🔌 Samsung powered off

The US added a whole lotta jobs last month | Samsung turned into Samsunk | [Finimize]( Hi {NAME}, here's what you need to know for January 9th in 3:09 minutes. 🎬 Go behind the scenes and discover what Finimize has got in store for you this year. Join our CEO Max Rofagha for a [Live Q&A at our 2023 Town Hall]( this Thursday, and pull back the curtain on the investing insights platform that we just know you love. [Get your free ticket]( Today's big stories - The US economy added more jobs than expected in December, but it’s trending in the right direction - Here's how to build a solid investing process in seven steps, no luck needed – [Read Now]( - Samsung’s preliminary results didn’t make for pleasant reading Off To Work We Go [Off To Work We Go] What’s Going On Here? Data out on Friday [showed]( the US added more jobs than expected in December, but investors are hoping that slowing wage growth will let the Federal Reserve (the Fed) ease up on hikes. What Does This Mean? The Fed wasn’t messing around last year: it jacked up interest rates seven times in a bid to bring inflation to heel, and those dogged efforts are showing some more signs of denting the wild and wilful jobs market. Just look at December’s figures: sure, the month ended with 223,000 extra folk gainfully employed, about 10% more than experts predicted – but that was the fifth straight month that job growth eased, and the weakest uptick in two years. And that’s no wonder: although industries like healthcare and construction went on a minor hiring spree, others barely budged – and some even shed jobs. The real cherry on top is probably the fact that salary growth is cooling, with December’s wages up a lower-than-expected 4.6% on the same time last year. Why Should I Care? For markets: Soft touch. That slowdown in wage growth will be welcome news for the Fed, but there's still a ways to go: after all, the unemployment rate did just unexpectedly drop to 3.5%, matching a 50-year low and far from the 4.6% the central bank forecasts it hitting this year. Still, investors are hopeful that Friday's data might tempt the Fed to slow hikes, and markets are already predicting a gentler, 0.25 percentage point increase next month – which might be why US stocks spiked after the news. Zooming out: Double whammy. Europe’s not faring so well though: the prices of goods and services there [rose]( by a lower-than-expected 9.2% last month, but core inflation – which excludes volatile food and energy prices – actually hit an unexpected high. That’s got traders counting on 0.5 percentage point hikes from the European Central Bank in February and March. You might also like: [2022 was a scorcher, inflation-wise. 2023 won’t be.]( 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=Off To Work We Go&utm_campaign=daily-global-09-01-2023&utm_source=email) Analyst Take Seven Steps That’ll Have You Investing Like A Pro [Seven Steps That’ll Have You Investing Like A Pro]( [Photo of Stéphane Renevier] Stéphane Renevier, Analyst When you manage a fund, the first thing prospective investors want to know is [how you generate your returns](. Historical performance is important, sure, but even more vital is [your investment process](: that’s how you go from idea to implementation, and how you manage it all. See, [luck]( can influence short-term performance, but it’s the strength of the investment process that determines [long-term success](. That’s true with your own investments too. So, that’s today’s Insight: [seven things to think about as you create or refine your investing process.]( [Read or listen to the Insight here]( Finimize x Revolut They say you can’t put a price on knowledge, so we didn’t. Now you can get six free months of [Finimize Premium](, meaning you can sink your teeth into our expert analysts’ Insights without paying a penny. And when you’re ready to put that knowledge to use, you can enjoy three months of [free Revolut Premium]( too. We’ll even send you [£10 or equivalent]( as a thank you for reading this far. Our community wants to know your name Building a good brand is hard work. So if you’re proud of the work you do, you best make sure everyone knows about it. You could start by [introducing yourself to our one-million-strong community](: they’re a global bunch of switched-on, savvy retail investors who want to take their investing skills up a notch. And if your tips, tools, or platform – plus whatever else you have up your sleeve – could help them do that, then this might be just the right spot for you to [show off what you have to offer](. Make sure everyone knows your name: [introduce yourself to over one million retail investors](. [Get In Touch]( Samsung Adrift [Samsung Adrift] What’s Going On Here? Samsung Electronics [reported]( some disastrous preliminary results on Friday. What Does This Mean? The due date for Samsung’s full quarterly results falls at the end of the month, but the firm likes to give investors a little sneak peek beforehand – and this time, the teaser wasn’t very appealing. Turns out the economic slowdown is hitting demand for electronics and chips harder than the firm expected, with consumers watching their wallets and corporate buyers working through the stock they’ve got piled in the storeroom. And to top it all off, Apple – one of Samsung's biggest chip buyers – was hit by a spate of production delays last quarter, producing gizmos at a snail’s pace during the crucial festive rush. The end result: Samsung's operating profit took a serious nosedive, plummeting a whopping 69% last quarter to mark a dire eight-year low. Why Should I Care? Zooming in: High-tech hubris. Samsung isn’t just a victim of circumstance here. Many competitors took note of the glut in the memory-chip market and slashed production, but Samsung just had to be different: the Korean colossus actually upped output by 10% last quarter, in a madcap bid to boost its market share amid the general downturn hubbub. But all that tack seemed to do was tank Samsung’s average selling prices, and that’s got analysts thinking the firm will have to do a 180. After all, the goliath’s offerings are now for sale at close to their cost of production – and if they slip further, the firm could see its first quarterly chip loss since the days of the financial crisis. The bigger picture: Oil of ill omen. Samsung’s home country South Korea is a big dog in the worlds of tech and refined oil, and that means the nation’s also a handy barometer for global demand. And prospects aren’t great: recent data [showed]( the country's imports pipped exports to the post for the first time in 14 years in December. You might also like: [Here’s what’s driving semiconductor stocks now.]( 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=Samsung Adrift&utm_campaign=daily-global-09-01-2023&utm_source=email) 💬 Quote of the day “Happiness is good health and a bad memory.” – Ingrid Bergman (a Swedish actress) [Tweet this]( 🌍 Finimize Live 🥳 Coming Up This Week… All events in UK time. 🌪 [Preparing Your Strategy For A Volatile 2023 And Beyond](: 12pm, January 11th 🤑 [Wealth Building Habits With Carl Richards And Helena Wardle](: 5pm, January 11th 🙋‍♀️ [Ladies Investing Club](: 6.30pm, January 11th 🎙 [Live Q&A With Finimize CEO Max Rofagha](: 1pm, January 12th 👩‍💻 [2023 Investing Opportunities For The Self-Employed](: 10am, January 13th 👀 And After That… 🌍 [Investing 101: Where To Invest In 2023](: 1pm, January 16th 💥 [How To Spot The Best Long-Term Investments](: 1pm, January 17th 📈 [How To Hedge Against Volatility With Crypto](: 5pm, January 19th 📑 [The Risks And Regulations When Investing In Crypto](: 10am, January 27th 🎯 On Our Radar - Clutch those pearls. It’s time to admit that Boomers’ hot takes are [often dead right](. - Forget the headsets. You can now get [3D laptops]( without the bulky, neck-straining VR glasses. - Unsuitable Suits. Prince Harry was shaken by one [particularly raunchy scene]( in his wife’s old series. - What’s up with WhatsApp. The lean, green, texting machine is now [fighting censorship]( too. - Careful with that swab. Cops are arresting alleged criminals using DNA from [ancestry test databases](. ❤️ 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? 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