🤫 The US won't admit it's in a recession

Amazon and Apple save Big Tech's rep | The US isn't in a recession till it says so | [TOGETHER WITH]( Hi {NAME}, here's what you need to know for July 29th in 3:15 minutes. 📣 Want to build buzz around your brand? [Become an official partner]( of our Modern Investor Summit this December, and showcase everything that’s great about your company to tens of thousands of smart, engaged, and enthusiastic retail investors. [Find out more here]( Today's big stories - Amazon and Apple's quarterly results put their tech giant rivals to shame - The global food crisis is only getting worse, so an investment in vertical farming might take you portfolio to the next level – [Read Now]( - The US economy has now officially entered a technical recession End On A High [End On A High] What’s Going On Here? [Amazon]( and [Apple]( bucked the Big Tech trend with better-than-expected results late on Thursday. What Does This Mean? Amazon’s cloud business brought in 33% more revenue than the same time last year, while its ecommerce segment – boosted by more efficient deliveries and the success of its Prime memberships – ticked along nicely too. And with the company’s expectation-beating revenue looking all the more impressive next to its rivals’ [bleak]( [results](, investors could breathe a sigh of relief: they initially sent its shares up 12%. Not to be outdone, Apple posted higher-than-expected iPhone sales shortly afterward, while also noting that the number of active Apple devices is now at an all-time high. And since that’s given the company more opportunity to tempt users with the likes of Apple Music and Apple TV+, its highly profitable services segment continued to grow quickly last quarter. Investors were just glad to go out with a bang, sending the company’s shares up 4%. Why Should I Care? The bigger picture: Amazon sends in the heavies. Amazon isn’t resting on its laurels, [announcing]( this week that it’ll be upping the price of Amazon Prime by an average of 31% across Europe. That’s a hike that won’t cost Amazon a penny to roll out, meaning it’s essentially free money if customers don’t abandon the service. Amazon, for its part, is confident that won’t happen, not least because it did the same thing in the US in February without much downside. Of course, inflation has only risen since then, and lighter wallets might lead to a different result this time around… Zooming out: Apple tries to woo China. Meanwhile, Apple is [focusing]( on improving sales in a lockdown-bruised China, where it rolled out discounts on iPhones and related products this week. The tech giant is notoriously reluctant to slash prices on its products, but it seems it’s willing to make compromises until the world’s biggest smartphone market gets back up and running. You might also like: [How to work out what Apple and Amazon’s stocks are really worth.]( 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=End On A High&utm_campaign=daily-global-29-07-2022&utm_source=email) Analyst Take Don’t Look Down: The Rise And Rise Of Vertical Farming [Don’t Look Down: The Rise And Rise Of Vertical Farming]( [Photo of Reda Farran] Reda Farran, Analyst The planet is going through some stuff right now, and we’re going to need innovation in every sector to fight back. Enter [vertical farming](: a way of growing fresh food indoors, and a market one consultancy predicts could grow 25% a year on average to hit [$32 billion by 2030](. That potential boom makes sense for [a variety of reasons](, not least population growth: food production is estimated to need to increase by 69% by 2035 to feed the world. Water scarcity too: the United Nations predicts that global water supply will fall [40% short of demand]( by the end of the decade. So that’s today’s Insight: why vertical farming is on the up and up, and [how you can start working it into your portfolio](. [Read or listen to the Insight here]( SPONSORED BY YONDER Your key to London town You know, one of those card-shaped keys, like the ones you use in hotels. Okay, fine: it’s a credit card. But it’s a [Yonder credit card](, meaning you’ll be properly rewarded with real, local experiences when you spend. We’re talking meals at [snazzy restaurants](, tickets to [Secret Cinema](, and [luxury countryside getaways](. And that’s on top of [worldwide family travel insurance]( and purchase protection. You’ll never have to pay any foreign exchange fees, and you can chat to a real person anytime with Yonder’s [24/7 customer support team](. And here’s the best bit: it’s all [just £15 a month](. Experience real rewards for once: [apply now and get a £50 complimentary experience and your first three months free](. [Check It Out]( Approval is subject to eligibility. Over 18 & UK residents only. Membership fee applies. Borrow responsibly. T&Cs apply. Rep 59.3% APR var. Entry Point [Entry Point] What’s Going On Here? Data out on Thursday [showed]( that the US economy has now officially entered a technical recession. What Does This Mean? Sure, the US economy shrank in the first quarter of this year, but economists had been expecting it to start growing again last quarter – if only marginally. Those expectations have swiftly been dashed: the US economy shrank by an annualized 0.9% last quarter. There were drop-offs in all sorts of areas, from personal consumption – a key measure of consumer spending – to company inventories. Business investment, housing investment, and government spending slowed down too, highlighting the impact of rising inflation and interest rates on the economy. So after months of speculation, it’s happened: the US is in a technical recession. Why Should I Care? The bigger picture: A lesson in semantics. The word “technical” is important here. A country is in a technical recession when its economy shrinks for two quarters in a row, but the US can – and does – choose to ignore that definition. Instead, it waits until the National Bureau of Economic Research has given its opinion, which the household name isn’t due to do for at least a few months. That’s led some economists to believe that the Federal Reserve will only rethink growth-damaging rate hikes if one of two things happen: the jobs market falters, or inflation reverses course. Zooming out: Europe’s next. We’ll also find out how Europe’s economy is doing soon, but it’s not looking good: data out on Thursday [showed]( that consumer confidence in the region dropped to its lowest on record this month ([tweet this](). That probably has something to do with the spreading energy crisis, not to mention the European Central Bank’s decision to hike rates for the first time in a decade. Those factors certainly have Goldman Sachs feeling edgy: the investment bank said [this]( week that it thinks the European economy will shrink 0.1% and 0.2% this quarter and next, plunging the region into its own technical recession. 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=Entry Point&utm_campaign=daily-global-29-07-2022&utm_source=email) 💬 Quote of the day “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller (an American author, political activist, and lecturer) [Tweet this]( SPONSORED BY NOBIAS Analyze the analysts [Nobias]( is on a mission to make financial media more transparent for investors. Nobias uses its AI-based [Analyst Accountability Algorithm]( to scan and interpret 300,000 financial articles every day, and then [ranks the performance]( of individual financial experts. That bank of information lets you [assess a writer’s credibility]( before you act on their advice, and you’ll even be able to see how their stance [compares to the wider market sentiment](. And if you search for a [particular stock]( you’re interested in, you’ll be able to see what [top-performing Wall Street analysts]( and financial writers have to say both for and against it. Discover information without the bias: [get started with Nobias from just $0.25 a day](. [Try Nobias Today]( All content is published and provided as an information source for investors capable of making their own investment decisions. None of the information offered should be construed to be advice or a recommendation that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction, or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. The information offered is impersonal and not tailored to the investment needs of any specific person. The Nobias star rating is based on past performance results and is not an indicator of future results. These past performance returns do not represent returns that any investor actually earned. Assumptions made include the ability to purchase the stocks recommended by the author under liquid markets where the transaction would be at the market price for the day. In reality, loss in liquidity may have a material impact on the returns that actually may have been earned. Further, returns are calculated without including any transaction costs, management fees, performance fees or expenses, or reinvestment of dividends and other income. This information is provided for illustrative purposes only. When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. 🎯 On Our Radar - Venice is stuck in a Catch-22. Saving the city might mean [killing its ecosystem](. - No need to visit another open house. Now you can [scan tokenized real estate opportunities straight from your mobile](.* - The sea is full of mystery. [This signal]( on the ocean’s floor proves it. - The enduring mystery: what do women want? EV companies think [they’ve figured it out](. - Google’s had a makeover. The new look [isn’t so new.]( *Capital at risk. When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. 🌍 Finimize Live 🎉 Coming Up In The Week… All events in UK time. ♻️ [Building A Crypto ESG Framework](: 6pm, August 2nd 🚀 [The Next Six Months For Stocks And Crypto](: 5pm, August 3rd 🥳 And After That… 🎉 [What’s Next For NFTs: Innovations, Utility, And Trends](: 5pm, August 4th 📈 [A Case For DAO Treasury Diversification](: 6pm, August 9th 💻 [How To Spot The Best Tech Stocks](: 6pm, August 16th 🏈 [Crypto And The Sports Community](: 5pm, August 23rd 👑 [How To Invest In Gold On The Blockchain](: 5pm, August 25th ❤️ 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. Share your unique link: [ You stay classy, {NAME} 😉 We’d love to hear your thoughts. [Give feedback]( Want to advertise with us too? [Get in touch]( Image Credits: Image credits: Rey Rodriguez, iwonder TV - Shutterstock | MJgraphics - Shutterstock Preferences: [Update your email]( or [change preferences]( [View in browser]( [Unsubscribe]( from all Finimize Emails 😴 Crafted by Finimize Ltd. | Bow Bells House, Bread Street, London, EC4M 9HH All content provided by Finimize Ltd. is for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to represent trade or investment recommendations. You signed up to this mailing list at finimize.com or through one of our partners. © Finimize 2021 [View Online](