Share Sounds from Share Radio Afternoon

Time now for our weekly catch up with the team at Moneyweek magazine. This week, Ed Bowsher was joined by Merryn Somerset Webb, editor in chief at MoneyWeek. They discuss: the European Central Bank's monetary policy, and the gift that has the use of a pension - but is much nicer to look at.

The insurance market Lloyd's of London is now the first major city business to announce it is preparing plans to set up a subsidiary on mainland europe. This will allow Lloyds to continue operating in the EU even if UK firms lose their so-called 'passport' rights after Brexit. For more on this, Share Radio's Ed Bowsher was joined on the line by Philip Alexander, Regulation Editor at Risk.net

Plenty of interest rate decisions to tuck in to today: whilst the Fed has raised rates citing the strength of the US economy, the Bank of England has been more pessimistic. Base rates have been kept on hold, with Carney warning that signs of slowdown in economic activity have been detected. Is Brexit finally taking its toll? Share Radio's Ed Bowsher was joined by Jasper Lawler, Senior Market Analyst at London Capital Group to discuss the top stories shaping markets today.

Fast food executive Andrew Pudzer has been nominated as Labor Secretary by President elect Donald Trump, a move that has drawn widespread condemnation from labour unions. But why? That's the question Share Radio's Alexi Phillips put to Geraint Johnes, Professor of Economics at Lancaster University.

It's almost six months since Britain's EU referendum and the exit road from Europe is still paved with uncertainty. Apart from ongoing talk about a hard or soft Brexit, little else is known, unless you count Theresa's May's description of a red, white and blue Brexit as helpful. One person who seems to know what he wants is the Chancellor Phillip Hammond, who has openly talked about a transitional period in the Brexit negotiations. How that played out is anyone's guess, although for now Brexit is not the only game in town. This evening the US Federal Reserve will unveil its latest interest rate decision. The smart money says that Governor Janet Yellen will announce a rise, and anyone interested in how President Elect Donald Trump might react to that should check out his Twitter feed. Let's get the thoughts of Ben Kumar, Investment Manger at 7 Investment Management. For more analysis on these topics and more, Share Radio's Juliette Foster was joined on the line by Ben Kumar, Investment Manger at 7 Investment Management.

The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, says he thinks a period of adjustment would be beneficial to the UK as it prepares to leave the European Union. Share Radio's Ed Bowsher spoke to Sir Vince Cable, former Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for his reaction to Philip Hammond's comments on the next steps of Brexit.

Have the good times gone for good? Economists are increasingly concerned about the so-called productivity puzzle - the mysterious drop-off in output per head witnessed across the globe. Casting an eye back to rates immediately after World War Two, it's hard not to be envious: economies boomed in the postwar reconstruction, pulling living standards in their wake. Now, growth is anaemic, wages stagnant, and the resulting discontent is using populism as an outlet. So, what went wrong? And can we turn things around? Share Radio's Juliette Foster was joined in the studio by Marc Levinson, former finance and economics editor at The Economist, to talk about his book 'An Extraordinary Time'.

It's been almost three weeks since the death of the Cuban leader Fidel Castro, and with official mourning now at an end it's business as usual for the government. Cuban officials have signed a deal with the technology giant Google to install servers on the island, while an agreement covering trade, human rights and migration has been brokered with the EU. These are further steps aimed at bringing the Caribbean nation back in from the diplomatic cold after Castro's 1959 Socialist revolution sealed Cuba's position as a pariah state. Can the revolution survive without him, and what do Cubans themselves want? Joining Share Radio's Juliette Foster and our economics correspondent Professor John Weeks is Professor Elizabeth Dore of Southampton University.

November's UK inflation rate hit a two-year high as clothing and petrol prices helped push the cost of living to 1.2%. Recent currency market fluctuations didn't help, and economists are warning to expect more of the same over the coming months. Elsewhere, Christmas may be twelve days away but that hasn't stopped Chancellor Philip Hammond from revealing what tops his festive wish list. Apart from having a dynamic economy he also wants Britain to get a transitional Brexit deal, giving it more time to negotiate its way out of Europe. For more analysis of these business stories and more, Share Radio's Juliette Foster was joined by Jane Foley, head of FX Strategy at Rabobank.

When you hear about companies, you often hear about profit. But, sadly, the conventional measures of profit don't often tell us the full story about how a company is doing. To clear things up, Share Radio's Ed Bowsher spoke to Phil Oakley, Investment Analyst at SharePad