Watson's Daily

Tuesday 26/11/19

In POLITICAL & DEAL-MAKING NEWS, Hong Kong gets behind pro-democracy, Saudi Arabians arrest more dissidents, the LibDems face difficulties and the M&A boom is back with a...boom. In RETAILING/HIGH STREET NEWS, US trad retailers continue to face challenges but the…

Monday 25/11/19

In TECH/MEDIA NEWS, Chinese videogame makers make inroads into Japan while Uefa considers Champions League streaming. In RETAIL & CONSUMER GOODS NEWS, LVMH buys Tiffany and we look at the problems caused by Black Friday returns and fake sellers on…

Friday 22/11/19

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, US-China trade talks take a more positive turn, Labour's manifesto launch ruffles feathers and Saudi Aramco sidelines foreign banks. In BID NEWS, Charles Schwab closes in on TD Ameritrade, Google's acquisition of Fitbit faces resistance,…

Thursday 21/11/19

In MACRO & ENERGY NEWS, Europe warns France and Italy on debt and China continues to finance coal. In RETAIL/HIGH STREET NEWS, Target unveils solid results, B&Q owner's new chief plays the blame game, Crew Clothing benefits from LTA "love"…

Wednesday 20/11/19

In TECH NEWS, American tech is on course for a decade-best performance, Tesla is set to make the world's biggest lithium ion battery and Samsung plans to emulate Apple in services. In RETAIL NEWS, US retailers paint a mixed picture,…

Tuesday 19/11/19

In DEAL NEWS, Saudi Aramco cancels its international roadshow, Airbnb becomes an Olympic sponsor and Kylie Jenner signs a massive deal with Coty. In NEWS ON COMPANY EVOLUTION, TikTok aims to distance itself from its roots, Ford announces an electric…

Monday 18/11/19

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, UK house prices fall and Saudi Aramco's IPO ambitions get a reality check. In TECH NEWS, Google's Stadia has big plans, ByteDance launches music streaming, Yahoo Japan confirms merger talks with Line and HP rejects…

Friday 15/11/19

In MACRO NEWS, Germany avoids recession and Chinese manufacturing slows down. In RETAIL NEWS, Walmart continues its winning streak while UK retail sales fall. In DATA & SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS, Google plans to restrict data access, Apple launches a research…

Thursday 14/11/19

In TECH NEWS, we see Google try banking, how our health data gets shared, Tencent's weaker profits and the new Twitter/Facebook from Wikipedia. In ELECTRIC VEHICLE NEWS, Tesla's Musk attacks Brexit and Chinese EV start-up raises $400m. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY…

Wednesday 13/11/19

In CAR NEWS, Nissan's woes continue, German suppliers get hit by sluggish car sales and Tesla announces plans for a Berlin factory. In RETAIL & CONSUMER GOODS NEWS, Aldi and Lidl continue to strengthen, B&M has Germany issues, New Look's…

Tuesday 12/11/19

In MACRO NEWS, the UK manages to grow, avoiding recession. In RETAIL NEWS, Alibaba's Singles' Day is a huge success, Amazon opens its first supermarket in LA, UK retailers call for a rates review, Burger King teams up with Unilever…

Monday 11/11/19

In MACRO NEWS, Spanish elections disappoint and Bolivia's Evo Morales resigns. In TECH NEWS, Apple's share price continues to rise and Tencent looks to Nintendo for US inspiration. In RETAIL NEWS, October rain keeps shoppers at bay, Clintons wobbles and…

Friday 08/11/19

In MACRO, TRADE & OIL NEWS, German industrial production weakened, more positive noises re the US-China trade stand-off boosts hopes and Saudi Aramco sweetens its IPO with even bigger dividends. In RETAIL NEWS, Gap's CEO steps down, Sears aims to…

Thursday 07/11/19

In MACRO, TRADE & OIL NEWS, economists cut Germany growth forecasts, UK pay hits new highs, China restarts Canadian pork and beef imports and Brazil's oil auction is a disaster. In HIGH STREET NEWS, M&S stumbles on, Pizza Express gets…

Wednesday 06/11/19

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, the UK service sector slows and Brazil holds a big oil auction. In RETAIL NEWS, Walgreens Boots Alliance eyes a massive buyout, Primark aims for US expansion, Pandora suffers from riots and Mothercare shuts down…

Tuesday 05/11/19

In TRADE & COMMODITIES NEWS, the US and China edge closer to a deal, India refuses to sign a pan-Asian trade pact and Freeport uses AI to mine copper. In NEWS BY SECTOR, German manufacturers ask for government help on…

Monday 04/11/19

In MARKETS & OIL NEWS, China's stock market heads for top spot in 2019 and Saudi Aramco launches its IPO. In PROFESSIONAL SERVICES NEWS, administrators see fat fees but KPMG and Grant Thornton have issues. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Uber…

Friday 01/11/19

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, Trump faces more impeachment stuff, Hong Kong goes into recession, sterling trading heats up and Shell suffers from weak oil prices. In RETAIL NEWS, Authentic Brands gets the green light for Barneys, JC Penney eyes…

Thursday 31/10/19

In MACRO NEWS, the Fed cuts rates for a third time, French GDP rises and the City hopes for a "Boris Bounce". In TECH NEWS, sApple and Facebook smash it, Twitter goes a-political. In RETAIL/CONSUMER NEWS, Australia's biggest supermarket faces…

Wednesday 30/10/19

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, BoJo gets his election, Macron's labour reforms bear fruit, Saudi Aramco announce a cut-down IPO and BP suffers from weather and weaker oil prices. In CAR NEWS, strikes cost GM $3bn while Fiat and Peugeot's…

Tuesday 29/10/19

In MACRO NEWS, BoJo goes for an election while Argentina goes left again after its election. In TECH NEWS, Google sees a dip in profits, Spotify adds users and TikTok's parent mulls a Hong Kong listing. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS,…

Monday 28/10/19

In CONSUMER NEWS, UK consumer confidence hits new lows and booming pork prices in China have consequences. In LUXURY RETAIL NEWS, Tiffany mulls a bid from LVMH and Galeries Lafayette targets China growth. In TRANSPORT-RELATED NEWS, Tesla faces hot competition…

Friday 25/10/19

In MACRO NEWS, BoJo pushes for an election and Germany's economy slows. In TECH-RELATED NEWS, Intel sounds optimistic, Nokia has a profit warning and Twitter disappoints. In RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, Amazon's profits get dented, Next signs a deal with O2 and…

Thursday 24/10/19

In TECH NEWS, Libra comes under scrutiny while Microsoft's earnings rise on cloud services. In HIGH STREET NEWS, retail job losses continue rising, Tesco announces pre-Christmas pop-ups, Domino's gets an activist shareholder, Sports Direct gets a new auditor and Metro…

Wednesday 23/10/19

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, we look at the latest on Brexit, Canada and and a major lithium discovery in California. In CONSUMER GOODS NEWS, P&G delights while Reckitt Benckiser disappoints. In DELIVERY-RELATED NEWS, Just Eat brushes with a bidding…

Tuesday 22/10/19

In MACRO NEWS, we see the latest on Brexit, Switzerland's Green success and Trudeau's win. In REAL ESTATE NEWS, Knight Frank has a 'mare and WeWork's valuation drops further. In CONVENIENCE FOOD NEWS, US fast-food chains battle over brekky and…

Monday 21/10/19

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, BoJo goes on the Brexit offensive again while China's pig cull impacts corn. In CONSUMER-RELATED NEWS, job fears and Brexit uncertainty hit consumer confidence and house price rises are at their lowest rate since the…

Friday 18/10/19

In MACRO NEWS, China's economy slows, Turkey pauses Syria operations, BoJo presents his Brexit deal and UK manufacturers assume the brace position. In RETAIL & CONSUMER GOODS NEWS, WH Smith buys American, Domino's pulls out of European markets, Unilever feels…

Thursday 17/10/19

In MACRO & BREXIT-RELATED NEWS, Eurozone and UK inflation see three-year lows while couriers are hired to cope with a no-deal Brexit. In CONSUMER-RELATED & RETAIL NEWS, PayPal turns to China, US retail sales drop, Authentic Brands & Saks bid…

Wednesday 16/10/19

In MACRO NEWS, we look at the latest on Brexit, the jobs market wobble and trouble in Catalonia. In FINANCIALS-RELATED NEWS, JPMorgan beats Goldman, Citi has China plans and fund manager Woodford shuts down. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Johnson &…

Tuesday 15/10/19

In MACRO, COMMODITIES AND CRYPTO NEWS, we look at US/China, US/Turkey, Brexit, falling oil and rising pork prices and Libra problems. In NEWS ON RETAILERS & CONSUMER TRENDS, Barneys gets rescued, cashierless tech spreads, Sports Direct seeks an industry review…

Monday 14/10/19

In RETAIL/HIGH STREET NEWS, we see UK shopper numbers fall, how UK retailers can learn from their American cousins and why Pizza Express might survive. In NEWS ON TRENDS, Marijuana stocks get a kicking while companies are looking increasingly vulnerable…

Friday 11/10/19

In MACRO NEWS, Trump/China talks get markets tingling, BoJo and Varadkar make positive Brexit noises and the UK is on course to avoid recession. In RETAIL NEWS, Walmart's US CEO resigns, Hays/Thomas Cook faces a challenging future, Dunelm's sales rise,…

Thursday 10/10/19

In TECH NEWS, the OECD targets tech giants on tax, Apple annoys China and Twitter misuses data. In RETAIL/CONSUMER GOODS NEWS, LVMH shines, Tilbury sparks takeover rumours, Hays Travel buys Thomas Cook stores, BT announces high street revamp and Links…

Wednesday 09/10/19

In MACRO NEWS, the Brexit drama rumbles on while UK productivity worsens. In TELECOMS NEWS, Arqiva makes a £2bn sale and Vodafone axes 1,000 stores. In TECH NEWS, Samsung beats forecasts while Tesla/Panasonic relations get strained on batteries. In INDIVIDUAL…

Tuesday 08/10/19

In BREXIT NEWS, we look at BoJo's options and the effect of Brexit concerns on retailers, property and jobs. In HIGH STREET NEWS, Pizza Express looks dodgy and Sports Direct denies it'll close almost all House of Frasers. In CAR…

Monday 07/10/19

In MACRO & MARKETS NEWS, French pension reforms get a rough ride and the IPO market takes stock after the WeWork debacle. In BANKS NEWS, HSBC plans to cut 10,000 jobs and digital banks fight to compete. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS,…

Thursday 03/10/19

In MACRO & MARKETS NEWS, BoJo's Brexit journey continues, US gets the go-ahead to slap the EU with big taxes and markets take a tumble. In TECH NEWS, Facebook remains defiant about Libra, Microsoft gets back into mobile phones with…

Wednesday 02/10/19

In MACRO NEWS, BoJo considers three Brexit scenarios and UK manufacturers stockpile. In RETAIL & CONSUMER GOODS NEWS, John Lewis cuts deep, M&S fiddles about, Ikea targets smart home tech, Amazon expands grocery stores, Rip Curl gets sold and luxury…

Tuesday 01/10/19

In MACRO, MARKETS & OIL NEWS, European joblessness hits new lows, BoJo continues the search for a deal, UK consumer spending buoys the economy, Shanghai Star loses is lustre and Saudi Arabia tries to sweeten the Aramco deal. In FIN/TECH…

Monday 30/09/19

In INDUSTRY NEWS, shale oil production plateaus and UK challenger banks fade. In RETAIL NEWS, Barneys attracts buyer interest, Forever 21 files for bankruptcy, Miss Selfridge posts a loss, Ted Baker looks like it will ask for money, Mamas &…

Friday 27/09/19

In INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING NEWS, Peloton's debut frightens off Endeavour. In RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, McKinsey starts up a mall, vacant shops in the UK hit new highs and the costs of Thomas Cook become clearer. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Juul and…

Thursday 26/09/19

In TECH NEWS, South Korean tech firms benefit from the spat with Japan, Nintendo releases Mario Kart app, eBay's boss resigns and Amazon does wearables. In TRANSPORT-RELATED NEWS, UK car production hits new lows, Aston Martin's debt gets more expensive…

Wednesday 25/09/19

In MACRO NEWS, BoJo faces parliamentary ire, Trump faces another impeachment attempt and India implements a big tax cut. In HIGH STREET NEWS, Tui cracks on, M&S lose yet another senior exec and Metro Bank looks vulnerable. In CAR NEWS,…

Tuesday 24/09/19

In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, I give you more on Thomas Cook - the why, the winners and losers and why liquidation and not administration, Juul's (and vaping's) worsening nightmare and Google's game service. In CAR NEWS, Hyundai & Aptiv embark…

Monday 23/09/19

In RETAIL NEWS, Thomas Cook goes into administration and Ikea eyes a big China expansion. In FOOD-RELATED NEWS, sandwich supremo Greencore diversifies and Meatless Farm gets a C4 investment. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, SoftBank looks to oust WeWork's CEO and…

Friday 20/09/19

In MACRO NEWS, the European Commission raises hopes of a Brexit deal and UK interest rates remain unchanged. In RETAIL NEWS, UK retail sales fall in August, Debenhams brushes Ashley aside and Next's sales slow. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, E-cigarettes…

Thursday 19/09/19

In MACRO NEWS, the Fed cuts US interest rates, Japanese exports continue to drop, UK inflation falls and house price rises slow. In TECH NEWS, Facebook announces Portal TV while smart TVs send out your data. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS,…

Wednesday 18/09/19

In MACRO, OIL AND TRADE NEWS, Spain heads for another election, Italy's ex-PM makes a breakaway party, the Netherlands rolls out economic stimulus, the oil price falls and Vietnam continues to benefit from China deserters. In HIGH STREET NEWS, French…

Tuesday 17/09/19

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, China's industrial growth slows, BoJo annoys Luxembourgers and oil prices shoot up. In VEHICLE-RELATED NEWS, Ineos announces car production in Bridgend and Arrival opens a new electric van factory. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, WeWork's IPO…

Monday 16/09/19

In OIL & CRYPTO NEWS, Saudi Arabia's production takes a major hit and Facebook faces questions on Libra. In HIGH STREET NEWS, restaurants continue to close, Thomas Cook gets a stay of execution and HMV's new owner tries new tricks.…

Friday 13/09/19

In MACRO & CRYPTOCURRENCY NEWS, the ECB stimulates, Germany teeters and France says "non" to Libra. In RETAIL NEWS, Topshop suffers, Old Navy outlines expansion plans, Morrisons gets closer to Amazon, supermarkets mull Brexit actions and John Lewis has a…

Thursday 12/09/19

In MACRO NEWS, Trump urges the Fed to take interest rates to zero while tariffs on both sides of the US-China divide relent slightly and Scotland says no. In RETAIL NEWS, Zara benefits from a polka-dot dress, Forever 21 files…

Wednesday 11/09/19

In MACRO NEWS, Spain faces yet another election while UK jobs and pay increase. In MANUFACTURING NEWS, EDF faces a nuclear problem and VW and Land Rover unveil important new models. In TECH NEWS, Vestager gets a second term, Jack…