Podcasts

The Coronavirus pandemic has brought about a huge shift in the way we all live our daily lives – not least the fact that since March of this year, whoever has been able to has been working remotely. But what does this mean for the role of the physical office as we know it? Recorded just before the government’s latest announcement of a second lockdown in England (but still extremely pertinent), Vicky Sayers is joined by Brandon Hollihan: co-founder of property management company, Castleforge Partners. He shares his experience of working from home and advocates for the importance of the office within business culture.

New research conducted by SHY Aviation reveals the extent of concern UK travellers have for flying commercial. 57% would be very worried about catching Covid-19 on a plane journey, with an additional 29% unwilling to fly until a vaccine is found. With over half of Brits unwilling to travel, could hiring a private jet, formally reserved for the rich and famous, be the way forward? Adam Cox is joined by chairman and founder of SHY Aviation, Giles Vickers-Jones.

Want to keep up with the latest earnings updates from the States? Well join Chris Hill and the Motley Fool Radio Show team here on Share Radio, direct from Washington DC, for news, views and analysis of the US stocks that matter. In this week's show: Alphabet surges on strong earnings; Microsoft reports higher profits but disappoints with guidance; Amazon reports record quarterly sales; Facebook falls on concerns over a decline in U.S. and Canadian users; Starbucks serves up a surprise; Apple dips on weak iPhone sales; And Netflix raises prices. Motley Fool analysts Andy Cross, Ron Gross, and Jason Moser discuss those stories and dig into the latest results from Etsy, Pinterest, Shopify, Tupperware, Twitter, and Under Armour. Our analysts share three stocks on their radar: Wix.com, Inphi, and EPAM Systems. And we talk about what the upcoming election means for investors.

Murmurs from HSBC HQ this week warned that an overhaul of its business model could leave customers paying a monthly fee for their current accounts. This week, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost ask whether this is really a possibility, if banking actually is free anyway and what happens next. We also look at who is winning the battle of current account switchers and whether people are just too loyal to their bank. This weekend marks the end of the furlough scheme, replaced by something new – while other financial support is also changing, including free overdrafts and mortgage payment holidays. What impact did the second wave fear and upcoming US election have on the stock market this week? Bitcoin has seen a surge in price this week, what has behind its rise to the highest level since the crazy end of 2017? And boilers – one reader has been told that their 28 year model is too ancient to service. Is this a fair call?

Adam Cox is joined by CEO of Voneus, Steven Leighton, to discuss how those working in rural communities have been affected by lockdown; and how lack of internet access can affect the ability to work remotely or home-school successfully. They delve into the gigabit scheme, how it aims to support those living in rural areas, and the importance of internet access in the modern day.

Steve Caplin, Share Radio's technology editor, is impressed by Southern Australia powering the whole area by solar panels and by water being discovered on the moon. He discusses Lego Braille bricks, banned works being hidden in Minecraft, a jumbo jet becoming a cinema, 100 years of the Theremin, Amazon's eco-friendly platform, robot pothole repairers, the extraordinary Veelo skateboard motoring why shoppers spend more when using hand-held scanners.

James Cameron-Wilson examines the UK box office chart, where, with box office takings sharply up, Tenet has been pushed off the #1 slot after 9 weeks, by Two By Two: Overboard. He reviews the new #2, The Honest Thief, with Liam Neeson, Irish gangster comedy Pixie and American cult festival movie The Climb. 80 years after the seminal Alfred Hitchcock adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's Rebeca, he discusses Netflix's new version starring Lily James and Armie Hammer.

Political commentator Mike Indian asks if the Government's regional strategy to cop with the revival of cases of Covid-19 is working. Looking at what's happening in France, he asks if there be a regional or national response. He discusses the EHRC report on Labour and antisemitism, with the former leader Jeremy Corbyn suspended from the party. And he looks at the imminent American Presidential election, wondering if there will be a clear-cut result, given the extraordinary number of advance ballots.

Joe Healey, investment research analyst at The Share Centre, looks at recent news from companies in three very different areas - Next, Lloyds & BP. He dissects the numbers and explains how they have been affected by the pandemic. Looking ahead, he points out what we might expected from Associated British Foods (owners of Primark), Sainsbury's and D S Smith.

Adam Cox is joined by “America’s start-up success expert”, Alec Stern, who discusses his track record in launching and growing businesses. He shares why right now – in the middle of a global pandemic – is a great time to start a new business, as well as how to grow and then sell a business.