In this episode of the Market Maker podcast, Piers and I delve into some of the important new stories this week from mega-cap tech earnings to central bank decisions and even a quick word on the incredible Rafael Nadal!
First up for debate is Meta (NASDAQ:FB) (Facebook) whose shares collapsed following their latest earnings report. The reaction was compounded by a number of factors, not just the top-line figures. We discuss user figures, platform, regulatory threats, expenses, increasing competition, and what the future holds for the once-dominant social network company.
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (Google) and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) also released their latest numbers this week which were met with a much more favorable reaction on Wall Street. We explain the mechanics and rationale behind Google's 20-for-1 stock split and question whether Amazon's initial positive reaction is the correct one.
Finally, we talk about the Bank of England, who executed its first back-to-back increase in interest rates since 2004. More importantly, we examine the breakdown of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) where four members actually opted for a more aggressive 50bps increase to the base rate. What were they thinking, why are they worried and what does this mean for the UK consumer and the broader marketplace.