Chocolate consumption enhances cognitive function? Not something which I’ve heard before, but a tidy snippet from our latest midweek charts revealed that there is supposedly a powerful correlation between a countries chocolate intake and its number of Nobel Prize recipients! I’m not entirely sure how that works, but it definitely makes me feel less guilty about being incapable of walking away from those Biscoff Dairy Milk bars..
Right well there’s another scorcher on the way, as the UK braces for its third heatwave of the summer and is potentially the most widespread and prolonged yet with forecasts pointing to seven straight days of temperatures exceeding official heatwave criteria. Still time to grab some discounted fans on Amazon Prime – or consider escaping to the west of Ireland which looks to be getting some showers next week (yes – again, getting ridiculous at this point!). Moving on to a different type of warni…
Amazon Prime Day kicks off today, and the only silver lining in an otherwise relatively dull session earlier was that this lull provided a small window to browse what’s on offer and despite some headlines that spending is down -14% compared to last year, I’ve seen a few hidden gems out there so definitely worth taking a look on your commute home! What made today such a snoozefest? Last night, Trump sent out a fresh batch of tariff letters targeting countries that have yet to finalize trade agre…
Headlines of the world’s highest educated food delivery driver caught me off guard earlier given that the story involved a man in China who has went viral on socials somewhat as he was unable to find employment despite degrees from Oxford alongside three top universities in Asia. A pretty intimating insight into China’s job market for sure but hats off to the man himself who remains upbeat as he says his job keeps him fit as he can workout at the same time! Meanwhile, something else which feels…
A cooler temperature this morning was a welcome relief after the sweltering heat which we’ve waded through over the past while and the brief rain shower before lunch may have been a sign of things to come given the waterworks on the display in Westminster today as Chancellor Reeves became probably the first MP brought to tears in Parliament after PM Starmer stopped short of confirming if she’d stay in her post. This followed a pretty sharp blow to Starmer’s authority last night after he was for…
Lots of headlines this year about an exodus of wealth leaving the UK, with some saying that we’re set to lose more millionaires than any other country in 2025. Tricky to know if this is fact or fact or fiction but what did catch my eye was Montenegro, which was seen an increase of +124% in millionaires over the last decade. The next point of call was obviously to check the price of a beverage over there and at €1.50 / €4 for a pint, I’m sold and keen to figure out the story behind the “new Rivi…
It seems that every corner of the map is basking in intense sunshine right now, except (as ever), for one reliably damp exception… the west of Ireland. While most of Europe swelters under a relentless heatwave, I’ve just returned from a week in the motherland which saw uninterrupted rain for the entire duration and was a completely different story to the 30-degree heat which is currently baking London. Good to get back in the swing of things today of course but sadly the summer lull was still a…
With wars, tariffs, and geopolitical chaos dominating headlines these days, it does feel sometimes like there’s no end to the bad news.. and according to Reuters latest Digital News Report, over 40% of people surveyed in the UK and US now say they actively avoid the news, with this up from 29% when asked in 2017. Somewhat understandable I guess but also slightly concerning given that social media isn’t exactly known for being the most reliable source of information. On the bright side though yo…
Quite a dramatic change in sentiment since we left last night as events from the G7 Summit in Canada unfolded like something out of a movie, and one which had only one main character – the Donald. The good: a US-UK trade deal was signed, zero tariffs for UK aerospace and tariffs on UK autos will drop from 25% to 10%, with the UK now “very well protected from future tariffs”. The bad: He did drop these papers straight on the ground and mistakenly referred to the UK as the EU. The ugly: He storm…
Well, it’s Royal Ascot tomorrow and that typically signals the Summer Season getting into full swing and today we eased into what could still be quite a lively week with plenty to focus on. One of the main things being the change of name here as we move from Redburn Atlantic to Rothschild & Co Redburn. All part of the ongoing integration to the broader group of course and – before you ask – yes the LEI and entity stays the same and no there’s nothing you need to do from your side! Back to busin…