Watson's Daily

Thursday 02/05/19

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, the US keeps rates on hold, UK factory orders fall and the housing market remains subdued. In TECH NEWS, Apple nudges above $1tn again and Hulu closes in on Netflix. In RETAIL NEWS, Sainsbury's dusts itself down…

Wednesday 01/05/19

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, the Eurozone economy surprises on the upside. In FAANG NEWS, Apple disappoints and delights while Facebook has a revamp. In BURGER NEWS, McDonald's unveils a strong performance while Beyond Meat aims for a juicier IPO. In TRANSPORT-RELATED…

Tuesday 30/04/19

In TECH NEWS, Samsung and Google disappoint while Spotify hits 100m paying subscribers. In LEISURE/RETAIL NEWS, Marriott takes on Airbnb and Airbnb takes on hotels while UK shopping centre investment sinks to 16-year lows. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Andarko moves…

Monday 29/04/19

In AIRLINE NEWS, we see how the industry is being affected by oil, the Boeing 737 Max groundings and Boeing's new admission. In OTHER INDUSTRY NEWS, US meat companies gain from China's hog cull and the music industry seeks more…

Friday 26/04/19

In FINANCIALS NEWS, Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank merger talks collapse, UBS has a shocker and Nomura announces its first full-year loss in ten years. In RETAIL NEWS, Sainsbury's/Asda gets blocked, new fraud rules threaten online retailers, Amazon's growth slows and…

Thursday 25/04/19

In NEWS ON CARS, both Tesla and Nissan disappoint. In RETAIL NEWS, Boohoo and Primark do not. In M&A NEWS, the US shale boom triggers a bidding war and the Deutsche Bank/Commerz thing looks far from being a done deal.…

Wednesday 24/04/19

In ONLINE/STREAMING NEWS, Twitter, Snapchat and eBay put in strong performances while Amazon Prime's momentum slows. In IPO/M&A NEWS, Starbuck's China nemesis Luckin Coffee plans a US flotation, UBS and Deutsche Bank asset management talk about merging while bid rumours…

Tuesday 23/04/19

In COMMODITY NEWS, Oil rises on the expiry of Iran waivers and the US approaches a UK firm to supply rare metals. In TECH NEWS, Huawei defies US pressure with rising revenues, Samsung's Fold hits a hitch and TikTok gets…

Friday 12/04/19

In STREAMING NEWS, Disney prices up its new streaming service and cord-cutting savings narrow. In RETAIL NEWS, Primark dip its toes into online retailing, Ted Baker and Arcadia have a shake-up while WH Smith enjoys big rent reductions. In INDIVIDUAL…

Thursday 11/04/19

In MACRO NEWS, Brexit gets a Halloween extension and the UK economy grows due to stockpiling. In UK RETAILER NEWS, Tesco and Dunelm shine, Asos profits fall off a cliff, Arcadia gets a lump of Topshop returned and Ted Baker…

Wednesday 10/04/19

In FINANCIALS NEWS, Nationwide makes history with new mortgages while SocGen and Barclays announce job cuts. In HIGH STREET NEWS, more shops shut down and Debenhams faces a tricky future. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Boeing gets zero orders last month…

Tuesday 09/04/19

In MACRO AND COMMODITIES NEWS, concerns increase about a global recession, the US aims tariffs at the EU, oil prices rise on Libyan unrest and pork prices also look set to increase. In UK CONSUMER/RETAIL NEWS, shoppers shy away from…

Monday 08/04/19

In REGULATION-RELATED NEWS, tech firms are to come under more scrutiny and Fiat teams up with Tesla on emissions. In MONEY-RAISING NEWS, Pinterest sweetens the deal of a dual-structure and Monzo gets a boost. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Sports Direct…

Friday 05/04/19

In MACRO NEWS, China's stimulus appears to be gaining traction, Trump is upbeat but a Xi meeting date isn't decided while German factory orders disappoint - as does Italy's economy. In CONSUMER SPENDING TRENDS, UK car sales slow, car insurance…

Thursday 04/04/19

In MACRO NEWS, it looks like the US and China are nearing a deal, May and Corbyn start talks and the UK services sector takes a beating. In TOBACCO NEWS, China Tobacco looks outside its domestic market while US cigarette…

Wednesday 03/04/19

In BREXIT AND CRYPTOCURRENCY NEWS, we have a look at the latest in the Brexit saga and why Bitcoin had a bit of a pop. In NEWS ON RETAIL AND CONSUMER TRENDS, US shopping centre vacancies are up, Burger King…

Tuesday 02/04/19

In MACRO AND MARKETS NEWS, German manufacturing weakens, British manufacturing strengthens and global markets rally on better news from US and Chinese manufacturing. In IPO-RELATED NEWS, Lyft falls on its second day and Slack considers a direct IPO on the…

Monday 01/04/19

In MACRO NEWS, Brexit rumbles on, the UK living wage increases and China's factories crank up. In RETAIL NEWS, business rates come under attack, new rules on FOBTs put bookies under threat and Superdry faces a crunch vote. In INDIVIDUAL…

Friday 29/03/19

In TECH/SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS, Huawei posts strong results but is slammed by a UK intelligence panel and Grindr is forcibly sold. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, there's consolidation among German autoparts makers and Lyft sets a high price. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS,…

Thursday 28/03/19

In MACRO NEWS, the latest votes throw up no Brexit deal alternatives and Turkey hits big turbulence. In CAR NEWS, UK output drops sharply, Renault cosies up to Nissan, Ford leaves Russia and BMW expresses interest in Honda's site in…

Wednesday 27/03/19

In M&A AND IPO NEWS, Uber buys Careem, Geely aims for Smart, Uber's ex chief buys into 'dark kitchens', River Island takes control of Mint Velvet and Lyft eyes a chunky valuation. In TECH NEWS, Samsung has a profit warning…

Tuesday 26/03/19

In MACRO NEWS, Brexit takes another turn and German manufacturing hits turbulence. In TECH NEWS, Apple unveils new services, Nintendo announces new Switch consoles, Inmarsat goes private and Naspers seeks a separate listing for its massive Tencent stake. In HIGH…

Monday 25/03/19

In MACRO NEWS, we look at the latest options for May/Brexit. In INDUSTRY NEWS, UK bookies continue to look to the US and vape companies get nervous. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Uber closes in on a deal with Careem and…

Friday 22/03/19

In MACRO NEWS, Brexit gets a tight window and the Bank of England leave interest rates unchanged. In HIGH STREET NEWS, Ted Baker and Next stumble, The Entertainer gains on parental fear as a number of Giraffe and Ed's Easy…

Thursday 21/03/19

In MACRO NEWS, the Fed keeps US interest rates unchanged, May gets push-back from the EU, UK inflation rises, Spain shows solid growth and Nigeria pledges to sell down oil assets to finance its budget. In CAR NEWS, BMW has…

Wednesday 20/03/19

In MACRO NEWS, US-China trade talks take another step and UK unemployment reaches record lows. In RETAIL NEWS, ASOS has US troubles, Ocado says its fire was a one-off, Superdry's Dunkerton gets a knock-back and Office Outlet (used to be…

Tuesday 19/03/19

In POLITICAL NEWS, May hits a Bercow-shaped roadblock for Brexit. In RIDE-HAILING NEWS, Lyft targets a chunky IPO and Gett wants to get on the bandwagon. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Worldpay goes to a US rival for $43bn, Marriott pledges…

Monday 18/03/19

In RETAIL NEWS, US retailers profits get downgraded and own brands take on the big names. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank get the official blessing to engage in merger talks, Interserve proves to be a mess and…

Friday 15/03/19

In MACRO NEWS, Parliament votes for a Brexit delay. In HIGH STREET NEWS, Superdry's former boss launches a new attack, Cineworld benefits from Regal, Savills flags a slowdown and it's sofa so good for DFS. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, Uber's self-driving…

Thursday 14/03/19

In MACRO NEWS, May loses another vote and Hammond announces the Spring Statement. In STREAMING NEWS, Spotify files a complaint against Apple and Google's YouTube Music launches in India. In RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, Starbucks feels the heat in China, Inditex lifts…

Wednesday 13/03/19

In MACRO NEWS, Brexit takes another turn but the UK economy rebounds. In CAR NEWS, VW targets electric, Nissan's Infiniti production stops in the UK and Pendragon focuses on secondhand. In HIGH STREET NEWS, Mothercare sells its toy business, French…

Tuesday 12/03/19

In MACRO NEWS, Turkey hits recession, Mexico tries to avoid it, Venezuela's Maduro feels the heat and German Industrial Production hits the skids. In TECH-RELATED NEWS, Microsoft moves into biological computing and Nvidia splashes $6.9bn on an Israeli chipmaker. In…

Monday 11/03/19

In BANKS NEWS, Deutsche starts talks with Commerz while Revolut bolsters its governance. In HIGH STREET NEWS, footfall weakens and Debenhams continues its anti-Ashley efforts. In TECH NEWS, we see how big tech has powered ahead and that TikTok's owner…

Friday 08/03/19

In MACRO AND OIL NEWS, the ECB does a U-turn while Exxon and Chevron make a big statement in shale. In RETAIL NEWS, Kroger suffers, Greggs sales top £1bn but LK Bennett, Primark and Quiz have a 'mare while John…

Thursday 07/03/19

In TRADE-RELATED NEWS, Trump's tariff tampering leads to deficit as Volvo and Jack Daniel's talk about tariff impact. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, US regulators approve the first drug to treat depression since Prozac, Grab grabs $1.5bn to expand in Indonesia,…

Wednesday 06/03/19

In MACRO AND INDUSTRY NEWS, China cuts its growth forecasts and the FDA loses its chief. In HIGH STREET/CONSUMER-RELATED NEWS, Debenhams has a profits warning, Superdry announces cuts and Papa John's calls a truce with its founder. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY…

Tuesday 05/03/19

In INDUSTRY NEWS, China's tech sector sees cuts and UK construction stalls. In CAR NEWS, we see the contrast between Ford's failure and Toyota's triumph in China plus Tesla's new model. In HIGH STREET NEWS, we see weaker sales, "Mr"…

Monday 04/03/19

In POLITICAL NEWS, a US-China deal seems to be closer, we look at what a no-deal Brexit might bring and highlight the upcoming Spanish election. In TRANSPORT-RELATED NEWS, we look at future plans and thoughts for Germany's electric cars and…

Friday 01/03/19

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, the US has solid growth but India's growth slows right down. In RETAIL NEWS, online retailer Zalando puts in a good performance and Gap splits off Old Navy. In CAR NEWS, Tesla launches its cheapest Model 3…

Thursday 28/02/19

In POLITICAL NEWS, we see two faces of Trump and Pakistan/India escalates. In RETAIL NEWS, M&S shareholders balk at the price of the Ocado deal, Ted Baker issues a profits warning and Best Buy benefits from Fortnite. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY…

Wednesday 27/02/19

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, we look at the current options for Brexit and Trump's wall. In NEWS ON CARS, Peugeot relaunches in North America and FiatChrysler invests in Michigan Jeep plants. In MOBILE PHONE NEWS, Xiaomi pledges to triple the number…

Tuesday 26/02/19

In US-CHINA RELATED NEWS, Trump keeps everyone guessing and US companies pause China investment. In BIOTECH NEWS, GE sells its biotech business for $21bn and Crispr Therapeutics makes a breakthrough. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Spotify has India troubles, Tesla has…

Monday 25/02/19

In TRADE WAR NEWS, Trump decides to push out the tariff deadline. In NEW INNOVATION NEWS, Microsoft makes AR strides and Huawei is the latest to announce a bendy phone. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, BMW-Daimler's ride-hailing unit has big expansion aspirations…

Friday 22/02/19

In GLOBAL TRADE-RELATED NEWS, Trump softens on Huawei, Maersk warns on trade war escalation and German export orders hit new lows. In CONSUMER GOODS NEWS, Kraft Heinz has a poorly-received reveal and Johnson & Johnson has talc issues. In INDIVIDUAL…

Thursday 21/02/19

In CAR-RELATED NEWS, we look at Honda fallout, emissions difficulties, and the latest on Lyft, Uber and Tesla. In RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, "Sasda" looks dead, retailer landlord Intu suffers and so does Laura Ashley. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Samsung launches a…

Wednesday 20/02/19

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, Trump makes positive noises on China trade talks, Germany's trade surplus increases chances of retaliation, Germany sides with France against the EU and the UK labour market remains tight. In RETAIL/HIGH STREET NEWS, Walmart triumphs, Asda sales…

Tuesday 19/02/19

In VEHICLE-RELATED NEWS, Honda closes Swindon, US dealers offer bigger SUV discounts and Ford does e-vans. In CONSUMER/RETAIL NEWS, UK consumers are nervous but not changing their spending and JD Sports takes a slice of Footasylum but not the whole…

Monday 18/02/19

In CONSUMER/RETAIL NEWS, UK worker pay rises on skills shortage, house prices are at their most affordable for years, Microsoft's on the verge of a London shop and Walmart's due to reveal the cost of taking on Amazon. In CAR-RELATED…

Friday 15/02/19

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, Trump calls an emergency, May loses another vote and Germany avoids recession. In RETAILER NEWS, US retail sales weaken, Amazon abandons HQ2 in New York and looks at London store openings, Patisserie Valerie gets a lifeline and…

Thursday 14/02/19

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, Xi joins the trade talks, China exports surge and UK inflation falls. In DRINKING AND DRIVING NEWS, Heineken profits, driverless players jockey for position and an electric car startup gets an Amazon and GM boost. In RETAIL…

Wednesday 13/02/19

In MACRO AND OIL NEWS, US-China talks make progress, the Baltic Dry hits new lows and Aramco looks overseas. In TECH AND GAMING-RELATED NEWS, Apple has China issues and grumbling from publishers, Sony replaces its PlayStation chief and Activision Blizzard…

Tuesday 12/02/19

In MACRO AND COMMODITIES NEWS, China engages in more US talks, UK growth hits the buffers (surprise, surprise) and there's rising demand for both copper and cobalt. In RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, Burger King's parent seeks out growth, Iceland readies itself for…

Monday 11/02/19

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, Japan loses steam and there's more evidence of a UK slowdown. In UK HIGH STREET/CONSUMER NEWS, Office profits take a shoeing, Paperchase tries not to fold, Patisserie Valerie refuses Mike Ashley's proposal to have his cake and…

Friday 08/02/19

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, the Bank of England hunkers down on interest rates. In MEDIA-RELATED NEWS, Twitter turns its first ever full-year profit, Publicis suffers slowing sales and the BBC nears a transformational deal. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, Amazon invests in Aurora…