Wednesday 16 April 2025
TO: Mighty Memo Readers
FROM: Mighty Memo Editorial Department
SUBJECT: Easter break
The Mighty Memo office will be closed between Thursday, 17 April and Monday, 21 April for the Easter break. Your next issue of the Mighty Memo will arrive in your inbox on Tuesday, 22 April. If you wish to contact us during this time, please send your email to hello@mightymemo.co.uk. We will respond to you as soon as we can.
Happy Easter to all of our readers!
The Mighty Headlines
Economics: EU waits on the US for a trade deal
Business: Chinese Government stops Boeing aircraft deliveries
Markets: Shares in UK banknote printer rise by 17 per cent
Foreign Affairs: Prison attacks in France
Security and intelligence: China names US agents accused of cyberattacks
Domestic politics: UK Business Secretary rows back on China comments
The Mighty Stats
FTSE = 8,249.12 (up 1.41%)
S&P 500 = 5,396.63 (down 0.17%)
Nasdaq = 16,823.17 (down 0.049%)
CAC40 = 7,335.40 (down 0.86%)
£1 = $1.32 / €1.17
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The Mighty Detail
Economics: Trade negotiations between the US and the EU ended without a decisive breakthrough yesterday. The EU claimed that an “additional level of engagement from the US” would be needed to “keep the ball rolling forward”. The EU has offered 0 per cent tariffs on industrial goods including cars. President Trump had previously suggested that the EU should buy $350 billion of US energy to receive tariff relief.
Business: The Chinese Government has ordered Chinese airlines to stop receiving deliveries of Boeing aircrafts as well as associated parts. The news is the latest development in escalating trade tensions with the US. Boeing shares fell by just over 2 per cent yesterday.
Markets: Shares in the British banknote printer De La Rue increased by nearly 15 per cent yesterday. It comes on the news that it is set to be taken over by US private equity firm Atlas Holdings at 130 pence a share for £263 million. De La Rue was founded in 1821 and rejected an offer of 900 pence a share by a French firm in 2010.
Foreign Affairs: Prisons across France have been targeted by violent behaviour. Shots from an automatic weapon were fired at a prison in Toulon and vehicles were set on fire. Prisons in Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Valence, Nîmes, Luynes, Nanterre and Villepinte were also affected. The attacks are reportedly a response to the French Government’s new anti-narcotics strategy.
Security and intelligence: China has put three US intelligence officers from the National Security Agency on a wanted list. It accuses them of carrying out cyberattacks against the Asian Winter Games in February. Although the US and China regularly accuse each other of cyberattacks, it is unusual for individual operatives to be named.
Domestic politics: The UK Business Secretary has rowed back on comments he made at the weekend that China should no longer be involved in the UK steel industry. Jonathan Reynolds now says that Chinese involvement will instead be considered in “a different way”. The Chinese Embassy had rebuked the UK for “politicising” the steel situation.
The Mighty Calendar
What’s happening today?
UK Parliament on recess
WTO release trade growth forecast
China holds press conference on GDP
Canada interest rate decision
UK, Eurozone CPI inflation data (March)
US retail sales data (March)
US industrial and manufacturing production data (March)
Japan trade data (March)
Company results from: ASML, WHSmith, Heineken, United Airlines
Lookahead to tomorrow
Norway and Mexico Public holiday (Maundy Thursday)
The King and Queen distribute the Royal Maundy
President Trump hosts Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
English-language leaders General Election debate, Canada
ECB interest rate decision
UK Parliament on recess
US jobless claims (weekly)
Japan CPI inflation data
Company results from: Sainsburys, Netflix, TSMC, UnitedHealth Group, American Express
The Mighty Finale
🌤️Weather today
Rain in the west. Dry but cloudy in the east of England. High of 16C and low of 5C in London. Heavy rain in Belfast. Light rain in Edinburgh.
✏️Life coaching quote of the day
“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dream.” – Les Brown, motivational speaker
Mighty takeaway: Don’t let your talents and skills go to waste by not using them!
That’s it for this morning. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you next week.
Bye!
The Mighty Memo team