUS NEWS, markets drop, the coronavirus fallout continues and China gives firms an "easy" way out. In RETAIL NEWS, online retailer Zalando wants more lux, Homebase exits its CVA early and Amazon's cashierless shop gets fooled. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY…

Thursday 27/02/20

In CORONAVIRUS NEWS, global economies shudder, Trump's denial could gift Sanders and the Tokyo Olympics hangs in the balance. In RETAIL/HIGH STREET-RELATED NEWS, Hermès sees light, Walmart looks to offload Asda, Ted Baker axes staff, McColl's cuts shops and Wagamama's…

Wednesday 26/02/20

In CORONAVIRUS NEWS, markets continue to fall, Italy and UK warn on effect on budgets, China's data is questioned as the race for a vaccine continues and spice prices go up. In RETAIL NEWS, Amazon opens a supermarket, Home Depot…

Tuesday 25/02/20

In CORONAVIRUS & MACRO NEWS, global markets fall on coronavirus fears, South Korea, Iran and Italy all suffer - as do airlines, carmakers and drugmakers but a vaccine may be in sight. Meanwhile, Trump visits India... In FINANCIALS NEWS, a…