😊 Here’s why Europe’s smiling

Microsoft reported some stellar results | The eurozone’s off to a running start | [TOGETHER WITH]( Hi {NAME}, here's what you need to know for January 25th in 3:10 minutes. 🌙 Taking a leap in the dark is rarely a good investing strategy, especially when it comes to an ever-fluctuating asset like crypto. So join Lowina Blackman for [The Risks And Regulations When Investing In Crypto]( this Friday, and find out how to look before you leap. [Get your free ticket]( Today's big stories - Microsoft reported some eye-catching quarterly results, and investors liked what they saw - China's falling population could light a fire under artificial intelligence – [Read Now]( - Business activity in the eurozone took a surprising, sunny, upward swing Not So Soft [Not So Soft] What’s Going On Here? Microsoft [reported]( better-than-expected quarterly results late on Tuesday. What Does This Mean? Microsoft’s cloud computing business is its growth backbone, but corporate customers have tightened their belts in recent quarters and slowed the segment’s growth. And although that slow-down didn’t reverse last quarter, the segment still flexed its muscles, beating analysts’ expectations with 18% revenue growth compared to the same time last year. There was good news for Microsoft’s productivity business too, which includes Microsoft 365 and LinkedIn, as revenue jumped a better-than-expected 7%. And even the bad news was predictable: the PC segment saw revenue decline by 19%, but experts were [calling]( last quarter the worst for PCs since the 90s, so that’s hardly a surprise. So, sure, Microsoft’s overall revenue rose at the most sluggish pace since 2016, but the unexpectedly handsome profit still relieved investors, who initially sent shares up 5%. Why Should I Care? Zooming in: OpenAI, closed deal. Newsflash: Microsoft’s $10 billion investment in ChatGPT-owner OpenAI has been [confirmed](. The move will give OpenAI’s wizards access to more powerful cloud computing resources, which should help the firm up its research game and run more advanced models for programs like ChatGPT and DALL-E. And Microsoft’s getting its back scratched too: the software heavyweight plans to add OpenAI’s tech to its corporate and consumer product offerings, a step that analysts think could help in its battle of wits with Amazon’s AWS cloud service. For markets: Good tidings. The S&P 500 has hit high gear this year, cruising through the past few weeks in the green – but whether or not it stays on course will be influenced by how the tech sector fares this earnings season. Information-tech makes up over a quarter of the entire index, after all, so the S&P 500 could continue its promising trajectory if next week’s results from the likes of Meta, Apple, and Amazon follow in Microsoft’s footsteps. You might also like: [A market bottom by midyear and nine other surprises Blackstone sees for 2023.]( 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=Not So Soft&utm_campaign=daily-global-25-01-2023&utm_source=email) Analyst Take China’s Population Is Shrinking And Creating Opportunities For AI [China’s Population Is Shrinking And Creating Opportunities For AI]( [Photo of Reda Farran] Reda Farran, Analyst Just over 1.4 billion people were [living in China]( at the end of last year – 850,000 fewer than at the end of 2021. It was the first decline in the country’s population in over six decades – and the [start of a trend]( that experts expect to continue for some time. The changing demographics are going to create [big challenges]( for the world’s second-biggest economy. But it will create [big opportunities]( too – particularly in artificial intelligence (AI). So that’s today’s Insight: [how to find opportunities as China’s population falls.]( [Read or listen to the Insight here]( SPONSORED BY SPLINT INVEST Whisky and investors go together beautifully And not just when you’re decompressing after a long week, either. See, whisky isn’t just a delicious refreshment: as an [alternative investment](, the liquor’s low correlation to traditional markets could diversify your portfolio and help offset losses elsewhere. Splint has exclusively secured a rare whisky collection worth €750,000: a case of this caliber would usually be saved for connoisseurs, and it’s highly coveted by wealthy global collectors. The value of this collection – “[The Macallan in Lalique, Six Pillars](” – has grown by 20% annually, and a complete collection of this kind has already sold at auction for around $1 million. Now’s your chance to invest: [discover liquid sunshine with Splint Invest](. [Find Out More]( With Splint Invest you can diversify your portfolio with alternative investments, like an expert. Get access to attractive alternative investments hand-picked by certified experts. From the 26th of January 2023, Splint Invest users will be able to invest exclusively in the Macallan in Lalique, Six Pillars collection as well as other new assets. The minimum investment volume for a Splint Invest client is at 50 EUR. Shooting Stars [Shooting Stars] What’s Going On Here? Data out on Tuesday suggested that the eurozone hit the ground running in 2023, with business activity [growing]( unexpectedly this month. What Does This Mean? It’s January: the weather’s cold and the days are short, so you might expect us all to be united in our misery. But in Europe there’s a little holdout of optimism among purchasing managers, who responded to this month’s business activity surveys with unseasonably chipper answers. That stands to reason, too: an especially mild winter and badly needed government handouts helped to ease the region’s energy fears. Plus, companies’ confidence is swelling thanks to freshly freed-up supply chains and the fact that China’s re-opening is probably poised to jump-start demand. That could be why January’s purchasing managers’ index – which measures activity across manufacturing and service sectors – showed growth for the first time since June last year. Why Should I Care? For markets: Fickle forecasters. Economists are changing their tune about the eurozone: after months of doom-and-gloom warnings, they’ve come to the conclusion that the region might actually dodge a recession and clock up a small but mighty 0.1% growth this year. That’ll please the European Central Bank: after all, the data suggests that the economy’s strong enough to bear a few more rounds of inflation-busting rate hikes. Markets are already pricing that in too, betting on a pair of 0.5 percentage-point bumps over next two months. Zooming out: British bruising. Europe’s relatively breezy optimism is in stark contrast to its British neighbors, where data out on Tuesday showed that output’s fallen at the fastest rate since the pandemic first struck. That’s hitting the UK where it hurts, with the services sector – a key driver of the UK economy – dropping off the sharpest cliff. No surprise, then, that economists think the UK’s already slipped into a recession, one that could last most of 2023 according to a survey by Bloomberg. You might also like: [Morgan Stanley says the UK could deliver a huge surprise in 2023.]( 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=Shooting Stars&utm_campaign=daily-global-25-01-2023&utm_source=email) 💬 Quote of the day “To err is human, but to really foul things up requires a computer.” – Anonymous, from the 1978 Farmers' Almanac [Tweet this]( SPONSORED BY SPLINT INVEST Diversify your portfolio, luxury-style Whisky’s a swell [alternative investment](, for sure, but that’s not the end of it. You can [invest in a whole host of high-end opportunities]( – like [fine wine](, [art](, watches, and handbags – with Splint for as little as €50. [Rare whiskeys]( too, of course. Every opportunity on Splint has been hand-picked by certified experts, and they usually rack up [some luxe-level returns](. And on January 26th, you’ll be able to invest in these new releases: [a prized Macallan collection](, [a giclée-print]( by Damien Hirst, a Hermes Handbag, and a Rolex GMT-Master II. They’ve all returned between 14 and 20% annually: [check out Splint’s January release](. [Check Out Splint]( With Splint Invest you can diversify your portfolio with alternative investments, like an expert. Get access to attractive alternative investments hand-picked by certified experts. From the 26th of January 2023, Splint Invest users will be able to invest exclusively in the Macallan in Lalique, Six Pillars collection as well as other new assets. The minimum investment volume for a Splint Invest client is at 50 EUR. 🌍 Finimize Live 🥳 Coming Up Soon… All events in UK time. 📑 [The Risks And Regulations When Investing In Crypto](: 10am, January 27th 📈 [How To Hedge Against Volatility With Crypto](: 5pm, February 2nd 👩‍💻 [Opportunities For Women In Blockchain 2023](: 12.30pm, February 16th 🎯 On Our Radar - Take it to heart. This one simple measurement is key to how you [handle stress](. - Tidycore troubles. TikTok’s [obsession with organization]( is more troubling than it seems. - Up your dosage. Make sure you’re getting your recommended daily allowance of Finimize with our [brand new podcast](. - Grandma’s patterned velour. Here’s how everyone’s grandparents wound up with [the exact same sofa](. - Fight the Sunday scaries. Turn your rest day into a [beating-the-rest day](. ❤️ 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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