Share Sounds

The European Commission is the latest to take aim at Apple’s App store. Jason Moser and Deidre Woollard discuss why Spotify and Apple are engaging in a new music streaming battle, if Spirit Airlines will seek another buyer and why the latest go-private offer may be good news for Macy’s shareholders. Then, Ricky Mulvey and Lou Whiteman cover the state of play for airline stocks. Companies discussed: AAPL, SPOT, JBLU, M, UAL, DAL, AAL, LUV, ULCC, AER. Host - Deidre Woollard; Guests - Jason Moser, Ricky Mulvey, Lou Whiteman

In this short episode, Adam Cox links poetry and hypnosis to set out why bad things can sometimes turn out to be good. Sounds counter-intuitive? Listen in to explore your potential for unexpected benefits.

Neil Shah of Edison Group assesses the likely impact of the Chancellor's idea for British ISAs, believing they could stimulate the undervalued UK market. As the bids for Spirent and others show companies are being taken out relatively cheaply. He also explains that it might profit investors to look at listed private equity companies, which typically generate 14% year on year but which are trading at big discounts to net assets. Edison have a report online on the sector and investors can join a forthcoming webinar.

James Cameron-Wilson assesses Dune: Part Two at #1, which boosted the UK box office by taking £9.3m with almost £13,000 per screen. While critics love it and James was impressed by it visually, he found the film confusing and ponderous and admired it rather than enjoyed it. He looks ahead to the Oscars which, for the first time in 20 years, can be seen on terrestrial TV. He gives his predictions for the main prizes and discusses the recent star-studded luvviefest, the SAG Awards, watchable on Netflix. He regrets watching Tyler Perry's film, Mea Culpa, on Netflix. A thriller about an artist accused of murdering his girlfriend, the ludicrous film is every bit as bad as the main character's art.

Steve Caplin looks at the latest tech. Elon Musk thinks the world will run out of electricity next year because of AI. Lenovo has a concept transparent laptop. Hospital beeps might be more effective if they are more musical and less annoying. An app can tell if you're depressed and recommend solutions. Image specialist Adobe is moving into music but composers need not be worried just yet. There's a crowd-funded fishing probe. Honda have a moving way to enhance your VR experience, but might not have thought it through properly. There's an e-bike with built-in 5G connectivity and more. Windscreen ice problems might have been solved. And why do Amazon keep offering you more of whatever you've just bought?

Mike Indian reflects upon this week's Budget from Jeremy Hunt, which was much signposted in advance. He doesn't feel it indicates there will be an early election, finding no clear vision from the Chancellor. With Hunt copying some Labour ideas, the tax base could be squeezed even further under Labour, even if Rachel Reeves may not admit it in advance. Mike looks at the probability of there being a Trump v Biden rematch after Super Tuesday. The possibility of Trump becoming President again could be a problem for NATO and Ukraine, though neither is likely to be a close friend of Britain. He also discusses the Rochdale by-election, with George Galloway returning to Parliament. It's a contest that, he feels, highlighted the weakness in the selection process for prospective MPs.

Rishi Sunak's call for tolerance in Downing Street on Friday 1st March was couched in terms of hard work and endeavour, which are generally associated with self-interest; but what's really needed is convergence based on generosity of spirit, starting with tolerance and journeying through respect for others, no matter how different they are, towards unconditional love. Background music: 'Resolution' by Wayne Jones

The debacle over widespread errors in the state pension that This is Money and Sir Steve Webb uncovered, continues. As of the end of October last year, DWP had paid out just under half a billion pounds to more than 80,000 people who’ve been underpaid. But what about those who have died? Tanya Jefferies, Lee Boyce, Angharad Carrick and Georgie Frost reveal the case where a letter was sent to the daughter of an 100 year-old man three years after he passed away, stating he had been unpaid state pension for two decades. Yet, despite the letter – months later, she was left hanging on what the DWP was actually going to do about it. And still on the state pension front, people continue to complain of top-ups chaos as the Government gets ready to launch a new online service next month. Sir Steve is calling on DWP and HMRC to get in more staff. You don’t need HMRC to have more staff to answer your call, oh no! You just need to be a VIP. Apparently there is a helpline, also known as Public Department 1 (PD1) which answers calls nine times quicker. We explain more. On the savings front, the FCA is launching a campaign to encourage savers to shop around – and if you rushed to sign up for a one-year fixed-rate cash Isa this time in 2023, Lee explains why you must act. Optional and mandatory service charges at hospitality venues – Georgie, Ang and Lee give their verdict. And finally, the price of bitcoin jumped beyond $60,000 this week. What’s behind the latest cryptocurrency surge?

The AI race heats up with Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI and Google Gemini’s rough week. And Salesforce joins Meta in the Big Tech dividend club. Jason Moser and Matt Argersinger discuss Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman, Apple putting an end to Project Titan and its automotive ambitions, and earnings updates from Axon and Okta, and a new dividend from Salesforce. Then, 19 minutes in, Motley Fool Money’s Deidre Woollard caught up with analyst Karl Thiel about the role of patents in pharmaceuticals, and the dreaded patent cliff looming for roughly 200 big-time drugs over the next decade. Finally, 33 minutes in, Jason and Matt break down two stocks on their radar: Palo Alto Networks and eBay. Stocks discussed: TSLA, AAPL, GOOG, GOOGL, AXON, OKTA, CRM, PANW, EBAY. Host - Dylan Lewis; Guests - Jason Moser, Matt Argersinger, Deidre Woollard, Karl Thiel

Warren Buffett’s annual letter points to a steady path ahead. Jason Moser and Deidre Woollard discuss why Berkshire Hathaway doesn’t pay a dividend, if utility businesses are in trouble, and what a mountain of cash means for the insurance business. Then, 18 minutes in, Ken Costa, author of The $100 Trillion Dollar Wealth Transfer, explains how a sea change in wealth could impact the world’s financial future. Companies discussed: BRK.A, BRK.B, DPZ, LULU. Host - Deidre Woollard; Guests - Jason Moser, Ken Costa