❗️ Microsoft has entered the metaverse

Microsoft is ready to game | There aren't enough cars to go around | [TOGETHER WITH]( Hi {NAME}, here's what you need to know for January 19th in 3:10 minutes. 🏡 Real estate investment doesn’t always mean big chunks of money, long waits for returns, and the dreaded signing of mortgages. Join Groundfloor CEO Brian Dally for [An Alternative Way To Invest In Real Estate]( on Wednesday, and discover the newest ways to profit from the old school investment. [Get your ticket]( Today's big stories - Microsoft is buying gaming giant Activision Blizzard for $69 billion - It might be time to dump your tech stocks, and our analyst has the perfect thing to replace them with – [Read Now]( - Car sales in Europe fell for a sixth-straight month in December Tutorial Level [Tutorial Level] What’s Going On Here? Microsoft [announced]( on Tuesday that it’ll be buying gaming giant World of Warcraft-creator Activision Blizzard, so expect to see changes to in-game hints any day now. What Does This Mean? Like a squeaky-voiced teen with time to kill, Microsoft’s been getting seriously into the gaming thing recently. And it just unlocked its biggest achievement yet: the tech giant is set to buy Activision Blizzard for $69 billion in cash – around 45% more than the gaming company was worth before the announcement. The deal comes hot on the heels of Microsoft’s $7.5 billion [acquisition]( of games maker Bethesda last year, and marks the company’s biggest purchase ever. Microsoft’s hoping it’ll do more than just help it compete with the likes of Sony too: it could enable the company to develop a metaverse that spans everything from gaming to office work. Why Should I Care? For markets: Investors are divided. Activision’s stock jumped 31% after the news, which goes some way to making up for its near-30% collapse since [allegations]( of misconduct rocked the company. That’s Microsoft’s problem now, which might be why investors sent its stock down 2%. Or maybe it’s not the ethical compromises that are going to keep them up at night, but the eye-watering wad of cash the company forked out – money that could've otherwise been used to reward shareholders. Zooming out: Goldman’s mixed bag. The deal was one of many that Goldman Sachs has worked on recently, which might be why the bank [reported]( on Tuesday that revenue from its investment banking segment came in 45% higher last quarter than the same time the year before. But the company wasn’t short of shortfalls: its trading revenue slumped in line with lower [market volatility](, and its costs surged 23%. That led Goldman’s profit to fall by a worse-than-expected 13%, and investors weren’t happy: they initially sent its stock down 9%. You might also like: [How gaming stocks could 1UP the rest of the market in 2022.]( Copy to share story: [( 🙋 [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question: Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=Tutorial Level&utm_campaign=daily-global-19-01-2022&utm_source=email) Analyst Take The MVP Coming For Tech Stocks’ Top Spot [The MVP Coming For Tech Stocks’ Top Spot]( [Photo of Stéphane Renevier] Stéphane Renevier, Analyst What’s Going On Here? A great portfolio is just like a great sports team. If any of the players aren’t performing, you need to cut them for the good of the line-up. And as we head into 2022, one of your most valuable players – [tech stocks]( – doesn’t look like it’s fit to run the play anymore. [Tech stocks’ valuations]( are especially high right now, after all – even though their profits are more at risk than most from all-but-inevitable rising interest rates. Fortunately, there’s [a veteran asset]( waiting on the sidelines, ready to play ball. So that’s today’s Insight: [which asset you should draft in to replace your tech stocks](, and [five reasons you’d want to](. [Read or listen to the Insight here]( SPONSORED BY LIGHTYEAR This year, invest in yourself It’s true: we can’t help you stick to all your New Year’s resolutions. But if you’re looking to be better with money, we reckon [Lightyear]( could help. Here’s how: Invest without limits: [Lightyear’s multi-currency accounts]( give you access to global markets, so you can invest in some of the world’s [most exciting companies]( the easy way. Invest with confidence: There are absolutely no hidden fees to pay, and you can use Lightyear to [invest in your favorite companies]( from as little as $1. Invest with the experts: Lightyear’s app comes from the makers of TransferWise, Revolut, and Robinhood, who have filled it with [pro-level data and cutting-edge features](. Better yet, you’ll [get $10 free credit to invest]( in any stock you fancy today. [Claim Your Free Stock Today]( When investing, your capital is at risk. Breakdown [Breakdown] What’s Going On Here? Data out on Tuesday [showed]( that European car sales fell for the sixth-straight month in December, and you can’t help but feel the region’s industry has run out of gas. What Does This Mean? Europe’s carmakers still don’t have enough chips to keep up production, and their sales are suffering as a result. Just look at Germany’s stalwarts: Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-owner Daimler sold 30%, 22%, and 15% fewer cars last month than the same time the year before, causing the country’s overall sales to drop 27%. And since Germany is Europe’s biggest car market, the region saw its sales fall by 22%. That’s left carmakers with one option: shift production to higher-end, more profitable vehicles to try to offset some of the damage. Why Should I Care? For markets: Get used to it. Trouble is, consulting firm EY thinks this year will be as difficult for carmakers as the last, and it might well be right: China’s zero-tolerance Covid policy has already led to factory [shutdowns]( across the country, which produces around a third of all cars globally ([tweet this](). In fact, two of the world’s top-selling carmakers – Toyota and Volkswagen – have been forced to halt a few of their production lines just in the last week or so. And that’s before you get to the minor problem of convincing inflation-hit drivers to open their wallets… The bigger picture: Once bitten, twice shy. The absence of new cars might be why the average price of used ones hit $28,000 in the US last month. That’s fueling a much bigger problem: the country’s consumer prices rose 0.5% in December versus the month before, and second-hand cars are [estimated]( to be responsible for at least a fifth of that. America isn’t able to unring that bell, but it won’t let it happen again: the government’s planning to [invest]( billions into chip production, in hopes there’ll always be plenty of new cars going spare. You might also like: [How to spot the opportunities that could bring the car industry back to life.]( Copy to share story: [( 🙋 [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question: Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=Breakdown&utm_campaign=daily-global-19-01-2022&utm_source=email) 💬 Quote of the day “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” – Maya Angelou (an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist) [Tweet this]( SPONSORED BY LEDGER The one-stop shop for crypto Crypto can be a big money-maker, it’s true. But it’s easy to get put off before you so much as dip your toe in. After all, you seem to need a variety of different platforms just to get started. Not with Ledger: the combination of the [Ledger hardware wallet]( and [Ledger Live app]( lets you buy, exchange, and grow all your crypto from the same simple platform. Yup, that means you can do everything from displaying your NFTs to buying bitcoin gift cards, from swapping your crypto to staking your coins – [all through Ledger](. And since Ledger’s known for its [top-notch security](, you can do it all safely in the knowledge that your stash is in good digital hands. Crypto doesn’t need to be complicated: [visit Ledger today](. [Start Your Journey]( Exchange, lend, and other crypto transaction services are provided by third-party partners. Ledger provides no advice or recommendations on use of these third-party services. When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. 🌎 Finimize Live 🤔 What do you know about DAOs? You might not have heard of DAOs, but we’re pretty sure you’ll have heard of bitcoin. Well, a lot of folk call the crypto darling the very first example of a DAO, and we all know how well that one went. So don’t miss out on the next big success: come along to our [Investing In DAOs]( event, and learn the tricks to help you spot the next bitcoin. 🏡 [An Alternative Way To Invest In Real Estate](: 5pm UK time, January 19th 📲 [Investing In DAOs](: 5pm UK time, January 25th ⚡️ [How To Invest In The Energy Transition](: 6pm UK time, January 26th 🎟 [How NFTs Will Transform The Future Of Events](: 5pm UK time, January 27th 🔥 [Your Guide To New Investing Opportunities](: 6pm UK time, January 28th 🚀 [Will The Future Be Tokenized?](: 6pm UK time, January 31st 💸 [How To Earn A Passive Income From Franchise Investing](: 6pm UK time, February 1st 🏡 [Your Guide To Opportunity Zones](: 5pm UK time, February 25th 🎯 On Our Radar - Your private browsing isn’t so private. It might be time to switch [browsers](… - The future of yachts. [No sea in sight](. - The And Just Like That plot is controversial. [The sets](, not so much. - Occam’s fridge. Home organization just needs a touch of some [ancient philosophy](. - Get your skates on. And be careful, this rink might make you [dizzy](. ❤️ Share with a friend Your Referrals: 0 Thanks for reading {NAME}. If you liked today's brief, we'd love for you to share it with a friend. If they sign up on your unique link, you’ll earn some sweet swag. Share your unique link: [ You stay classy, {NAME} 😉 We’d love to hear your thoughts. [Give feedback]( Want to advertise with us too? 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