Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
Paul Johnson's new book, 'Challenging Inequalities', sets out graphically the barriers to opportunity for young people whose early years are spent in disadvantage and poverty. When Sir Keith Joseph referred to breaking the cycle of deprivation, he wasn't referring to negative impositions from central government but looking for ways to deliver individual opportunity in order to give everyone the chance to fulfill their potential in life. Background music: 'Everything Has a Beginning' by Joel Cummins
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Russ Mould of A J Bell says that oil briefly touched $125 a barrel because the "blockade of the blockage" is cutting off 1/5 of the global supply. However, he points out that this is a paper future oil price. The current price is higher, as one might expect with tight supply. There are, of course, other types of oil which are currently much cheaper because they go nowhere near Iran. The equity market is pricing in a speedy solution but it is just as easy to argue that the blockade will continue and that stagflation will be the result. It isn't only oil that is the problem, of course. Urea and helium are both essential commodities also facing supply problems. Even if the markets are correct and things de-escalate, in the face of so much that has been destroyed or damaged, it is unlikely to be a smooth ride ahead.
Guests: Russ Mould
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Liam O'Byrne of Edison highlights Seraphim Space Investment Trust, which has a diversified portfolio of primarily private space technology companies, businesses which would otherwise be very hard for investors to reach. The shares have risen over 300% in a year, an amazing re-rating with its one-time 70% discount turning into a 56% premium. Despite the rise, there are several positive catalysts ahead. Molten Ventures, in the FTSE250, is a venture capital firm focussing on private high-growth tech companies. Its recent trading update makes for encouraging reading. They trade at a discount of 25% but the management is working to close that.
Guests: Liam O'Byrne
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin is impressed by the Sabicap, a beanie hat which enables you to type merely by thinking. For the deaf, a vibrating pillow sleeve will alert them in the case of fire or burglar alarms. A study shows that friendly AI chatbots are much less accurate. Richard Dawkins believes that chatbots are conscious. Tokyo Airport is using humanoid robots as baggage handlers. Those wanting hard-to-keep Arowana fish can now get a robot version. There's a robot chess tutor. And Steve has bought a mini icemaker, which he recommends.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson says that #1 The Devil Wears Prada 2 has taken 85% of the first film's total in just 3 days. Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway have reunited, along with much of the behind-the-camera talent. It's a formulaic and superficial pleasure but has plenty of laughs. James thinks Primavera, about the composer Vivaldi, is one of the best films of the year: it is showing in select Picturehouse and Curzon hardtops. He feels everyone should watch Netflix's documentary The Plastic Detox, which he says has changed his life. It's full of good humour, despite its message about the toxic chemicals in plastics which alter our hormones. It's horrifying but educational and actually made a massive difference to six formerly childless couples who were the detox guinea pigs. He advises everybody to give a wide berth to the awful Greenland 2: Migration, an apocalyptic thriller with Gerard Butler.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University is alarmed by the fact that 16% of Britain's 16-24 year olds are unemployed. This is worse than Spain and Greece, who used to be the outliers. Cost pressures, AI, bad health and a skills mismatch are all creating a perfect storm which will have a long-term detrimental effect for many. Tony Blair's thinktank is urging Labour to scrap the "unaffordable" state pension Triple Lock. This is among the most radical policy thinking for almost 100 years. Effectively Blair is saying that the welfare state is heading towards bankruptcy. And while we are most affected by local government, rather than national, there are few bodies focussing on it. Yet council overreach on fines, roads, bins, bollards and the like are creating a collapse in trust between people and those who have most effect on their lives.
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
It's been a long time in the making and the idea has run through successive governments, but a new law to improve the life of those who rent their home has finally kicked in. Whether it's much-needed or much-feared depends on which side of the landlord fence you are on, but what's not in doubt is that the Renters' Rights Act is a massive shake-up. The assured shorthold tenancy system that has been the backbone of renting a home for almost forty years has been torn up and replaced with rolling contracts that tenants can get out of with two months' notice. Landlords, however, will find it much harder to get their property back, put the rent up, or even turn down pets. So, is this what the rental market needs, or is it likely to backfire as some property experts warn? With decades of experience of renting, covering the property market — and even helping with a family business that's involved in it — Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert dig into the Renters' Rights Act. Plus, the Bank of England held interest rates — but could it actually need to raise them three times this year? And what's behind the rocketing number of 45p/£ taxpayers and why isn't it Rachel Reeves' fault? Finally, travel experts reveal where is still cheap to fly to for the summer; so do you fancy a holiday in Cork, Dortmund or that old Wags' favourite, Baden-Baden?
Guests: Helen Crane
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
A new campaign has been launched to turn Britain's savers into investors. In this bonus episode, Simon Lambert speaks to Karen Northey of the Investment Association about the Take The Next Step campaign, backed by members of the investment industry and supported by the Government and Chancellor Rachel Reeves.They discuss why investing matters, how it can grow people's wealth and why Britain's savers can seem reluctant to dip their toes into something that has the power to substantially improve their chance of beating inflation and improving their finances.
Guests: Karen Northey
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Original Broadcast: Motley Fool Show
Motley fool co-founder and CEO Tom Gardner and the team break down the changing dynamics behind earnings from four of the Magnificent 7 companies, what to make of consumer sentiment at a 60-year low, and answering a guest question about the new competition for NVIDIA chips. Tom, Tyler, and Jon discuss the markets reaction to Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta’s earnings report, what matters most about AI infrastructure spending, rising costs for the hyperscalers — fear or opportunity? Also, how to make sense of the lowest consumer sentiment readings of all time, what works when everyone is miserable, and NVIDIA’s customers are building their own chips — is this a problem? Companies discussed: Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), Amazon (AMZN), Meta Platforms (META), Microsoft (MSFT), Micron Technologies (MU), NVIDIA (NVDA), Walmart (WMT), Target (TGT) Kroger (KR), Dell Technologies (DELL). Host — Tyler Crowe; Guests — Tom Gardner, Jon Quast.
Guests: Tom Gardner,Jon Quast
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Original Broadcast: Motley Fool Show
OpenAI reportedly missed its own growth and revenue expectations recently, and shares of Oracle and other companies with large deals with the AI giant are trading lower. The team consider the OpenAI news and much more. Tyler Crowe, Matt Frankel, and Lou Whiteman discuss OpenAI's disappointing growth and what it means for tech investors, whether OpenAI and its rivals will be able to scale to profitability anytime soon, General Motors' latest earnings and why Matt is such a big believer, and whether investors should take the time to vote their shares. Companies discussed: ORCL, CRWV, GM, F, GOOGL, GOOG. Host — Tyler Crowe; Guests — Matt Frankel, Lou Whiteman.
Guests: Matt Frankel,Lou Whiteman
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Whether you're selling to reluctant buyers or in any other challenging situations which can cause stress or frustration, it helps to be a bit playful and enthusiastic to move ahead. This episode helps you build that resilience for finding the way through to positive outcomes.
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin majors on robots. A robot won a half marathon against human runners, another beat elite players at table tennis while one in Poland chased away wild boars in a town. Heartwarmingly, a controlled robot in Ukraine rescued a 77-year-old woman escaping Russian shelling. A 23-year-old Polish influencer hoping to raise £100,000 for a cancer charity ended up with over £50 million. NASA will let you spell out your name using features on Earth. Mark Zuckerberg is going to beam solar power from space, but to power AI rather than homes. And Steve admires the world's narrowest car and a shopping bag that can increase in size and grow wheels.
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