Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
The past half-century has provided a generally well-structured approach to employment and career opportunities, but there's little reliability or predictability today. Increasingly, young people cannot rely on others to sort their lives out for them: they need to take matters into their own hands. Could it be the time for entrepreneurial activity to move from the margins to the centre-ground? Background music: 'Any Thing You Can Dream' by The Whole Other
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University wonders what the Gorton and Denton by-election could portend for British politics. Could it be another signpost to the end of traditional two-party politics? Is something going wrong for the established political class? Might it signal the end of Starmer's Premiership? Tim cites both a study into NHS maternity services and a statement from a former health minister that doubling the NHS budget over 20 years has made no difference to the nation's health as evidence of the truth of Gammon's Law about the growth of bureaucracy displacing useful work. Lastly, he and Simon discuss the loss of a mutual friend, Simon Richards, former chief executive of the Freedom Association. Dubbed "the nicest man in British politics", he wore his politics lightly but had an amazing talent for bringing people together. In an age where politicians are so earnest and serious, we need more people like Simon. He, and his infectious laugh, will be much missed.
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Russ Mould says that investors can't ignore what is happening in the Gulf, which has seen a jump in volatility and sharp declines in some of the investments that been doing best but which had little downside protection. Despite this, the broader US market is roughly where it was a week before. Oil is up by a fifth, but that is still much less than during other Middle Eastern crises. For investors, though, the important thing is not to panic. If you had good reasons for your investments before, then be patient, seek diversifaction and value and avoid leveraged situations. Energy stocks like BP and Shell account for 10% of the FTSE by market cap and the market is saying the oil price is about right. Oil service companies could be worth a thought if the conflict lasts longer than expected but the only one the UK has left now is Hunting.
Guests: Russ Mould
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Political commentator Mike Indian says that Kier Starmer's decision to stay out of the strikes on Iran is wise. There is no sense of an end-game plan. All this is a long way from Trump's first-term rhetoric of "no foreign wars". It is hard to see this as anything but naked aggression. We, however, have built our post-war security under the US nuclear umbrella and our failure to protect our bases merely highlights the cutbacks in our armed forces in the last 15 years or so. If we are smart, perhaps we will use the conflict as a spur to increase our defence budget. Has Starmer's refusal to help harmed the "Special Relationship"? That hasn't really existed since Bush and Blair. Iran will run out of ammunition before the Americans but what happens then? The muted reaction to the Spring Statement shows how quiet things have become on the Rachel Reeves' front. The forecasts for growth have been downgraded but the Chancellor is still on track to meet her tax and spending rules. A surge in inflation as a result of "events" could yet pose her problems.
Guests: Mike Indian
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin says Apple have come out with a slew of new devices, the only interesting one being a new MacBook at a surprisingly low price. When three AIs simulated war games, they opted for nuclear war 95% of the time. Wearers of Meta's Ray-Ban AI glasses might be disturbed to learn that they are being watched by monitors in Nairobi, including while they have sex. The Tesla Cybercab has no steering wheel or pedals; it also can't actually drive on roads yet. Google spinoff Beam offers high speed internet using light instead of cables. Surrey University has found a way to make batteries without expensive lithium while a Cornish firm thinks lithium will be a by-product of its geothermal power. There's a robot chef that can produce up to 500 dishes, but might take a while to clean afterwards. And a Finnish company is embedding retractable studs in tyres to make snow chains redundant.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson is not a fan of #1 Scream 7, despite the return of Neve Campbell. He didn't care for the characters, found the nasty and thought it made no sense. He was more positive about The Testament of Ann Lee, with Amanda Seyfried giving a career-best performance as the founder of the Shaker movement with an excellent Mancunian accent. It's a bonkers film, being a musical biopic on an enormous visual canvas but it shows what cinema can do and is very memorable. Come See Me In The Good Light is an extraordinary documentary – nominated for an Oscar - about a poet with terminal cancer and how they deal with it. It is deeply moving but also full of joy and laugher. It is also one of the most intimate and personal films about a relationship.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
The flying Footsie is on course for the best start to the year since 1998 and driving it are 20 stocks that have risen by 50% or more in the past year. Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost discuss what's going on for the flagship UK index and whether the run can continue. They also zoom in on Rolls Royce — its shares have soared by more than 1000% in five years. Is it too late to join the party? When it comes to Junior ISAs, many parents worry that once their children get access, they'll fritter it away — but is that really the case? New analysis suggests not. And NS&I has cut the underlying rate on its Premium Bonds to 3.3%. Is it time to move your money? The Government is rolling out the next phase of making tax digital which will require some to file quarterly — is expensive chaos on the way? Lastly, can you save money with an EV versus a petrol equivalent? Or does the maths simply not add up?
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Original Broadcast: Motley Fool Show
Paramount has won the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery, but it was Netflix stock that soared on the news. We cover the latest in buyout news and give some ideas for more companies that should be on the block. Travis Hoium, Lou Whiteman, and Jon Quast discuss Paramount wins WBD, NVIDIA’s “disappointing” quarter, earnings roundup, Joby and Uber, and stocks on our radar. Companies discussed: Rocket Lab (RKLB), Mercadolibre (MELI), Netflix (NFLX), Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), NVIDIA (NVDA), Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), The Trade Desk (TTD), Snowflake (SNOW), Joby (JOBY), Uber (UBER), Doordash (DASH), Lyft (LYFT), Spotify (SPOT), Live Nation (LYV), Disney (DIS), New York Time (NYT), Garmin (GRMN), Peloton (PTON), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B, BRK-A), PayPal (PYPL). Host — Travis Hoium; Guests — Lou Whiteman, Jon Quast.
Guests: Lou Whiteman,Jon Quast
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Original Broadcast: Motley Fool Show
NVIDIA has been the belle of the quarterly earnings ball for quite some time. Investors have been waiting to see how much NIVIDA beat earnings estimates. Even though earnings did beat expectations, the market reaction was “meh”. The gang breaks down NVIDIA’s earnings and investigates into some of the challenges for the future. Tyler Crowe, Matt Frankel, and Jon Quast discuss NVIDIA’s earnings, the evolving landscape for CPUs and GPUs, the bull vs. bear look at MercadoLibre's earnings, and the Trade Desk’s quarterly results. Companies discussed: NVDA, AMD, GOOG, MELI, AMZN, TTD, WMT, ROKU. Host — Tyler Crowe; Guests — Matt Frankel, Jon Quast.
Guests: Matt Frankel,Jon Quast
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New data from The Royal Kennel Club Census, based on nearly 20,000 UK dog owners, reveals fresh insights into Britain’s dogs ahead of Crufts. With walks averaging 1 hour and 16 minutes, agility owners report more exercise and higher training levels, and classic favourites like tennis balls and meat-based treats still dominate. Britain’s love of dogs remains as strong as ever. Joining Rory McGowan is Charlotte McNamara, Head of the Health and Breeding Department at the Royal Kennel Club, organisers of Crufts, who shares expert insight into the benefits of agility training — from improving focus and confidence to strengthening the bond between owners and their dogs — and explains why structured activity plays such an important role in canine wellbeing.
Guests: Charlotte McNamara
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This is a short episode, designed to build on a mindset based on the law of attraction and abundance. It therefore seeks to amplify that belief system, providing a short-cut to thinking positively.
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Original Broadcast: Modern Mindset
Across the UK, LGBTQ+ lives are increasingly shaped by court rulings, political debate, and headline-driven controversy. Questions about rights, safety, and recognition are being debated publicly — often without young people’s voices at the centre. At the same time, evidence shows LGBTQ+ young people face higher risks of poor mental health, isolation, and barriers to care, particularly when they cannot be open about who they are. In this context, initiatives like Purple Friday and its 'Paint It Purple' message matter. They offer visible, practical support in schools and communities, helping young people feel safe, valued, and supported at a time when it is needed most. Joining Rory McGowan to discuss this is Dr Mhairi Crawford, CEO of LGBT Youth Scotland.
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