Podcasts

Global stocks have continued their climb, outdoing previous record highs in 2015, but the FTSE 100 has retreated in early trading. Are markets too high now? Rachel Winter, senior investment manager at stockbroker Killik & Co, joined Share Radio's senior analyst Ed Bowsher to discuss this and the day's top economic stories.

Have you ever thought about starting your own business but had no idea where to start? Sue gets tips and advice from Carl Reader, AKA The Startup Coach, and business owner David Tovey, who's the author of Principled Selling.

Could social media help support those suffering from mental illness? According to the charity Mind the problem is particularly bad in rural areas where isolation prevents many speaking about their problems and seeking help. In response, the mental health group has created its own social network called Elefriends to allow users to connect and share experiences. To explain more about the role of technology in treating mental illness Sue was joined by Aimee Gee from Mind.

Toshiba has launched a probe into potential misconduct following the fallout of their US nuclear deal. Analysts say they vastly overpaid for Westinghouse, which they bought in 2006. Shares have tumbled 10% after the electronics conglomerate said it would book a $6.3 billion hit. In the UK, the company building a new nuclear plant in Cumbria has given assurances the project will go ahead, despite Toshiba owning a 60% stake. Share radio's james Brydges spoke to Seijiro Takeshita, Professor of Management and Information, from the University of Shizuoka. He told us this was the latest in the long line of setbacks for Toshiba

Sue Dougan was joined by financial journalist Simon Read from The Independent. Today on the agenda, they discussed how 1 in 10 parents renting in England say they worry about short tenancies. Plus they look into why people will wait for an average of six minutes in a queue before giving up in frustration. All these stories and more on The News Review.

Joining Sue to discuss what the main market headlines of the morning are is Share Radio's Nigel Cassidy. The Competition and Markets Authority will open an investigation into Heineken’s proposed acquisition of part of the Punch Taverns pubs portfolio. Coca-Cola HBC has released its full year financial results, but is this THE Coca-Cola?

Donald Trump's been meeting with Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington. And the Trump administration has issued an ultimatum to NATO members, demanding they start increasing defence spending or Washington will "moderate its commitment" to them. Members of Mr Trump’s new government are making their first official visits to Europe this week and Mike Pence, vice president, is due to meet the head of the European Council, Donald Tusk. To find out what came out of the meeting and what the NATO issue is, Sue Dougan was joined by Josh Lowe of Newsweek.

Banks are getting much better at helping their customers, at least according to a new independent report by the Fairbanking Foundation. Its last three annual surveys identified alarmingly low levels of customer focus. Sue Dougan was joined by the charity's chief executive, Antony Elliott.

Companies vying to build nuclear power stations in the UK have been told they must offer lower electricity prices than that approved for the Hinkley Point plant last year. Government officials have indicated that future projects will be expected to deliver a discount of at least 15-20% on the price of electricity from the £18bn Hinkley plant in Somerset - a settlement widely criticised for its high cost. To discuss this further, Dr Jenifer Baxter, Head of Energy and Environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, joined Nigel Cassidy on Share Radio Breakfast.

Tim Evans, Professor of Business and Political Economy at Middlesex University London joined Simon for the Bigger Picture. Today's thoughts from Tim: the sad human and economic cost of immigration controls and how the UK has to hold high the torch of liberal internationalism; A tale of two Eurozones - how greater Germany and the med countries are slowly divorcing; and what Trump doesn't get about NATO and Putin - and what this all really means.