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Today's big stories

Data company S&P Global announced it’s agreed to buy IHS Markit for $44 billion
There’s one investment that’ll rise no matter whether things are really good or really bad – Read Now
Fresh data showed Chinese economic activity hitting highs not seen in years

1.

Hard Reboot

What’s Going On Here?

S&P Global is restarting as it means to go on: the data and analytics company agreed on Monday to buy fellow data company IHS Markit for $44 billion.

What Does This Mean?

With markets having become increasingly computerized in the last few decades, financial data has exploded in popularity. This deal, then, would combine two of its biggest providers: S&P Global – best known for its bond ratings and stock market indexes, like the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average – and IHS Markit, which tracks millions of financial data points.

The deal is an “all-stock” deal, meaning S&P Global will pay for IHS Markit using its own shares rather than nickels and dimes. And since there’s no cash to raise, that’ll make it far cheaper and more efficient. Investors sure seemed pleased: S&P Global shares were up after the announcement.

Why Should I Care?

Zooming in: Don’t mention the “R” word.
The deal is the latest in the race to put the “big” in Big Data: the London Stock Exchange, for instance, agreed to buy Refinitiv last year. But that deal is still under scrutiny from European regulators, which are concerned that combining the two companies – a move that would give them control of both the creation of data and its distribution – would enable them to block their competitors from the market. S&P Global and IHS Markit’s plan, then, isn’t a done deal just yet.

The bigger picture: Can I pay by stock, please?
If it does get the go-ahead, this deal will be 2020’s biggest (tweet this). And that’s in a year where – aside from a quiet few months where companies held their breath – deals have been all the rage, even hitting record highs in September. Businesses are increasingly using their own shares to pay for them too – probably because stock markets’ own all-time highs have given them plenty of money to spend.

You might also like: How to profit when one firm buys another.

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2. Analyst Take

The Dollar Could Dazzle No Matter What

What’s Going On Here?

The US dollar might not be able to boast a meteoric rise like bitcoin’s this year, but it does seem to be a much more reliable bet.

After all, the currency tends to rise in value when the American economy is performing both particularly well and particularly badly.

See, when the US economy outperforms, two adjacent factors – increased investment from abroad and interest rate tweaks from the Federal Reserve – boost demand for the dollar.

And when the US economy does badly, the currency – which acts as a “safe haven” that protects investors’ portfolios – is still hot property.

Then again, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. So before you invest in the dollar, it pays to know not just how best to go about it, but exactly when. You can find that out in today’s Insight.

Get the full Insight here

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3.

High Society

What’s Going On Here?

China’s making the rest of us feel small: fresh data released on Monday showed the country’s economic activity climbing to new highs in November.

What Does This Mean?

The data – based on surveys that ask business managers how busy they’ve been compared to the month before – painted a promising picture for the Chinese economy. The country’s manufacturing sector hit its highest activity level in three years, driven by both strong domestic demand and a boost in exports ahead of the Christmas period. Likewise, its services sector – which covers everything from accountancy to hospitality – hit levels not seen since 2012, suggesting life is returning to something resembling – whisper it – normal.

Why Should I Care?

The bigger picture: Bring on the vaccine.
This data highlights China’s status as the only major economy expected to grow this year. Unlike the US and Europe – where lockdowns are causing even more economic shrinkage – the country has managed to avoid a coronavirus surge now winter’s arrived. And the best could be still to come: some economists reckon the Chinese economy will get another lift when a vaccine becomes widely available, with the US and Europe’s economic recoveries driving demand for its goods. But others argue it might have the opposite effect: anyone with a vaccination might, after all, go straight back to spending their money on restaurants, concerts, and… well, real life.

For markets: Sync or swim.
One investment advisor says investors should think about investing more money in China – and not just because of the country’s role as global economic bright spot. He thinks it’s especially appealing because the worsening US-China trade war might knock the two countries’ economies further out of sync. In other words, Chinese stocks won’t depend as heavily on the West’s performance – and they might just save your portfolio if things go wrong over here.

You might also like: How to find opportunities that’ll benefit from China’s economic recovery.

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💬 Quote of the day

“Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway. You’ll be damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.”

– Eleanor Roosevelt (an American political figure, diplomat, and activist)

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🌎 Finimize Community

🤔 How does the Finimize Summit work?

Here’s what you need to know…

We’re hosting a variety of different sessions, starting with Tools For The DIY Trader at 12pm.

Our headline panel starts at 6pm: you’ll hear from Public and Freetrade’s CEOs about how their platforms are creating a new culture among investors.

Sign up to as many sessions as you like, for free. They’re only 30 minutes long – and if you’re supposed to be working, your secret’s safe with us.

Log into the sessions you’ve picked. You’ll hear from the best and the brightest in the financial and business world, for free. Did we mention that bit?

Have at it:

👷 12pm UK Time: Tools for the DIY Investor
🚀 1.30pm UK Time: Re-imagining Platforms for the Future
🕹 2.30pm UK Time: 2020 Investing Trends
🤳 4pm UK Time: Community Conversations: Financial Tools for Casual Investors
👜 5pm UK Time: Community Conversations: 2020 Investing Trends
😎 6pm UK Time: Defining A New Culture for Investors

📚 What we're reading

How will Santa handle the pandemic? (Lifehacker)
Recycling feeds the dogs (Yahoo)
Will the real DB Cooper please stand up? (Mel)

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Finimize - 💸 The dollar's flying high

Today's big stories

Hard Reboot

What’s Going On Here?

What Does This Mean?

Why Should I Care?

The Dollar Could Dazzle No Matter What

👋 Introducing Flatfile Concierge

High Society

What’s Going On Here?

What Does This Mean?

Why Should I Care?

🏦 Your investments deserve better

🤔 How does the Finimize Summit work?

Older messages

😨 SPACs aren't worth the fuss

😭 Stocks ruin Christmas

🎄 Best Buy brings tidings of despair

🎉 Meet our Next Gen Investor Summit speakers

👋 Meet the Finimize analysts

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