Share Sounds

The first SHARE conference in Cambridge last Friday provided much food for thought, and comments particularly drew attention to the need for widespread understanding of stock ownership if 'Stock for Data' is to take hold. In financial terms and because equity stock in companies is a surrogate for human enterprise, earnings from capital growth and dividends massively outperform bonds and cash over the long term; meanwhile stock owners have a key role in contributing to the governance of their companies, as employee shareownership has shown. All this needs straightforward and intelligible communication. Background music: 'Communicator' by Reed Mathis

As if buying a home wasn’t enough of a lottery, borrowers are now facing a major gamble on their mortgage. Whether buying or remortgaging, they need to work out how long to fix for and try to assess what might happen next to interest rates. On the basis that even the world’s top economists and investors didn’t spot the past year’s sudden interest rate spike coming and can’t agree on what central banks will do next, that’s a tough task. Five-year fixed rates are cheaper than two-year fixed rates, but borrowers worry they risk locking in at higher rates for longer. Meanwhile, trackers are pricier but could fall if the base rate comes down, although there’s not much agreement on when the Bank of England will stop hiking or how swiftly it will lower rates when it eventually does. Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert discuss the great mortgage gamble and what people can do. Also, the house price hotspots of the past decade – and why living in a place where home values has doubled may not be a good thing. Simon takes a look at UK shares, why they are considered cheap and whether they are a decent investment or not. Helen talks through her latest 'Crane on the Case' and how it involved a loyal BA customer locked out of a staggering number of Avios points and getting a raw deal from the airline on sorting it out. And finally, here is a test of your age: how well do you remember the Ford Orion, Austin Maestro and Vauxhall Nova — and did you ever believe that one day they’d be classic cars?

Investors cheered the steadily improving inflation story. Jason Moser and Matt Argersinger discuss how the current macro environment is what the Fed was aiming for, JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo starting earnings season in a strong way, Boeing's latest production challenge, key takeaways from Andy Jassy's shareholder letter, and Warner Bros Discovery's confusing rebrand of HBO Max. Then, at 19 minutes in, Motley Fool senior analyst Tim Beyers weighs in on how board games and video games are finding success on the big screen, the future of movie theaters, and why "YouTube has an uncommon amount of power right now." Finally, 34 minutes in, Jason and Matt share two stocks on their radar: Airbnb and T. Rowe Price. Stocks discussed: JPM, WFC, BA, AMZN, WMT, WBD, HAS, DIS, NFLX, AAPL, CMCSA, GOOG, GOOGL, ABNB, TROW. Host - Chris Hill; Guests - Matt Argersinger, Jason Moser, Tim Beyers

A survey from Lending Tree found that a majority of Americans thought investing was just as risky as gambling. And sure, the stock market can be a casino, but it doesn’t have to be. Anand Chokkavelu and Ricky Mulvey discuss the lines between gambling and investing, and when they get blurry, games that Wall Street traders play, positive/negative sum games, and how to know the difference, and how Uncle Sam helps investors more than gamblers. Host - Ricky Mulvey; Guest - Anand Chokkavelu

There's always the opportunity to learn more and develop one's capabilities. This episode is a session which helped the chief executive of a fast-growing and successful company with a real anxiety about speaking to big teams and taking part in media interviews: overcoming such fears is not easy. Adam Cox invites you to think of someone you would regard as strongly capable, and then mapping their resources into yourself so that you broaden your own comfort zone. For those looking to grow their career or develop leadership capabilities, this episode could be a real help. It's not about aiming for perfection — it's about making constant progress.

Russ Mould of A J Bell looks at gold, which recently went above $2,000 an ounce again. He asks how the metal, which produces no income, can be valued. Believing it is NOT an inflation hedge, he does think it can be a hedge against loss of faith in central bankers. Despite a round of mergers and acquisitions in the industry, while gold has risen 30% since 2020, gold shares, out of fashion, are only up 12%. While smaller and riskier than the giants, he wonders if some UK gold producers could be considered cheap.

The UK box office shot up by 130%, says James Cameron-Wilson, thanks to the record-breaking opening worldwide of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Frenetic and aimed at the Tik Tok generation, James was alarmed at the violence and brutality. He found Ben Affleck's Air, with Matt Damon, about Nike and Michael Jordan to be entertaining but unengaging. And although Boston Strangler, on Disney+ with Keira Knightley, was a treat for the eye, again he was not engaged enough to care. He was encouraged, though, by good corporate news from Everyman Cinemas.

Share Radio's technology editor Steve Caplin explains why Getty Images is suing an AI art maker. Devon & Cornwall Police are putting speed cameras on drones while a Janapese company is offering to create meteor showers to order. There's an AI humanoid robot and AI earbuds, while Italy is banning ChatGPT. Sony have come up with a spatial reality display that doesn't need glasses, Buckingham Palace has produced a coronation emoji while scientists have mimicked polar bears, producing material that is lighter than cotton and better at retaining heat.

Political commentator Mike Indian discusses Joe Biden's visit to Northern Ireland and why the UK needs to build other alliances rather than rely on "The Special Relationship". He laments political attack adverts and the use of racist rhetoric. And he looks at the end of Humza Yousaf's honeymoon period as the SNP's troubles continue and deepen.

There's a real logic to maintaining economic dynamism throughout the broad span of adult life: our commentary today picks up on recent reports in The Times on the extent to which parents and grandparents help out, on the value of incentivising young people to build early experience in the workplace, and how fresh ideas and opportunities can bring new potential for those of more mature years. If you don't use it, you'll lose it, body and mind: and we shouldn't get too fixated on retirement! Background music: 'Everything Has a Beginning' by Joel Cummins