Podcasts

On today's Book Review: Wall Street has been the latest punching bag of choice for the pugnacious populist – but could we actually live without the financial powerhouse? Simon is joined by William Cohan, author of 'Why Wall Street Matters'

Devolution, Brexit, and competitiveness. These are the themes coming from today's annual conference from the British Chambers of Commerce. Earlier we heard Boris Johnson's comments to business leaders and the BCC's priorities with Brexit negotiations. Francis Martin, President of the BCC spoke earlier to Share Radio Matt Cox live from the conference.

A deal has been struck over the BHS pension scheme after the fund was left insolvent when the department store chain collapsed last year. Sir Philip Green has agreed to contribute £363 million to the fund after months of recriminations for his part in the retailer's downfall, including MPs voting to strip him of his knighthood. For more, Simon was joined by Steve Webb, a former pensions minister and now Director of Policy at Royal London.

Share Radio's Simon Rose brings you Market Wrap, a roundup of what's been happening in the businesses of Britain and the world. To help rattle through the day's events, Simon was joined by Chris Bailey, Share Radio's Senior Analyst. They discussed: Sir Philip Green says he's "voluntarily" agreed to pay up to 363-million pounds towards the pension scheme of collapsed retailer BHS; shares in the operator behind Southern Railway have plunged - after it revealed a profit hit caused by almost a year of strikes; and Donald Trump wants to raise the amount America spends on defence by a record £43 billion.

India's seen recent economic turbulence with the government removing 80 percent of currency in circulation last November. But is now potentially a good time to invest? Share Radio reporter Matt Cox spoke to Jonathan Schiessl chief investment officer at Ashburton Investments and lead manager of the Ashburton India Equity Opportunities Fund. Jonathan started by explaining some of the reforms seen recently.

The government's workplace pension scheme, NEST, wants to climate-proof its default offer. This would mean a shift towards companies most likely to meet carbon reduction targets. For more on how this will work, Share Radio's James Brydges spoke to Paul Todd, Director of Investment Development and Delivery at NEST.

Nigel Farage says Ukip would be better off with no MPs - than having one who contradicts the leadership. Mr Farage wants their only member of parliament - Douglas Carswell - to be kicked out of the party. However, he does deny that it is because the Clacton MP helped block him from the chance of getting a knighthood. For all this and the rest of the day's political headlines, Simon speaks to Rishi Patel of FTI Consulting.

Sterling, financial debt and U.S technology firms might not be what spring to mind as an investment opportunity for 2017. Sterling is struggling against the dollar, interest rates look set to rise and President Trump's travel ban has tech firms in the US up in arms as they fear that they won't have access to the worlds top talents. However, these are just some of the areas that Coutts's investment team believe are ripe for investors. To discuss Coutts' 2017 Investment Outlook, timeless Principles in a Changing World, I'm joined by Alastair Jex, head of bespoke and advisory portfolios at Coutts Investment.

Mexico has seen its currency dive, bracing for a hit from Trump. But on this week's Share Radio Magazine Review, our guests tackled an article from MoneyWeek arguing Mexican economy could have the last laugh. Share Radio's Alex Clark reports.

It's the AIM-listed company with what's been described as a 'stratospheric' valuation. Purplebricks is a new breed of estate agent with an online focus. It made headlines when it raised almost £50mil in around 24 hours last week to fund a US expansion. It's now valued in the region of £647mil - close to the major players Countrywide and Foxtons. So what's behind the rise? Share Radio's Peta Fuller reports.