Watson's Daily

Friday 14/12/18

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, the US posts strong job numbers, Italy's latest budget fudge falls short and the EU orders the reinstatement of tougher diesel emission rules. In RETAIL NEWS , Mike Ashley warns of dire retail situation, Bonmarche craters and…

Thursday 13/12/18

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, we see what's next for the PM, Italy sounds like it's trying to comply on its budget and markets turn up on hopes that US-China negotiations are nearing a happy place. In RETAIL NEWS , Zara owner…

Wednesday 12/12/18

In CAR-RELATED NEWS, China cuts tariffs in a drastically weaker sales environment and Hyundai champions fuel cells. In RETAIL AND CONSUMER-RELATED NEWS , Christmas ain't looking good for the high street, pensions get hit by falling retail property values and…

Tuesday 11/12/18

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, May has a 'mare, UK growth stutters, the French central bank slashes growth forecasts and Macron caves to protester demands. In RETAIL NEWS , US retailers shake things up and Dunkerton hankers for a return to Superdry.…

Monday 10/12/18

In MACRON NEWS, the French president faces serious challenges. In UK CONSUMER/HIGH STREET NEWS , footfall is expected to fall sharply, Pizza Express has dough woes but then Hollywood Bowl is looking good. In TECH-RELATED NEWS, the Huawei saga intensifies,…

Friday 07/12/18

In MARKETS AND OIL NEWS, markets shudder from Huawei drama and an oil production cut might not be a done deal. In HUAWEI NEWS , China gets angry and the Japanese government considers cutting Huawei off. In SECTOR NEWS, gambling…

Thursday 06/12/18

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, Macron cancels his proposed fuel tax, Italy offers to "tweak" its budget and UK services has a disappointing month. In TECH NEWS , BT strips out Huawei equipment, Huawei's CFO gets arrested and Waymo's driverless taxis start…

Wednesday 05/12/18

In POLITICS AND MARKETS NEWS, May suffers more defeat, Macron U-turns on fuel tax, France and Germany chicken out of digital tax and US markets tumble on lack of tariff clarity. In RETAIL-RELATED NEWS , Kroger gets with Walgreens, UK…

Tuesday 04/12/18

In POLITICAL NEWS, Macron faces fuel tax pressure and Spain's far-right gains ground. In MERGER & ACQUISITION NEWS , GSK buys Tesaro to boost its cancer drug pipeline, Unilever buys GSK's consumer nutrition business and Altria has talks to buy…

Monday 03/12/18

In MACRO, MARKETS AND OIL NEWS, a G20 truce cheers markets, Macron has a domestic, UK manufacturing gets a boost and oil prices ain't what they used to be. In RETAILER NEWS, Amazon trials cashierless and Spain's Dia faces tough…

Friday 30/11/18

In UK CONSUMER NEWS, borrowing and confidence are down but mortgage lending goes up. In TECH NEWS , Amazon feels heat from the Germans and Apple axes Chinese apps. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, AT&T announces streaming plans, Bayer makes big…

Thursday 29/11/18

In MARKETS AND BITCOIN NEWS, the US markets breathe a sigh of relief and Bitcoin perks up. In FAANG NEWS , Netflix commits to more production as Google and Facebook fuel a UK ad boom. In RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, Ikea's profit…

Wednesday 28/11/18

In CAR-RELATED NEWS, European manufacturers get dinged by Trump and Tesla has a shocker in China. In RETAIL-RELATED NEWS , John Lewis hails Black Friday, Greggs warms investors but Pets at Home has a vet-shaped nightmare. In TECH NEWS, major…

Tuesday 27/11/18

In MACRO AND OIL NEWS, Trump talks more China tariffs, Italy hints at a budget climbdown and US shale drillers could be affected by low oil prices. In UK HIGH STREET NEWS , pubs adapt to change and Cake Box…

Monday 26/11/18

In MACRO, MARKETS AND BITCOIN NEWS, we take a look at what could happen if the UK parliament rejects Brexit, markets continue to wobble and Bitcoin investors have their worst week for five years. In BLACK FRIDAY NEWS , we…

Friday 23/11/18

In CAR-RELATED NEWS, Tesla cuts prices in China and Nissan sacks Ghosn. In TECH-RELATED NEWS , we see that Tencent and Alibaba's investments are behind a big chunk of profits, that the US is telling everyone to avoid Huawei and…

Thursday 22/11/18

In MACRO AND MARKETS NEWS, the Italians remain defiant after a second budget rejection and markets recover. In RETAIL NEWS , Ikea unveils plans to cut staff and increase small stores and Kingfisher gets more focused. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS,…

Wednesday 21/11/18

In MARKETS, OIL AND CRYPTO NEWS, the tech rout continues, oil goes weaker and crypto falls attract attention. In RETAIL NEWS , US retailers weaken going into Black Friday, Gap eyes store closures and AO World suffers. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY…

Tuesday 20/11/18

In MACROECONOMIC AND MARKETS NEWS, we see the tough situation facing investors at the moment as markets fall. In TECH NEWS , Tencent ventures outside China to avoid the freeze, Xiaomi turns a profit and Apple cuts production. In MEDIA…

Monday 19/11/18

In TECH NEWS, we look at FAANG weakness and what's next for Apple. In INDUSTRY SECTOR NEWS , Russian oil groups make a killing, Big Tobacco squares up on menthol and UK retailers ready themselves for Black Friday. In INDIVIDUAL…

Friday 16/11/18

In MACROECONOMIC AND MARKETS NEWS, Brexit divides and markets react. In RETAIL NEWS , Black Friday kicks off early, Walmart posts solid sales but UK retail sales fall. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, the FDA seeks a ban on menthol-flavoured cigarettes and…

Thursday 15/11/18

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, the Eurozone slows, Italy continues to rebel, Sweden can't agree on a Prime Minister, the Brexit treaty is ready for debate and UK inflation stays steady. In UK HIGH STREET NEWS , woes at House of Fraser…

Wednesday 14/11/18

In MACROECONOMIC AND OIL NEWS, EU worker numbers fall sharply in the UK and the oil price hits new lows. In RETAIL NEWS , Sainsbury's and Waitrose lag, Aldi sales soar, Farmers say "no" to Sasda and B&M is waiting…

Tuesday 13/11/18

In MARKETS AND OIL NEWS, Wall Street takes a tumble while the Saudis talk less oil and the IEA talks peak oil. In TECH NEWS , Apple's shine is dulled by suppliers, Amazon picks its HQ2 and SAP buys Qualtrics.…

Monday 12/11/18

In CONSUMER-RELATED NEWS, UK wages and house prices rise. In RETAIL-RELATED NEWS , Alibaba sets a new record for Singles' Day, US fast food chains run out of puff and hedge funds bet against the UK high street. In INDIVIDUAL…

Friday 09/11/18

In MACROECONOMIC AND ENERGY-RELATED NEWS, China exports strengthen despite tariffs, the Europeans forecast the UK to have the slowest growth into 2020, oil goes bear, renewables' costs fall and Toshiba abandons Cumbrian plant. In RETAIL NEWS , Sainsbury's puts the…

Thursday 08/11/18

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, we look at the impact of yesterday's midterms in the US while wage rises in the UK put pressure on employers. In UK HIGH STREET NEWS , M&S and Mulberry disappoint while smaller retailers provide hope and…

Wednesday 07/11/18

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, Italy edges towards recession, France and Turkey vow to defy US sanctions on Iran and the Europeans can't agree on a digital tax. In UK HIGH STREET NEWS , New Look turns a corner, Primark gains ground…

Tuesday 06/11/18

In TARIFFS AND SANCTIONS NEWS, US farmers express disappointment, China's neighbours look to benefit and Iran expresses defiance in the face of major US sanctions. In UK NEWS , the services sector, retail sales and car sales all slow down.…

Monday 05/11/18

In TARIFFS NEWS, US and Chinese companies alike suffer from the Trump tariffs. In TECH NEWS , Apple changes tack and one insurer taps into health devices. In RETAILER-RELATED NEWS, the Patisserie Valerie chief cuts some of his jobs, the…

Friday 02/11/18

In TECH NEWS, we see the ups and downs for Apple and Spotify. In CARS NEWS , Volvo commits to shipping driverless cars and Subaru and Toyota announce an expensive recall. In REAL ESTATE-RELATED NEWS, the UK's north/south divide continues…

Thursday 01/11/18

In UK RETAIL NEWS, Next delivers but Mothercare eyes job cuts. In CAR-RELATED NEWS , JLR considers drastic action and Panasonic gets hit by increased battery demand from Tesla. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Samsung unveils record profits, GSK raises profit…

Wednesday 31/10/18

In UK RETAIL NEWS, the high street continues to look shaky, Amazon makes moves into fashion, WH Smith goes stateside, Sports Direct buys Evans Cycles and Wagamama gets a new owner. In TECH NEWS , Apple unveils shiny new stuff,…

Tuesday 30/10/18

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, we see Hammond's giveaway, Merkel's farewell bow and Bolsonaro's challenges. In CAR-RELATED NEWS , car makers get a Chinese boost but UK punters keep their hands firmly in their pockets. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Hitachi Chemical gets…

Monday 29/10/18

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, Merkel gets mullered and Brazil takes a right turn. In TECH NEWS , FIBM buys Red Hat, Facebook and Google come under focus for more tax payments and Epic Games earns a chunky valuation. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY…

Friday 26/10/18

In CIGARETTES AND ALCOHOL NEWS, Altria is pulling most vaping products in the US and Budweiser brewer suffers a massive hangover. In SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS , Twitter shares fly and Snap gets better at monetising. In RETAIL NEWS, Amazon unveils…

Thursday 25/10/18

In MACROECONOMIC AND MARKETS NEWS, Eurozone growth slows, Merkel faces problems, Italy cosies up to Russia, South Africa cuts its growth forecasts and markets give up 2018 gains. In AUTOMOTIVE NEWS , Ford disappoints, Tesla delights, Geely and Daimler announce…

Wednesday 24/10/18

In MACROECONOMIC AND MARKETS NEWS, the EU rejects Italy's budget and markets take a bath. In MANUFACTURING NEWS , both US and UK manufacturing hit hurdles, Dyson goes to Singapore and Tesla gets a double boost. In OTHER NEWS, I…

Friday 19/10/18

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, China growth slows down and the Italian budget hits a wall. In UK-RELATED NEWS , retail sales relent and New Look leaves China. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Uber moves into the temp market, Unilever backpeddles and another…

Thursday 18/10/18

In CONSUMER/RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, UK inflation calms down and Asos sees sales rise. In UK REAL ESTATE NEWS , UK house prices slow and Crest Nicholson has another profit warning. In AIRLINE NEWS, tbusiness fliers mitigate fuel price increases but Flybe…

Wednesday 17/10/18

In MACROECONOMIC AND MARKETS NEWS, the Saudi drama continues, Macron reshuffles his Cabinet, UK wages are up and US markets surge strongly. In US COMPANY NEWS , Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley power ahead, Netflix unveils a great Q3 and…

Tuesday 16/10/18

In MACROECONOMIC AND CURRENCY NEWS, we see something funny going on with the US and Saudi Arabia, SoftBank suffering from its association with the kingdom and Bitcoin's latest move towards legitimacy. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS , Superdry's not looking so…

Monday 15/10/18

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, Saudi Arabia threatens retaliation and Germany's Merkel has a setback. In RESTAURANT-RELATED NEWS , Patisserie Valerie survives for now and UberEats plans virtual restaurants. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, military electronics companies L3 and Harris merge and Sears…

Friday 12/10/18

In MACROECONOMIC AND MARKETS NEWS, Turkey looks like it'll release the pastor and markets take a bath. In NEWS ON CARS , China sales continue to slow and BMW ups its commitment in the country. In RETAIL NEWS, Amazon ups…

Thursday 11/10/18

In MACROECONOMIC AND MARKETS NEWS, UK GDP rises and US markets fall. In RETAIL NEWS , Sears gets closer to bankruptcy, Ikea changes its stores, Wilko stutters and Patisserie Valerie has a nightmare. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Snapchat announces new…

Wednesday 10/10/18

In FINANCIALS NEWS, the Bank of England threatens the EU and Wirecard looks moonbound. In HIGH STREET NEWS , Greggs gets an unhealthy boost and TK Maxx benefits from bargain-seekers. In TECH HARDWARE NEWS, Google unveils some shiny new gadgetry.…

Tuesday 09/10/18

In MARKETS AND OIL NEWS, investors get spooked by Italy's EU spat and we look at high oil price knock-on effects. In TECH HARDWARE NEWS , Sony looks towards a PS5 and Facebook announces its new Portal. In UK RETAIL…

Monday 08/10/18

In UK REAL ESTATE NEWS, we look at contrasting fortunes in the office, retail and residential markets. In RETAILER NEWS , US retailers scramble to fill the hole left by Toys R Us and FCUK is up for sale. In…

Friday 05/10/18

In MACROECONOMIC AND OIL NEWS, Trump has a new trade template and high oil prices pile on pressure. In CONSUMER ELECTRONICS NEWS , Samsung expects and Nintendo aims for a Switch revamp. In RETAILER NEWS, Ted Baker takes a hit…

Thursday 04/10/18

In MACROECONOMIC AND COMMODITIES NEWS, Macron gets another resignation, Turkey's inflation rises to almost 25%, UK services sector growth slows and copper trading looks set to rise. In FINANCE NEWS , Greek banks have a right wobble, N26 arrives in…

Wednesday 03/10/18

In UK CONSUMER NEWS, London house prices fall but shop prices go up. In RETAILER NEWS , mazon increases its minimum wage and a Belarus supermarket looks at a London listing. In IPO NEWS, Tencent considers the US and UK…

Tuesday 02/10/18

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, Trump hails the new "Nafta", with China next on the agenda. In CAR NEWS , Tesla jumps after the SEC decision and Aston Martin goes for a lower flotation price. In RETAILER NEWS, Aldi unveils solid numbers…

Monday 01/10/18

In TESLA NEWS, we look at the potential impact of the SEC's decision over the weekend NOT to oust Elon Musk. In IPO NEWS , Gangfeng Lithium's pioneering move could embolden others and Aston Martin nears a chunky valuation. In…

Friday 28/09/18

In UK CONSUMER NEWS, confidence falls and UK housebuilding sees sales dip. In RETAIL-RELATED NEWS , Tui defies its rivals, H&M sees higher sales, Halfords has a profits warning and we see that an Asda-Sainsbury's combo will have to lose…