Watson's Daily

Friday 06/12/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the French farce continues, Starmer sets out milestones, investors buy US stock funds and Qatar buys Typhoons from the UK while Equinor and Shell merge their UK oil and gas assets. In M&A NEWS, Thames Water…

Thursday 05/12/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS,Barnier gets ousted, South Korea's turmoil continues, the OECD raises UK growth forecasts, bitcoin hits $100,000 and cocoa's about to go bananas. In MANUFACTURING NEWS,Northvolt's prospects look grim, GM takes a big hit, petrol cars get rationed,…

Wednesday 04/12/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we look at some major K-drama, weak economic Aussie growth, troubles with UK data, ageing UK nuclear power plants getting their retirement extended and the rise of the crypto zoo. In TRADE & EMPLOYMENT TRENDS, China…

Tuesday 03/12/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the EU birth rate falls, German job cuts hit hard, Michel Barnier faces the sack and the UK regulator makes positive noises about Shein. In AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, Stellantis slides, GM decides to exit a Michigan EV…

Monday 02/12/24

In BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, Chinese exporters scramble ahead of the deadline, UK businesses are gloomy by M&A activity increases, Compass chases deals in Europe and Games Workshop looks set to join the FTSE100. In AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, Stellantis's chief resigns, JSW…

Friday 29/11/24

In RETAIL & CONSUMER TRENDS NEWS, American retailers inject the FOMO, UK retail footfall drops, Morrisons scales back its use of Ocado, Dr Martens shares rise despite loss and toymakers target adults. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Aviva has another go at…

Thursday 28/11/24

In MACRO & MARKETS NEWS, Keir Starmer gets invited to Europe and we look at ongoing London market gloom. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, the Budget dents confidence, Ikea warns of higher prices, Pets at Home falters and Mitchells…

Wednesday 27/11/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, an Israel-Lebanon ceasefire begins, Fed officials are cautious on cuts, Wall Street backs the UK and orange juice prices boom. In RETAIL NEWS, Nordstrom gets more confident, Urban Outfitters sees rising sales, Shaftsbury talks a good…

Tuesday 26/11/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Trump threatens China, Canada and Mexico, the UK government continues in defensive mode and crypto Brits watch bitcoin hit $95,000. In RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, Macy's has a problem, UK retailers warn, Aldi and Lidl get…

Monday 25/11/24

In BUSINESS & EMPLOYMENT TRENDS, we take a look at defence, German exporters, agriculture, accountants and investment while workers seek new jobs and salaries rise. In TECH & MEDIA NEWS, Huawei launches its own phone with its own software, TikTok…

Friday 22/11/24

In MACRO & COMMODITY NEWS, Gensler quits, we look at the upside of Trump's tariffs, Adani drama tests India's reputation, public sector pay drives government borrowing, the CMA looks like it'll change course, consumer confidence returns and BP approves a…

Thursday 21/11/24

In MACRO NEWS,UK inflation rises and bitcoin edges closer to $100k. In TECH NEWS, Nvidia does it again, Apple tries to appease Indonesia, Palo Alto disappoints, Sage jumps and ProRata.ai signs up UK publishers. In RETAIL NEWS, Target misses expectations…

Wednesday 20/11/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Putin prepares to weaponise energy, Starmer sidesteps criticism, the government's picking sides, farmers protest, labour market data continues to be dodgy and US companies stockpile. In RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, Walmart booms, consumers get hit, Mulberry…

Tuesday 19/11/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS,the G20 falters on support for Ukraine, Hong Kong sentences pro-democracy activists, Starmer talks a good game but the UK is exposed, Budget fallout continues, Trump dabbles deeper with crypto and the outlook for gold looks good.…

Monday 18/11/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we look at war, ongoing Trump impact, a struggling UK government, gold's wobble and lithium scepticism. In RETAIL NEWS, Shein plans a 2025 London IPO and Sephora plans more UK stores. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, trading assets…

Friday 15/11/24

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, Jay Powell talks interest rates, we look at business trends for the UK and European gas prices power up. In RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, Burberry plans a turnaround, WH Smith aims to expand in the…

Thursday 14/11/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, US inflation rises, we see more Trump impact, China braces itself, we look at how Spain is outperforming its neighbours, why Labour is losing council seats, Reeves's plan to consolidate council pension funds and bitcoin's march.…

Wednesday 13/11/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we take a look at more reaction to Trump's victory and an exciting new development in nuclear fusion. In TECH NEWS,there's discussion about Musk's potential influence on AI while Amazon, Baidu and Softbank make AI advances,…

Tuesday 12/11/24

In MACRO & MARKETS NEWS, Brussels looks to boost spending for defence, the Trump pump takes effect and go-private levels hit a three-year high. In BUSINESS TRENDS, Japan's on the verge of an energy storage boom and the NIC changes…

Monday 11/11/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, there's still a lot of reaction to Trump's victory, the UK Budget and the HMRC gets a surprise £700m windfall. In TECH NEWS,Big Tech waits in anticipation and TSMC is on the verge of stopping the…

Friday 08/11/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the Fed cuts interest rates, Trump's re-election prompts further reactions, the Bank of England cuts interest rates, big business warns of Budget impact, the government considers alternatives for HS2 and there's trouble in the North Sea.…

Thursday 07/11/24

In MACRO NEWS, we look at Trump's victory, the impact, what happens now and the implications while Germany collapses and the UK reflects. In AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, BMW's profits plummet and used car sales hit new highs. In RETAIL & LEISURE…

Wednesday 06/11/24

In MACRO NEWS, we look at what will happen with another Trump presidency and continued reaction to Reeves's Budget. In AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, Honda disappoints, Europe's woes continue, Ferrari bucks the trend, EV prices are slashed and UK motor finance is…

Tuesday 05/11/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, things gets tetchy ahead of US election night, farmers react to the Budget and we look at energy developments. In TECH NEWS, Indonesia gets feisty and Musk makes a play. In RETAIL NEWS, UK retail sales…

Monday 04/11/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we have a look at what might happen the day after the presidential election, China turns the screws, Reeves rejects NI rise push-back, India experiences an investor wobble, Opec+ members unite and the IEA has faith…

Friday 01/11/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we look at further reaction to the Budget, the surprise inflation rise in the eurozone, Shell's calls for certainty and some interesting business trends. In TECH NEWS, there's a Wall Street sell-off, Apple starts its AI…

Thursday 31/10/24

In MACRO NEWS, we take a look at yesterday's Budget, the US gets a boost, Germany's GDP grows and gold demand is strong. In TECH NEWS, Meta's earnings beat forecasts, Microsoft benefits from AI, Samsung's chip business has a wobble,…

Wednesday 30/10/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the EU goes ahead with tariffs on Chinese EV imports, Germany looks precarious, UK borrowing costs hit a new high, we look at the effects of a Trump victory, Saudi's PIF changes focus and BP's profits…

Tuesday 29/10/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Spain bucks the Eurozone trend, chances increase of a UK rate cut and Musk gets sued for his giveaway. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Lloyds braces for impact, HSBC beats expectations and UK banks prove their resilience. In…

Monday 28/10/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Japan's election result poses more questions, Aim listings hit a new low, a steak chain considers a listing and oil prices weaken. In BUSINESS & CONSUMER TRENDS, lawyers deal with Budget inquiries as company founders look…

Friday 25/10/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the IMF says Europe will lag the US, UK consumer and business confidence wobbles, English councils are gloomy, we look at what Reeves needs to do and Indonesia wants to join Brics. In RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, luxury…

Thursday 24/10/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, I bring you a ton of stuff on the US election, the Bank of England's reaction to slowing inflation, Reeves' imminent rule change, investor trends and war developments. In REAL ESTATE NEWS, we consider whether the…

Wednesday 23/10/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the US economy's on a roll, Britain gets an upgrade, councils face further turmoil and the London living wage is set to rise. In RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, Halfords warns of uncertainty, Holiday Inn sees growth,…

Tuesday 22/10/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Trump closes the gap on Harris, China stimulates, Goldman predicts more interest rate falls, gold hits a record high, Maersk boosts guidance and UK worker reforms are going to cost. In CONSUMER TRENDS, alcohol demand drops,…

Monday 21/10/24

In MACRO NEWS, we look at global confidence, the race to "unretire" and another review of HS2. In TECH NEWS, Chinese AI groups drive down costs, personality comes to chatbots and investors look to data centres. In BUSINESS & CONSUMER…

Friday 18/10/24

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, the Middle East war takes a turn, China's growth slows, the ECB cuts rates again and gold hits a new high. In FINANCIALS NEWS, BNPL heads towards FCA oversight, plans are afoot to loosen bonus…

Thursday 17/10/24

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, China expands lending and ups the ante with Taiwan, UK inflation drops unexpectedly and Rio Tinto's iron shipments stay steady. In RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, luxury's having a bad patch, M&S looks strong, Ryanair gets…

Wednesday 16/10/24

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, we look at the latest developments in the US election, the IMF questions Reeves, the chancellor identifies a bigger funding gap and oil prices slide. In EMPLOYMENT & CONSUMER TRENDS NEWS, UK wages slow, the…

Tuesday 15/10/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we see why the West is worried about China, US markets rise, Reeves gives hints and oil prices weaken. In AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, Chinese carmakers deny and Stellantis sounds warnings. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Google orders SMRs, we…

Monday 14/10/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we look at the impact of limited dealflow, who pays most income tax, why bankers might return and how Britain might grow. In AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, European car makers plan cheaper models, used EVs continue to go…

Friday 11/10/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS,US inflation cools, Barnier shocks France, Chinese retail investors add danger, UK execs dump shares, used chip fat is on the verge of being traded and Miliband eases the path of giant dams. In CAR NEWS, Stellantis…

Thursday 10/10/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we see that the Fed was split on big rate cuts, Chinese stocks have a terrible day, mega trials boost lawyers and Continental's fortunes could give hope to the automotive industry. In EMPLOYMENT NEWS, Portugal tries…

Wednesday 09/10/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, China lashes out at brandy, pension funds push for a UK fiscal rule change, businesses want more clarity on UK worker rights and oil prices fall. In TECH NEWS, a Google break-up is considered, Foxconn goes…

Tuesday 08/10/24

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, China markets roar, oil prices rise, Equinor buys into Orsted and BP decides against production cuts. In TECH NEWS, Google is ordered to open Android, LG Electronics and Samsung are looking at a slowdown, the…

Monday 07/10/24

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, Reeves faces calls from all sides and Rio Tinto considers Arcadium Lithium. In EMPLOYMENT & INVESTMENT NEWS, JCB cuts jobs, businesses hold back on recruitment, battery storage funds go quiet, tech unicorns struggle and pension…

Friday 04/10/24

In MACRO NEWS, the US dockworkers decide to suspend their strike, sterling falls, private sector growth slows, Reeves raises hopes of investment, the oil price rises and olive oil starts to flow. In CAR NEWS, manufacturers call for assistance and…

Thursday 03/10/24

In MACRO NEWS, the UK and EU begin the reset, the Bank of England warns of a correction and we look at what's going on with oil. In RETAIL & CONSUMER NEWS, Amazon makes ad adjustments, AO World agrees to…

Wednesday 02/10/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, oil prices rise, Trump gets a boost, Eurozone inflation falls below target, France announces tax rises, the UK jobs market calms down and we consider reasons to be cheerful. In TECH NEWS, there's an AI kerfuffle,…

Tuesday 01/10/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Jay Powell signals a quarter-point cut, China's stimulus boosts Shanghai, Japan calls an election, Austrians join the populist march, fossil fuel projects face a higher bar and there's some good news for energy bills. In RETAIL…

Monday 30/09/24

In MACRO NEWS, Israel gets emboldened, the ECB looks primed, the Austrian far-right wins, Starmer readies for a reset and the winter fuel allowance debate continues. In BUSINESS & EMPLOYMENT NEWS, business confidence drops and we look at the prospects…

Friday 27/09/24

THE TIME HAS COME! Watson's Daily will be relaunching next week with a brand new website - so this will be the last time you'll see it in this format 🥲! Watson's Daily 2.0 comin' atcha!!! NB - there will…

Thursday 26/09/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we look at the latest on conflict, Harris's pro-business campaign speech, whether China's done enough to get out of its rut, how the OECD is optimistic about the UK and reaction to the Labour conference. In…

Wednesday 25/09/24

In MACRO NEWS, Germany stagnates, France considers tax rises, Starmer wants to re-engage, the UK's economy looks good, Reeves is warned and Australian inflation hits its lowest level in three years. In BUSINESS & CONSUMER TRENDS, Geely tries Vietnam, nuclear…

Tuesday 24/09/24

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, an Israeli strike kills almost 500 in Lebanon, the PBoC announced some major updates and we look at the implications and reaction to Reeve's speech yesterday while economists paint a pessimistic picture of Germany. In TECH…