Share Sounds

Many people have big dreams and amazing ideas, but we all know how easy it is for them to be eclipsed by everyday concerns. Great plans are often sabotaged by thoughts like 'Is it really going to happen?', causing doubts to build and that initial motivation to slip away, becoming increasingly less real and tangible. However, if those inspirations are accompanied by a 'What if?' mindset, there's a real possibility of holding on to that initial purpose and finding ways to achieve it. This episode is designed to help you with that transformation.

David Ricardo Pearce talks with Director Blanche Mcintyre. They take a deep look into her sterling career in theatre, her work at the company "Out of Joint" and how to include an octopus in a Shakespearian production. This episode of Share Drama was first broadcast on 12th March 2015.

Steve Caplin waxes lyrical about the iPhone 15, with a camera he's dying to get his hands on and an EU-enforced change to the charging slot. There's also a new Apple Watch, while Polaroid have, despite the ageing technology, brought out a new camera. Duolingo are moving from language into music, students have created the fastest-accelerating EV and the Finns are experimenting with a digital passport scheme. An oscilloscope watch is shipping, a mere 10 years after it was launched, cyclists can get NASA-inspired punctureless tyres and there's a Chinese e-unicycle which can go off-road up 50-degree inclines. Steve warns of the dangers of Amazon selling AI-written books on mushroom foraging.

Russ Mould of A J Bell looks at the high rate of departures of FTSE 100 CEOs and, indeed, CFOs. 18 CEOs are going this year, with another 4 already known to be departing in 2024. The figures for CFOs are 31 this year, with another 6 planned next. Such elevated numbers were also seen in 2000, 2007, 2013 and 2020, none of them years investors will look back on fondly. Russ also answers the obvious question, "What does a CEO actually do?".

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University tells Simon Rose of his concern that GDP data is being spun and politicised and thus becoming less reliable and useful. After a raft of trade deals with an Indo-Pacific tilt, is a UK-US trade deal back on the table and, if so, can it be done in time? And, a year on from Liz Truss's ill-fated premiership, Tim looks at the things she got right, particularly that growing our economy should be at the heart of policymaking and understanding that the high-tax approach could be creating a doom loop.

Last week Jerome Mayhew MP drew attention to the dire state of financial education in the UK: a recent survey for Parliament suggested that 62% of young people had no recollection of being taught about finance in school. But how can it be given proper recognition among teaching staff when there's no Financial Awareness GCSE? Meanwhile King's College Entrepreneurship Lab has launched an inaugural essay competition for Year 12 and 13 students, designed to encourage UK Sixth Form students to pursue entrepreneurial aspirations and to understand better how to launch an enterprise. Great idea — let's give it the oxygen of publicity! Background music: 'The Plan's Working' by Cooper Cannell.

Every child could receive a pot of £1,000 at birth to be channelled into long-term investments in UK growth under proposals to give the young a leg up and revive a ‘stagnant’ economy. The idea of a ‘New Generation Trust’ is part of a package of reforms that could add £225billion to the economy, says a report by the City of London Corporation. A £1,000 payment to all newborn children would need to be invested - and it is claimed this could provide long-term capital for UK PLC. It revives memories of the Child Trust Fund scheme launched by Gordon Brown two decades ago, and later scrapped by George Osborne – and that hasn’t exactly been a roaring success. Lee Boyce, Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost discuss the merits of the idea – and why whether this happens or not parents should start building a pot for children as early as possible. It’s been another exciting week for savings – Santander has a new best buy easy-access deal, Moneybox has launched a top cash Isa and First Direct is offering five prizes of £12,500 for those who switch current account – including a £175 bonus for doing so. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has been speaking in front of MPs at the Treasury Select Committee about base rate – are we close to the peak? House prices saw their biggest slump since 2009 according to Halifax, with the average home falls £14,000 in a year – chiming with similar data from Nationwide. And finally, electric cars are slumping in value – many models have lost 30% or more in a year. Is now the time to buy, and what on earth is going on?

Adam Cox is joined by Richard Dennis, one of the co-founders of Terra Organica, to unveil research released for Organic September. Richard provides insights into the concept of organic wine and its environmental advantages compared to conventionally produced wine. They further explore the intriguing disparity between British knowledge of traditional wine and their limited awareness of organic wine. Additionally, they offer a glimpse into the future prospects of the organic wine industry. https://terraorganica.co.uk/

How can you use a company’s stock price to give you a window into the future? Bill Barker and Deidre Woollard discuss reasons for skepticism when it comes to AI hype, how long a leash unprofitable software companies may have, and if being located in SIlicon Valley is still an advantage for tech companies. Then, 18 minutes in, Asit Sharma and Ricky Mulvey break down the basics of expectations investing and give a framework for applying it to individual companies. Companies discussed: PATH, AI, ASAN, NVDA. Host - Deidre Woollard; Guests - Ricky Mulvey, Bill Barker, Asit Sharma

New York City cracked down on short-term rentals, but is it a big deal for Airbnb? Ricky Mulvey and Jason Moser discuss how restrictions on short-term rentals could impact Airbnb’s growth story, why investors are sour about AMC’s new share issuance, and one company managing its share count well. Plus, 15 minutes in, Deidre Woollard interviews Oliver Franklin-Wallis, author of “Wasteland: The Dirty Truth About What We Throw Away, Where It Goes, And Why It Matters”. Companies discussed: ABNB, EXPE, AMC, LOW. Hosts - Ricky Mulvey, Deidre Woollard; Guests - Jason Moser, Oliver Franklin-Wallis