Watson's Daily

Monday 24/07/23

In UK MACRO & MARKETS NEWS, the UK faces economic stagnation but UK stocks rally after last week's inflation news. In BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, UK exports to the EU rise, consultant work dries up in China and City lawyers brace…

Friday 21/07/23

In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, UK consumer confidence drops but Premier Foods thinks price rises have peaked while the CMA looks into it. We look at house prices, mortgages and rents, M&S gets rebuffed while consumers' desire for holidays…

Thursday 20/07/23

In MACRO NEWS, the UK's inflation slowdown prompts hope and Thailand's in a pickle. In TECH & MEDIA NEWS, ASML has a healthy backlog, Microsoft/Activision extend the deadline and Netflix moves forwards. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, the UK…

Wednesday 19/07/23

In TECH NEWS, Microsoft makes moves in AI and stays committed to Activision Blizzard while more writers join the AI lawsuit, Asian superapps falter and Darktrace feels relieved. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, US retail sales boost confidence but…

Tuesday 18/07/23

In MACRO, ENERGY & COMMODITIES NEWS, China's slowdown has repercussions, Rolls-Royce edges closer to making its SMRs, wheat prices rise on the lapse of the Black Sea deal and olive oil is is in crisis. In CONSUMER & RETAIL TRENDS,…

Monday 17/07/23

In TECH & MEDIA NEWS, Microsoft/Activision advances, Twitter's cashflow still falls short, Hollywood's strike looks like it could have a major impact and Netflix gets more subscribers. In BUSINESS & CONSUMER TRENDS, Multinationals shift in China, UK companies collapse and…

Friday 14/07/23

In MACRO & ENERGY NEWS, China's exports fall, its slowing economy hits oil and we look at why it's approaching deflation while the ECB looks to continue increasing interest rates, Europe decides to resume Japanese food imports, the UK's GDP…

Thursday 13/07/23

In MACRO, MARKETS & ENERGY NEWS, US inflation slows - putting more pressure on Bailey - BP invests big in offshore wind power and the Hornsea Four wind farm gets the OK. In RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY-RELATED NEWS, would-be homebuyers get nervous,…

Wednesday 12/07/23

In TECH NEWS, Microsoft/Activision Blizzard gets closer to approval, Amazon takes on the EU's digital rules, China draws up AI rules, the FCA warns about AI, Reuters reckons AI will write news, KPMG invests $2bn in AI and Cloud services…

Tuesday 11/07/23

In MACRO, MARKETS & CRYPTO NEWS, China heads towards deflation, Mark Rutte quits, Hunt announces reforms, UK stocks look cheap and Bitcoin may head to $100k. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, Bailey & Hunt ask for wage restraint, home sales…

Monday 10/07/23

In BUSINESS, CONSUMER & EMPLOYMENT TRENDS, we look at Saudi Arabia's moves into sport, how fewer people are getting married and what's going on in hiring. In RETAIL NEWS, Shein takes on Amazon while M&S gets annoyed with Ocado. In…

Friday 07/07/23

In TECH NEWS, Threads creates a splash, AI chips aren't breaking the chip slump and NYC regulates AI in hiring. In FINANCIALS NEWS, the FCA prods banks, Man Group moves into private credit, CAB Payments falls on debut and Hunt…

Thursday 06/07/23

In MACRO, OIL & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, the US reiterates that rate rises will return, Xi takes credit for Putin, Eurozone producer prices fall, UK interest rates could rocket, services sector momentum slows, UK borrowing costs rise and we battle…

Wednesday 05/07/23

In MACRO & CRYPTO NEWS, UK inflation continues to rise, we look at why rising interest rates aren't working, Sunak drops the UK's climate pledge, the UAE aims to triple renewables and Binance has a tricky time in Europe. In…

Tuesday 04/07/23

In TECH, MEDIA & TELCO NEWS, China retaliates on chips, Japan ups the stakes on chips, Apple Vision Pro has production issues and Threads nears launch while Netflix overhauls its advertising strategy and Ambani launches a $12 phone in India.…

Monday 03/07/23

In TECH NEWS, Google's made a quantum leap, crypto miners repurpose and Twitter puts in limits. In CONSUMER-RELATED NEWS, we see what the consumer is up to in the US and the UK, why UK mortgage relief may have repercussions…

Friday 30/06/23

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, US growth surprises, Germany sees inflation increase, China puts laws in place to combat sanctions, the UK blocks Russia from legal advice and we get our first lithium mine in Cornwall. In TECH NEWS, Microsoft…

Thursday 29/06/23

In MACRO NEWS, central bank chiefs warn about interest rates, Bailey blames it on Covid and Hunt gets the regulators together. In WATER NEWS, Thames Water's in a pickle and we consider the impact. In TECH NEWS, the US considers…

Wednesday 28/06/23

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, it looks like the ECB will keep raising rates, Vitol and Gunvor facilitate Russian oil and the North Sea windfall tax is disappointing. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, property prices weaken, food price rises have…

Tuesday 27/06/23

In MACRO NEWS, we look at the latest repercussions of the Wagner incident and Germany struggles. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, there's more evidence of a slowdown in food price inflation, shops see falling sales, Primark's owner is confident,…

Monday 26/06/23

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, we look at what happened in Russia over the weekend and how oil and gas companies are looking into lithium. In BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, we look at corporate strategy for China, GLG reducing its China…

Friday 23/06/23

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, the Bank of England raises the interest rate by 0.5% - and we ponder the consequences, Turkey makes a dramatic about-face on interest rates and the Church ditches oil. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS,…

Thursday 22/06/23

In MACRO NEWS, we look at the UK's high inflation, the consequences and rather shocking debt. In REAL ESTATE NEWS, house prices rise, Berkeley says interest rate fears are hitting home, mortgage repossessions look unlikely and there's more evidence of…

Wednesday 21/06/23

In REAL ESTATE NEWS, we take a look at the current mortgage situation and its effects. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, we see why UK inflation is so bad, there's more evidence that food price inflation is slowing, Alibaba has…

Tuesday 20/06/23

In MACRO NEWS, the Xi/Blinken meeting seemed to go quite well but Goldman Sachs downgraded its growth forecast for China. In CONSUMER/RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, mortgage rates hit a new high, we look at the arguments against intervention, food price inflation slows,…

Monday 19/06/23

In MACRO, ENERGY & CURRENCY NEWS, Lula has trouble in Brazil, UK geothermal energy is switched on, Ørsted wants more wind support and Turkey's lira falls. In TECH NEWS, Google praises UK's take on AI regs, celebs get on the…

Friday 16/06/23

In MACRO, BUSINESS TRENDS & OIL NEWS, the ECB raised interest rates, China unveiled disappointing numbers, Siemens invests in China and Informa bounces back while oilfield services consolidate. In FINANCIAL SECTOR NEWS, HSBC and Standard Chartered get pressure to take…

Thursday 15/06/23

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, China ponders a stimulus, the US Fed leaves rates on hold, the UK economy grows but Hunt says interest rates will still go up as HSBC jacks up mortgage rates amid a mortgage crisis, Sweden blames…

Wednesday 14/06/23

In MACRO & MARKETS NEWS, China has a rate cut, US inflation slows, UK inflation proves stubborn and the Nikkei flies. In M&A NEWS, Goldman and Morgan Stanley reckon dealflow will turn around as we see big pharma deal-making, Bunge…

Tuesday 13/06/23

In TECH NEWS, the US eases its stance on chipmakers, Google ad-tech comes under fire, the US regulators side with the UK on Microsoft/Activision and Chinese tech companies suffer. In REAL ESTATE NEWS, unusual measures are employed to tempt Chinese…

Monday 12/06/23

In FINANCIALS NEWS, UBS sets parameters in the CS takeover, HSBC is to outline SVB plans, Odey makes changes and Andreessen aims for London. In CONSUMER & CONSUMER GOODS NEWS, London homeowners face painful mortgage hikes, Waitrose cuts prices, Nike…

Friday 09/06/23

In MACRO, MARKETS & OIL NEWS, Europe falls into recession, the UK needs to watch out, CAB seeks out an IPO, CRH decides to quit London and Hunt is about to ease oil windfall tax parameters. In CONSUMER, RETAIL &…

Thursday 08/06/23

In MACRO, COMMODITIES & CURRENCY NEWS, the OECD calls for fiscal tightening, China's exports fall, the Eurozone looks vulnerable, oil traders profit from the energy crisis, greenwashing gets a bashing, El Niño forecasts cause concern, the Turkish lira falls and…

Wednesday 07/06/23

In MACRO NEWS, we look at the Ukrainian dam breach and its consequences, the World Bank touts its views and Australia gets a shock interest rate rise. In CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE RELATED NEWS, UK construction activity increases, we look…

Tuesday 06/06/23

In TECH NEWS, a Russian cyber attack hits the BBC, Boots and British Airways, we look at the latest discussions in AI, Apple reveals its expensive headset, Spotify sheds 200 and a former ByteDance exec admits state interference. In FINANCIALS/PROPERTY…

Monday 05/06/23

In BIG PICTURE & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, OPEC decides on oil production cuts, Coinbase suffers, higher inflation is powering fast-food chains and AstraZeneca bets on China. In TECH NEWS, Apple's set for a big announcement and we look at why…

Friday 02/06/23

In MACRO, MARKETS & ENERGY NEWS, the US avoids default, Eurozone inflation falls, UK deals dry up while some investors use AI to source suitable ones, renewables' capacity looks set to ramp up and OPEC restricts guests. In RETAIL NEWS,…

Thursday 01/06/23

In MACRO, ENERGY & CRYPTO NEWS, the US and UK see slowing growth, while France and Germany see falling inflation, Erdogan lifts Turkey, a new gas deal demonstrates the pulling power of the US and crypto could get a boost.…

Wednesday 31/05/23

In MACRO NEWS, Turkey faces pressure, Spain's inflation surprises but UK inflation looks set to stay higher. In TECH NEWS, AI pioneers sound warnings while Nvidia hits $1tn. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, US consumers have a wobble, UK…

Tuesday 30/05/23

In MACRO & POWER NEWS, China falters, Erdogan wins, Sánchez gambles and nukes need to hurry up. In TECH NEWS, AI chips get scarcer, WPP does an AI deal but there are power issues. In RETAIL & CONSUMER NEWS, Amazon…

Friday 26/05/23

In MACRO NEWS, the US slows down and Germany falls into recession. In TECH NEWS, Nvidia booms, OpenAI warns Europe, Bertelsmann sees opportunities in AI, TikTok tests its own AI chatbot and the metaverse loses investors. In RETAIL & CONSUMER…

Thursday 25/05/23

In TECH NEWS, Samsung faces its first ever strike, TikTok adapts, Meta begins its final round of layoffs, tablets get the upper hand and Embracer abosolutely tanks. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, the UK car industry calls for more slack on export…

Wednesday 24/05/23

In MACRO NEWS, the Bank of England faces criticism, the IMF eats humble pie and has a meddle while suggestions about crypto regulation are made by IOSCO. In TECH NEWS, Apple signs a massive deal with Broadcom, Meta sells Giphy,…

Tuesday 23/05/23

In TECH NEWS, South Korea has a delicate chip situation, we look at reactions to Facebook's fine and WhatsApp gets a new feature. In BANKS NEWS, global investment banks hit a China speed bump, JP Morgan talks about splashing out…

Monday 22/05/23

In TECH NEWS, China boots Micron, Facebook eyes Magic Leap while getting fined for mishandling user info, speculation surrounds Apple and the metaverse and we see the battle between iMessage and Snapchat. In LEISURE NEWS, Ryanair has designs on Europe,…

Friday 19/05/23

In TECH & TELCOS NEWS, we look at chipmaking in Japan, the plan for semiconductors in the UK, TikTokers taking Montana to court, Apple restricting employee use of ChatGPT and BT's job-cutting plans. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, consumer…

Thursday 18/05/23

In MACROECONOMIC NEWS, Japan exits recession, Europe softens towards the UK, the Bank of England acknowledges the wage-price spiral and South Africa could be heading for the naughty step. In RETAIL NEWS, Shein raises $2bn, Target earnings are squeezed, JD…

Wednesday 17/05/23

In MACRO, OIL & CRYPTO NEWS, Thailand's election result stirs things up, Putin continues to rake in the oil revenues and MPs call for crypto to be treated as gambling. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, US consumer spending rebounds…

Tuesday 16/05/23

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, the EU gets more positive, Italy scrambles to change its spending plans, Erdogan nears another victory and Newmont seals a $19bn deal with Newcrest. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, UK petrol prices are criticised,…

Monday 15/05/23

In MACRO NEWS, the G7 and EU rule on Russian gas pipelines while Argentina faces tough choices. In FINANCIALS NEWS, the Bank of England aims to dilute rules for lenders, the EY Item Club reckons lending will increase and 'sustainable'…

Friday 12/05/23

In MACRO NEWS, the Bank of England raised the interest rate and it looks like the ECB will continue to do the same. In TECH & MEDIA NEWS, the EU tightens up on AI and we look at whether AI…

Thursday 11/05/23

In BIG PICTURE & LAW NEWS, US inflation eases, Binance targets the UK, Microsoft invests in fusion, the UK keeps most EU laws, Ryanair beats the EU and Gen Z falls out with Big Law. In TECH NEWS, Google announces…

Wednesday 10/05/23

In BIG PICTURE & OIL NEWS, China investment in Europe drops, Erdogan dishes out pay rises, firms hire temps, confidence in the UK property market has a wobble and Saudi Aramco sees profits fall. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, bills…

Tuesday 09/05/23

In MACRO NEWS, Germany edges closer to recession and Goldman reckons UK interest rates will hit 5%. In CONSUMER, EMPLOYMENT & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, 100% mortgages return, UK shoppers rein it in, WFH loses its lustre and bosses get optimistic.…