Category: Protected – UOL Spring 2023

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Germany's nightmare continues, we look at the UK election prospects and consider Post Office scandal developments. In BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT & CONSUMER TRENDS, nightclubs are in trouble, the IMF says AI will threaten jobs, British bosses look to hire while PageGroup says there's a slowdown, petrol retailers are pushed to be transparent and car insurance gets pricey. In TECH NEWS, Microsoft says AI will transform search, OpenAI changes language and Apple cuts phone prices in China. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, John Deere and SpaceX link up, Boeing's problems get worse, Northvolt gets a boost and Crest Nicholson has yet another profit warning. AND FINALLY, I bring you a bar trick involving Guinness...

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the Middle East situation goes up a notch, US inflation comes in higher than expected, Chesapeake and Southwestern look to create a monster, China makes more solar panels than everyone combined and Bitcoin booms. In RETAIL & RESTAURANT NEWS, we look at the Christmas winners and losers, John Lewis gets a new chief, Very does well and retail wages rise. In AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, Hertz offloads a third of its EV fleet, Asian battery makers face a Trump-shaped threat and the FCA looks into car financing that could become the next PPI. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, US companies start the year with layoffs, recruiter Robert Walters sheds jobs amd Airbus's orders take off. AND FINALLY, I bring you a unique golf swing...

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, EY reckons elections will hold markets back, the Bank of England could hit its inflation target pretty soon, Sunak announces Post Office scandal legislation, HS2's real costs come out, the government announces our power generation roadmap and crypto gets a boost. In RETAIL & RESTAURANT NEWS, M&S is on track to overtake Waitrose, Sainsbury's takes an Argos hit and Greggs is on a roll. In REAL ESTATE-RELATED NEWS, Persimmon gets a boost and rent rises slow thanks to "accidental landlords". In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, China tries a gaming chip get-around, misinformation is judged to be an imminent AI danger but a DeepMind spin-off aims to turbo-boost drug discovery times. AND FINALLY, I bring you some wholesome family fun...

In EMPLOYMENT TRENDS NEWS, Eurozone unemployment hits a record low, BlackRock cuts staff, Duolingo replaces employees with AI, Hays has a profit warning and we see why the labour market is likely to get worse. In TECH NEWS, the EU looks into the Microsoft/OpenAI relationship, Ofcom hires ex-Big Tech, Samsung signals a turnaround and Sony prepares to abandon a big deal. In INVESTMENT & CRYPTO NEWS, ESG fund launches drop while crypto and fintech groups get fined, Bitcoin scammers hack the SEC and HMRC goes after crypto investors. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, VW loses out in China, Pirelli shares jump, dating apps test customers, Boeing's troubles persist, Hewlett Packard Enterprise makes an offer for Juniper Networks, GSK makes an offer for Aiolos Bio and the Post Office scandal has repercussions. AND FINALLY, I bring you some baking tips...

In TECH NEWS, big Cloud operators offer limited AI protection to users, Deloitte rolls out an AI chatbot, Apple announces the sale of its Vision Pro but faces tough times ahead while Samsung is downbeat. In BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT & CONSUMER NEWS, the EU splashes the cash, Barclays cuts 5,000 staff and UK consumer confidence weakens. In RETAIL NEWS, Majestic Wine has its best ever Christmas and Pandora benefits from its lab-grown diamonds. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, the oil price weakens, Shell braces for a big writedown, ESG investment has its worst year, CMC Markets benefits from market volatility, obesity drug first-movers have the advantage and the Boeing nightmare continues. AND FINALLY, I bring you some New Year fitness inspo...

In ENERGY-RELATED NEWS, there's more hope for fusion and we look at how investors get around ESG rules. In BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, UK manufacturing is getting positive, London restaurant openings rebound, retail fortunes are mixed and Channel plans big job cuts. In PROFESSIONAL SERVICES NEWS, private equity firms are snapping up accountants, Grant Thornton gets demoted, City law firms go poaching and benefit from dementia. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Boeing faces investigation and OpenAI calls for exemption. AND FINALLY, I bring you a very annoying riddle...

In MACRO, COMMODITIES, ENERGY & CRYPTO NEWS, we look at 8 reasons to be cheerful about the UK economy, the latest in oil and gas, how gold demand is hitting record highs, how UK nuclear power output is hitting new lows and more crypto nonsense. In BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT & CONSUMER TRENDS, foreigners buy UK companies, warehouse operators try to tempt new workers, WFH candidates get the cold shoulder, Xerox announced cuts and a weaker jobs market prompts US rate cut speculation. Meanwhile, even rich people are getting more thrifty while in the UK grocery price inflation weakens but people are still suffering. In RETAIL NEWS, Aldi and Lidl have a merry Christmas, as do Mamas & Papas. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, US car sales rebound, BYD makes UK inroads, Airbus makes an offer for Atos and SpaceX launches. AND FINALLY, I bring you some random gadgets...

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, the Bank of England and ECB take the edge of market excitement, the EU fails to agree Ukraine funding, OPEC+ hits a new low in market share and the OECD says hitting net zero will cost trillions. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, UK consumer confidence reaches a 3-month high, Christmas dinner's going to cost more, Currys recovers and Shein is accused of using mafia-style tactics. In CARS & TRANSPORT-RELATED NEWS, GM's Cruise sees big layoffs, Tesla seeks a Nordic expert and Trainline can rest easy. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Vivendi looks to split, Spotify succeeds and we ponder further on Axel Springer's AI experiment. AND FINALLY, I bring you some important Christmas beverage information...

In MACRO NEWS, the US keeps interest rates unchanged, the UK's economy shrinks unexpectedly, Argentina embarks on chainsaw economics and countries reach a deal at COP28. In RETAIL-RELATED NEWS, Shein and Temu's rise boosts the logistics sector, Inditex smashes it but Etsy cuts jobs. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, Tesla suffers more blows while GM Cruise execs depart. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Visa and Mastercard face restrictions, Axel Springer does a deal with OpenAI, Pfizer's revenue forecasts look meh and estate agents reckon a recovery is around the corner. AND FINALLY, I bring you some very accurate throwing...

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, COP28 ditches commitment to phase out fossil fuels, Tusk returns as Polish PM and Occidental is to buy CrownRock in a big shale deal. In EMPLOYMENT & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, Hasbro follows other big US companies in announcing job losses, UK companies are still hiring, wage increases look like slowing, small businesses face a tough time, Begbies Traynor is busy, lawyers see earnings rise and businesses get an MI5 briefing. In TECH NEWS, chip giants develop the next generation, Nvidia invests big in AI companies and TikTok takes a big stake in Tokopedia. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, we see that there could be light at the end of the tunnel for embattled renters. AND FINALLY, I bring you an amazing looking chocolate pizza 🤤...

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, COP28 ditches commitment to phase out fossil fuels, Tusk returns as Polish PM and Occidental is to buy CrownRock in a big shale deal. In EMPLOYMENT & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, Hasbro follows other big US companies in announcing job losses, UK companies are still hiring, wage increases look like slowing, small businesses face a tough time, Begbies Traynor is busy, lawyers see earnings rise and businesses get an MI5 briefing. In TECH NEWS, chip giants develop the next generation, Nvidia invests big in AI companies and TikTok takes a big stake in Tokopedia. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, we see that there could be light at the end of the tunnel for embattled renters. AND FINALLY, I bring you an amazing looking chocolate pizza 🤤...

In MACRO, COMMODITIES & CRYPTO NEWS, Biden faces scepticism on Ukraine and the economy, central banks face pressure to cut rates, copper whacks Anglo American, China hoovers up uranium, we look at the excitement surrounding synthetic fuel and M&G buys into bitcoin. In REAL ESTATE VS CONSUMER NEWS, the European mortgage is set to slow, UK average asking prices fall as the market calms, mortgage arrears hit a new high and tenants have a nightmare month. In RETAIL & CONSUMER TRENDS NEWS, Macy's gets a buyout bid, Ocado adds more M&S products, UK shoppers will pay more for less this Christmas and whisky exports rise. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, UK car production rises and Cigna abandons its mega bid for Humana. AND FINALLY, I show you how to make Korean army stew...

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, China dismisses EU trade concerns, Canada imposes an oil and gas emissions cap and there are talks of an Aussie LNG mega-merger. In REAL ESTATE NEWS, UK house prices rise and commercial property negotiates a tricky patch while luxury brands snap up buildings. In CAR NEWS, Tesla loses in Sweden, the Danes sell out and Vertu's valuation drops. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, online luxury falters, Frasers sees better sales and Games Workshop doles out a proper Christmas bonus, redundancies rise and Spotify's CFO departs while AJ Bell profits and mobile firms face a class action. AND FINALLY, I bring you the definitive way to pronounce "Nike"...

In TECH NEWS, Google makes an AI breakthrough, BlackRock rolls out an AI tool, Apple graduates towards India and ByteDance announces a share buy back. In M&A NEWS, AbbVie makes an offer for Cerevel Therapeutics, Trive Capital Partners bids for Ten Entertainment and Coventry Building Society considers buying Co-op Bank. In LEISURE & RETAIL NEWS, McDonald's plans to launch CosMc, Tui considers ditching London and Alibaba loses its lustre. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, the EU offers battery makers cash, German factory orders drop, BAT takes a £25bn hit and McKinsey shrinks the top of the pyramid. AND FINALLY, I bring you a very useful practical tip...

In MACRO, ENERGY & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, China's economy falters, the Eurozone nears recession, the UAE invests in the UK's wind farm industry, the UK services sector grows, the UK M&A market hits new lows - something Peel Hunt knows only too well. In CAR NEWS, the EU proposes a three-year delay to EV sales tariffs, Tesla's union battle deepens while the UK sits on the side lines of the Cybertruck launch and Toyota makes a momentous $2bn move. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, US consumers use more BNPL while its labour market loosens up, UK food inflation is particularly bad, more UK first time buyers use 35 year mortgages, Sainsbury's wins back customers, Moonpig benefits from AI while SSP and On the Beach benefit from more travel. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, SEC warns against AI-washing, Meta and IBM form an AI alliance, Novo Nordisk looks at what's next and we see that more English councils are on the brink. AND FINALLY, I bring you the latest dating slang...

In COMMODITIES, ENERGY & CRYPTO NEWS, gold hits a high, oil is vulnerable, Brookfield fails in its bid for Origin, bitcoin hit $42k and Coinbase promises more jobs. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, UK inflation hits mortgage holders the most, shoppers rein in spending while retailers hospitality hope for a flurry and PDD gets serious about the US. In CAR NEWS, GM's Cruise has to testify and Toyota looks at more UK investment. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Evergrande gets more time, Spotify announces more job cuts, Roche buys into obesity and Qatar halves its stake in Barclays. AND FINALLY, I show you an overly-complicated way of making a scotch egg...

In MACRO NEWS, inflation pressures central banks, Modi's party triumphs, the EU wobbles on Ukraine and an EU/Mercosur trade agreement gets derailed. In CONSUMER, EMPLOYMENT & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, Chinese borrowers are having a nightmare, UK living standards fall, the higher minimum wage risks more redundancies, EY announces more cuts and the NHS continues to outsource. In EV NEWS, Europe falls further behind on battery raw materials and we look at why EV repairs are so high. In M&A NEWS, Alaska Air makes an offer for Hawaiian Airlines and the PIF buys 49% of Rocco Forte Hotels. AND FINALLY, I show you how to find the centre of a circle...

In MACRO, MARKETS & OIL NEWS, Eurozone inflation falls, France and Germany suffer, global stocks have a strong month and OPEC+ cuts production. In TECH NEWS, Microsoft commits to the UK and gets a seat on OpenAI's board, PwC pitches a deal chatbot, retailers use AI for inventory and there's more drama at Twitter. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Metro Bank cuts 20% of staff, Lloyds Bank is set to close more branches whilst being in the running to buy Tesco Bank and Robinhood takes aim at the UK once more. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Tesla's strike stance grates with European ideals, the Cybertruck is finally ready to deliver Ford cuts profit forecasts, AbbVie is to buy ImmunoGen and the North East gets closer to developing mini-nukes. AND FINALLY, I bring you a bit of music to end the week...

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, US growth surprises, Chinese factory activity contracts, the UK's on track to have the second lowest growth in the G7, Nottingham City Council goes under, UK business confidence rises, the ONS reports new unemployment numbers and EY delays hiring while US crude inventories rise and OPEC+ considers production cuts. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & RESTAURANT NEWS, food producer pricing faces CMA scrutiny, more customers will use BNPL over the holidays, mortgage approvals rise, there's more trouble at Selfridges, Farfetch has a 'mare and Halfords warns while Greggs gets fancy. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, the EU has a plan, UK car production increases, GM says sorry and Uber recommends the train. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS,Blackstone buys Rover Group, Cigna aims for Humana, the Saudis buy a chunk of Heathrow and financial advisers will face the music. AND FINALLY, I bring you an answer to the annual debate - Roses or Quality Street 🤔...

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, the dollar hits a 3-month low, Channel 4 has its worst ad slump for 15 years, London becomes the redundancy capital while AI is set to affect jobs and inflation threatens mini-nukes. In BANKS/INVESTMENT-RELATED NEWS, Goldman Sachs reins in China growth ambitions, Barclays looks set to drop clients, anti-greenwashing reforms get delayed, there's reaction to the clean energy sell-off, tech funding craters and Hargreaves Lansdown looks set to drop out of the FTSE100. In RETAIL NEWS, Shein's not a shoo-in, Temu invests in the US, online marketplaces report a surge in activity and Farfetch considers going private. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS,GM cuts investment in Cruise, Uber tries to sweet-talk cabbies, Rolls-Royce streamlines, easyJet's profits take off and Saga's chief resigns. AND FINALLY, I bring you an unexpected cure for heartburn and the cutest thing you'll see today...

In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, Biden looks at extreme ways of lowering prices, Dimon warns of Covid era consequences, UK shop price inflation falls, UK retailers brace for disappointment, Shein prepares to list and Saga considers financing options. In REAL ESTATE NEWS, we look at the costs of China's property crisis, UK house prices fall and Rightmove remains positive. In TECH NEWS, the US, UK and others unveil an AI pact, Meta is accused of getting children addicted to its platforms and Twitter sheds British users. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, it turns out that Turkey supplying Russia with military-linked goods, Deloitte and KPMG are among those advising staff to use burner phones for Hong Kong, Tesla battles against Sweden, VW looks to shed jobs, Metro gets the OK, Aviva buys a Canadian business and Novo Nordisk considers BNPL. AND FINALLY, I bring you some seriously impressive skills...

In MACRO & COMMODITIES NEWS, Geert Wilders looks to "moderate", the Lords criticise the Bank of England's rubbish forecasting, councils worry about the impact of Hunt's budget cuts and India plans to increase coal mining. In BUSINESS & EMPLOYMENT TRENDS, South Korean defence firms get more orders and vacancies increase heading into Christmas. In REAL ESTATE NEWS, Canary Wharf offices fall short of environmental standards and landlords face shortfalls for social tenants. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, China launches an investigation into Zhongzhi, OpenAI faces a test after last weeks drama, UK supermarkets face a beef and lamb shortage, Mountain Warehouse benefits from poor weather and Lush expands. AND FINALLY, I bring you the life skill you've always wanted - how to dismount a 7 foot unicycle...

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, the Eurozone looks shaky and the ECB is open to more rate rises, the Netherlands lurches to the right, Greece's Syriza sees mass resignations, Turkey whacks the interest rate up to 40%, the UK economy shows signs of recovery, business activity grows and renewables start to pay off. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, US consumers seek out bargains, UK consumers cut spending but confidence increases, the energy price cap looks set to rise, John Lewis puts another service in-store, Space NK does well but Jet2 suffers jet lag. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Zhongzhi's troubles worsen, Barclays gets the axe out and Virgin Money profits are hit. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, we reflect further on the OpenAI kerfuffle, Musk gets angry about Swedish strikes, South Korean battery makers scale back in the US and Lego looks to the future. AND FINALLY, I bring you an amazing tiny restaurant in London...

In MACRO, OIL & CRYPTO NEWS, we look at yesterday's Autumn Statement and kerfuffles about the German budget, Opec+ and Binance's new direction. In TECH NEWS, OpenAI gets back to "normal", Nvidia remains calm and Sage announces booming profits. In MANUFACTURING-RELATED NEWS, Thyssenkrupp has a writedown, John Deere proves to be too dear, Nissan plans to build new EVs in Sunderland and GM's Cruise draws up a plan of action. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, business closures outnumber openings and B&Q's owner issues a second profit warning. AND FINALLY, I show you how a real Chicago deep dish pizza is made...

In TECH NEWS, we look at the latest on OpenAI, Sam Altman, Emmett Shear and Nvidia. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, Ford downsizes its Michigan battery ambitions, Stellantis talks to CATL, Northvolt makes a major breakthrough and France gets on board with the UK on delaying EV tariffs. In M&A NEWS, Broadcom-VMware's merger gets approval, Carlyle sells its stake in McDonald's China business and CRH goes shopping. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Binance's chief admits money laundering, Deliveroo riders get classed as contractors, we look at Budget expectations and AO World returns to profit. AND FINALLY, I bring you some really great stretches...

In TECH NEWS, we look at the latest in the OpenAI drama while Nvidia investors weigh up China risks. In CAR-RELATED NEWS, GM's self-driving car unit faces challenges, Fisker loses another chief accounting officer, Cazoo slides further towards oblivion and the UK faces a "gigafactory gap". In EMPLOYMENT, BUSINESS AND CONSUMER-RELATED NEWS, India sees a back office boom, EY considers ditching its UK HQ, Compass benefits from outsourcing, Huel benefits from cash-poor workers and Black Friday prospects aren't looking great. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Citigroup sharpens its axe, Julius Baer has a profits warning, Bayer shares crater and Argentina's new president looks to mix things up. AND FINALLY, I bring you a potentially fun way to enhance quiz nights at home...

In TECH NEWS, the Sam Altman drama continues while the government stops advertising on Twitter. In AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, auto exports from Europe and Asia benefit from US subsidies while the chief of GM's Cruise falls on his sword. In RETAIL NEWS, Halfords dismisses a bid and Go Outdoors continues to suffer. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Taiwan opposition parties falter, Argentina gets a new president and London landlords race to upgrade. AND FINALLY, I bring you an epic bike stunt...

In M&A/INVESTMENT NEWS, Mars buys Hotel Chocolat, Young's buys City Pub Group and Arctos buys into Aston Martin's F1 team while Brookfield ditches its attempt to sell Center Parcs. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, US consumers get a break, Walmart has a tough time and Amazon starts selling Hyundai cars while in the UK consumers are faced with rising energy bills (although the oil price is falling), Premier Foods cut prices and Burberry is hit by the luxury downturn. In TECH NEWS, aLenovo sees PC recovery, Meta tries to wriggle out of child harm responsibilities and stars give AI voices a try. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Great Portland ploughs money into London property, Crest Nicholson announces job cuts, Cruise continues to disappoint and Qinetiq's share price takes a bath. AND FINALLY, I bring you my morning routine...

In MACRO & ENERGY NEWS, Taiwan elections heat up, UK inflation falls, the US and China announce green energy commitment while the UK offers higher subsidies for offshore windfarms. In TECH NEWS, Meta fights the EU's digital rules, Big Tech gets concessions on the digital markets bill and Microsoft launches AI chips. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, average house prices fall, garages will be forced to reveal petrol profits, Target booms on higher earnings, Amazon benefits from cuts, Ocado signs a non-grocery tech deal and Fuller's aims for a merry Christmas. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Warren Buffett cashes in, Manulife buys CQS, Mazars announces a tie-up with Forvis and Alstom warns on cash flow. AND FINALLY, I bring you a rather tricky circuit...

In MACRO, ENERGY & COMMODITIES NEWS, US inflation falls, Ørsted has issues, Cornwall gets another lithium boost and Glencore moves forward. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, UK wage growth eases, UK bills look set to rise, Selfridges sees control shift, the Body Shop is sold and Home Depot benefits from the pros. In BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, company collapses rise, Babcock benefits from war and Landsec notices a shift. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Wise sees booming balances and Pfizer cuts headcount. AND FINALLY, I bring you a messy variation of beer pong...

In MACRO & BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, Cameron returns, Middle Eastern carriers buy tons of planes, BAE sales boom, British Land gets more confident and ESG faces more criticism. In AUTOMOTIVE-RELATED NEWS, carmakers offer more discounts on EVs as the economics of owning change, Fisker cuts production targets, Exxon moves into lithium and Continental announces job cuts. In TECH NEWS, Apple takes a big cut and Nvidia comes out with an even better chip. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Diageo moves to push tequila, General Atlantic takes on more of Joe & the Juice and Avon opens its first UK stores. AND FINALLY, I bring you some incredible tumbling skills...

In MACRO & ENVIRONMENT NEWS, Sunak is about to announce some good news, the UK is to rein in takeover screening powers, China's carbon emissions look set to decline as it floods the market with solar components and England sees a drop in onshore wind projects. In REAL ESTATE NEWS, the UK housing market beats forecasts, landlords sell up and UK estate agents consolidate as they rake in the deposits. In RETAIL NEWS, Ikea buys a Brighton shopping mall and Pandora looks set to buck the luxury downturn. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, companies race to make EV batteries recyclable, the VC market gets a shake-up and business confidence continues to take a pasting. AND FINALLY, I bring you an interesting example of culinary fusion...

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, China falls into deflation, Germany makes energy moves, sugar gets expensive, S4 Capital suffers, used EV prices weaken and Taylor Wimpey calls the low. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, US auto loan delinquency rates rise, petrol pump price falls see a delay, mortgage arrears rise (but there's a new cheap mortgage deal), WH Smith profits almost doubled, B&M benefits from Wilko's collapse and Flutter puts it all on the US. In TECH NEWS, Apple is dealt a tax blow, Nvidia develops chips for China, SoftBank takes a big hit and Arm waits for an AI boost. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, AstraZeneca moves into obesity drugs, Wizz Air cuts profit forecasts and Sony wobbles on sales targets. AND FINALLY, I bring you the making of an impressive advert...

In TECH & MEDIA NEWS, AI powers Arm, Nexperia sells Newport Wafer Fab, Epic battles with Google, Nintendo wants another Super Mario success, the Hollywood strike nears an agreement, Iger lays out Disney's future, Warner Bros has a 'mare and ITV cuts back. In INVESTMENT-RELATED NEWS, the UK is set to roll out ESG rules, SoftBank makes a bad investment worse and Robinhood needs more traders. In RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, M&S puts in a great performance and Wetherspoon celebrates rising sales. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, the UK does a fusion deal with the US, Scania prepares to launch a pay-per-use electric truck JV and Portugal is in limbo after the PM's resignation. AND FINALLY, I bring you the king of chalk...

In AUTOMOTIVE-RELATED NEWS, the car industry dips, Japanese carmakers face a dilemma, chipmakers try to adapt, EV makers turn to discounts, GM stops production of its driverless van and Rivian plans to increase production. In REAL ESTATE-RELATED NEWS, WeWork files for bankruptcy, IWG hopes to profit from it, the housing market looks like it's past the worst but rents still look tricky and Persimmon gets more confident. In EMPLOYMENT, CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, recruiters see more jobseekers, grocery inflation eases, Lidl and Aldi attract the middle classes, Direct Line ups premiums, Christmas predictions begin, Watches of Switzerland is upbeat about the future and Naked Wines has a nightmare. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, UBS announces its first quarterly loss since 2017, N26 withdraws from Brazil, Metro Bank calms nerves, a contrast emerges between KKR and Carlyle and Saudi Aramco beats expectations. AND FINALLY, I bring you the future of the human race...

In MACRO NEWS, China faces deflation, the Eurozone economy deteriorates and the King's speech looms. In PROPERTY & REAL ESTATE NEWS, WeWork shares are suspended and UK construction contracts. In FINANCIALS/SERVICES NEWS, Bain buys Guidehouse, PwC is to cut up to 600 UK jobs and Klarna reports a profit. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Ryanair soars, UK retail spending falls, Shein considers Topshop, EV sales slow and ChatGPT launches a new service. AND FINALLY, I bring you an amazing rice ball and the right way to eat peas...

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, Wall Street experts fear global recession, Trump is ahead in the polls, Shell defends its strategy and Sunak is to unveil a North Sea plan. In TECH & CHATBOT NEWS, Tech firms pour money into cloud capacity while X, NatWest and Cleo introduce their respective chatbots. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Klarna aims for the stock market and Clara takes on pensioners. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Tesla pays up for German workers, LVMH is to buy Barton Perreira and sustainable fashion remains a tricky goal. AND FINALLY, I bring you a recipe that will probably "trigger" Italians...

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, Japan launches a stimulus, the Bank of England leaves interest rates unchanged, the ONS works on employment figures and Shell profits. In TECH & TELECOMS NEWS, we look at some takeaways from Bletchley Park, Apple reports declining revenues and BT announces bigger profits. In AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, the UAW wins a deal, Toyota announces a recall, JLR has record sales and Ferrari raises guidance. In RETAIL & CONSUMER GOODS NEWS, Amazon shuts down its clothing stores, UK supermarkets jockey for position and Beyond Meat makes layoffs. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, we look at contrasting fortunes for Novo Nordisk and Moderna while amusement parks consolidate in the US, Hoka shoes power Deckers Outdoor and Trainline benefits from RTO. AND FINALLY, I bring you an epic prank...

In MACRO, ENERGY & OIL NEWS, the US interest rate remains unchanged, Orsted cancels two US offshore windfarm projects and US oil inventories rise. In TECH NEWS, we look at thoughts so far on the Bletchley Park AI summit as Biden tries to steal their thunder and why Microsoft should at least try to buy OpenAI. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & CONSUMER GOODS NEWS, real wages fall, Asos disappoints, Next ups its profit forecasts, M&S goes for glamour but Estée Lauder suffers weakness in China and the Middle East. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Toyota doubles profits, Aston Martin cuts sales forecasts, UK house prices rise unexpectedly, housebuilding is in a rut, WeWork's woes has repercussions and Disney looks set to buy the rest of Hulu. AND FINALLY, I bring you an important life skill...

In MACRO, OIL & CRYPTO NEWS, we look at a slowing Eurozone, what's going on with BP and oil in general and bitcoin's performance. In BUSINESS TRENDS NEWS, insolvencies hit new highs, WeWork faces collapse while bankruptcies create work and Prada bucks the luxury downturn. In AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, Toyota announces a new US plant, Stellantis counts the cost of strikes and Tesla progresses with its autopilot lawsuit. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Vodafone sells its Spanish business, Huawei's new phone takes on Apple, IG Group announces plans to cut its headcount by 10% and Odey shuts down. AND FINALLY, I bring you a riddle...

In FINANCIALS NEWS, HSBC calls China, Deutsche Bank axes Postbank branches, PayPal and QVC gets attention from the FCA and Zilch is valued at $2bn. In TECH NEWS, Western Digital decides to split, Samsung beats consensus, Panasonic cuts profit forecasts, Broadcom-VMWare faces a delay, the AI summit approaches, Facebook and Instagram could start charging, TikTok faces more pressure and A&O sells its legal tech unit. In CONSUMER, REAL ESTATE & LEISURE NEWS, UK mortgage approvals fall, UK shop price inflation slows, Frasers could get even closer to Shein and McDonald's sees profits rise. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Germany faces recession, the World Bank calls a $150 a barrel oil price, Pearson benefits from AI take-up and business confidence is rising... AND FINALLY, I bring you the 90s vs the noughties...

In BUSINESS & EMPLOYMENT TRENDS NEWS, the luxury boom loses momentum, direct investment in China slows down (as does the number of tech IPOs), TikTok tightens up, grad recruitment falls, profit warnings rise and small companies get more confident. In CONSUMER & RETAIL NEWS, UK home insurance prices look set to rise and Frasers sells Missguided. In REAL ESTATE NEWS, Evergrande's woes worsen while Zoopla highlights house price weakness. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Byju's shrinks and a study reckons that EVs could cause more traffic jams! AND FINALLY, I bring you a fun house to play hide-and-seek...

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, US GDP growth picks up, the ECB left rates unchanged and WPP feels a slowdown. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Goldman Sachs launches a new business, Standard Chartered has China problems, BNP Paribas disappoints, Nomura rethinks its China JV and the City turns on ethical investing. In CONSUMER, CONSUMER GOODS & LEISURE NEWS, consumers slow online spending, Amazon beats forecasts, Unilever's sales rise, Moncler slows, Heathrow aims for break-even and Pizza Express's owner eyes a bid for TRG. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Mercedes has EV problems, Ford retrenches on EVs, Stellantis bets on a Chinese EV start-up and Harley-Davidson's profits suffer while Intel sees light at the end of the tunnel for PCs and Bloomsbury makes an AI warning. AND FINALLY, I bring you an inappropriate DJ for the office party...

In FINANCIALS NEWS, Deutsche gets perky, Lloyds beats forecasts, Santander continues to benefit from high interest rates and CAB Payments craters even more as rivals also suffer. In TECH NEWS, the US orders Nvidia to stop exporting AI chips to China, the AI tech alliance evolves, Meta knocks it out of the park and Microsoft's sitting pretty. In RETAIL & CONSUMER GOODS NEWS, Cazoo suffers, Boohoo faces a class action, Mike Ashley continues to build stakes in Boohoo and Asos, Mattel benefits from the movie, Whirlpool grows market share, Reckitt shows confidence but Heineken loses its fizz. In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Carnival faces big legal problems, Boeing hits turbulence, Shell announces green job cuts, Canary Wharf's owners put some money in and even Porsche buyers are having to rein things in. AND FINALLY, I bring you a serious bartender with serious skills...

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, economists doubt jobs figures, the MPs' pension fund avoids UK equities, UK business activity continues to slow, the latest oil deal signals new trends and Anglo American cuts copper forecasts. In FINANCIALS NEWS, the banker bonus cap is removed, Barclays gets gloomy, CAB Payments tanks badly and PwC lags its rivals. In TECH NEWS, Google Cloud revenue underwhelms, Meta is sued for Instagram's effect on mental health, Snap returns to growth, Spotify returns to profit, DeepMind cautions on AI and Microsoft's sales jump thanks to AI. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, China is to "drive" EV sales, Cruise's permits get suspended, consumers are predicted to party at home this Christmas whilst facing higher energy bills, Asos delays its results and ScS gets taken over while Hermès and Kering face a luxury slowdown. AND FINALLY, I bring you advice on how to get into a supercar...

In MACRO & CRYPTO NEWS, we look at the widening gap between the US and Europe, the Fed's warning about recovery, the Bank of England's inflation headache, OBR's shortcomings, more council problems and the latest crypto lawsuit. In TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA & TELECOMS NEWS, TSMC is sitting pretty, the UK makes efforts to form a global AI advisory group, Netflix looks to what's next and Nokia is to make major job cuts. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Blackstone suffers a deal slowdown, M&G closes its property fund, Schroders assets head out of the door and Hargreaves Lansdown lags AJ Bell. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Country Garden gets into more trouble, Arriva gets bought, the TransPennine Express cuts services, Rentokil takes a big hit, Rightmove's rival gets a rich suitor and UK consumer confidence weakens. AND FINALLY, I bring you some more exercise inspo...

In MACRO NEWS, China and Russia meet in Beijing, China's economy surprises, we look at different scenarios for the Israel-Hamas war and UK inflation remains stubbornly high. In TECH & MEDIA NEWS, China looks like it'll join the AI off-site as world leaders fret, Nvidia and Foxconn do a tie-up, X starts to charge and Netflix wants to increase charges. In CONSUMER, RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, shoppers hunt for bargains, Amazon plans to use drones, Sosandar wants offline as well as online and Whitbread sees profits climb. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS,Barratt warns of a tricky year, empty offices could solve the housing shortage, rents keep rising, Morgan Stanley takes a hit and Adidas makes tracks. AND FINALLY, I give you some tips on karting...

In MACRO NEWS, we look at how the Middle East is changing and Poland's election puts pro-Europeans in power. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Goldman Sachs' profits plummet, Bank of America outperforms, KPMG announces cuts and Jupiter takes a hit. In AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, Chinese EV groups look ripe for consolidation, Tesla cuts Model 3 prices in the UK while EV prices in the UK could rise and GM decides to delay the opening of an electric truck factory. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Japanese consumption weakens, Prologis talks a good game and Choice Hotels goes hostile for Wyndham. AND FINALLY, I bring you a hilarious and wholesome moment...

In MACRO & OIL NEWS, China tries to boost its economy, UK inflation is expected to fall although the Bank of England says it hasn't finished yet and Shell hits record highs on the back of the war. In SOCIAL MEDIA & STREAMER NEWS, social media goes rogue on the Israel-Hamas war, LinkedIn plans to make layoffs and Netflix pushes more new initiatives. In RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, M&S prepares for a decent Christmas, Frasers tops up, Sytner profits and Whitbread feels confident. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Charles Schwab moves in the right direction, Binance stops taking on new British customers, Rolls-Royce announces white-collar job cuts and UK law firms feel the squeeze. AND FINALLY, I bring you a fun-looking waterslide...

In MACRO NEWS, we look at the latest developments regarding the Middle East, TikTok says it's making efforts to choke disinformation and UK growth looks set to remain sluggish. In REAL ESTATE NEWS, UK house prices rise at their slowest pace overall (although the top end is doing nicely) and landlords feel the pressure from rising rates. In AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, driverless cars face San Fran problems but Sunak wants to wave them in. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, olive oil thefts increase, lawyers fret about the billable hour and Just Eat Takeaway introduces an AI assistant. AND FINALLY, I bring you the perils of speech recognition...

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, US inflation was stronger than expected, the UK economy returned to growth and global employment hit a record high while Hays benefited from temps as consumers face higher gas prices and rising mortgage defaults. In RETAIL & LEISURE NEWS, Ikea plans to cut prices, Boots' owner plans to cut costs, EasyJet plans to buy new planes and Wagamama goes private. In TOBACCO NEWS, the FDA cracks down on vapes, the UK launches a consultation on disposable vapes and Philip Morris pushes back. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, non-alcoholic beer popularity rises and Disney does betting. AND FINALLY, I bring you some unusual tenpin bowling moments...

In RETAIL, CONSUMER GOODS & LEISURE NEWS, Next aims for FatFace takeover, Jigsaw benefits from smart clothing, Birkenstock's IPO is disappointing, Marston's streamlines the menu, FirstGroup has a strong summer and Disney hikes prices. In AUTOMOTIVE-RELATED NEWS, Chinese EV suppliers find ways to skirt sanctions, US auto salvage considers EV business and Arrival cuts even more workers. In REAL ESTATE-RELATED NEWS, UK house prices fall and Travis Perkins sees profits crash. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, ExxonMobil buys Pioneer, Total does a massive LNG deal, X fails the Gaza news test, PageGroup is under pressure and Ozempic spooks dialysis companies. AND FINALLY, I bring you an impressive pool clearance...

In BIG PICTURE NEWS, Fed rate chat boosts markets, the IMF reckons UK rates will need to remain higher and there's more talk of the EU planning an anti-subsidy probe into Chinese companies - and it's steelmakers this time. In RETAIL, CONSUMER GOODS & CONSUMER NEWS, Amazon wants you to buy again, Selfridges falls into loss, LVMH suffers a slowdown, Birkenstock prices up, PepsiCo loses its fizz, UK food prices slow, energy bills cause struggles and job vacancies fall. In REAL ESTATE NEWS, Country Garden looks dodgy, Australia has a mortgage problem and the Bank of England's concerns about 35-year mortgages increase. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Saudi Arabia's collab with China raises chip concerns, Facebook gets into hot water and Netflix subscriber number growth slows down. AND FINALLY, I bring you a compelling, yet ultimately pointless, world record...

In MACRO, OIL & ENERGY NEWS, we look at the latest in Israel/Gaza and the repercussions, OPEC increases oil demand forecasts and the world's biggest offshore windfarm project kicks off. In FINANCIALS NEWS, Big US banks face hurdles, HSBC deepens China ties, Metro Bank aims to cut costs, investors get wary of greenwashing and Odey shuts down its wealth management business. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, GSK signs a big deal with China's Zhifei and consumer spending patterns emerge. AND FINALLY, I bring you an amazing core challenge...