Investors' Chronicle

This week’s episode begins by looking into Labour’s new ‘Your First Home’ scheme, a replacement for the controversial Help to Buy programme. Announced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, it is designed to give more people a chance of buying their first property. But what does it actually entail? And will it succeed, or will it just prop up the housing market and housebuilders like its predecessor? Hugh Moorhead discusses the potential beneficiaries.We then cast our ears to another bid for a UK-listed company: materials specialist RHI Magnesita’s attempt to acquire rival Vesuvius. Mike Fahy outlines what the takeover will look like and whether it’s likely to succeed.We wrap up with our Big Read of the week on what history teaches us about investing. James Norrington explains why we need to look further than the recent past. From the 17th century to the pandemic, James discusses rising debt levels, trade wars and much more.Timestamps 00:00 Intro01:05 'Your First Home' scheme11:35 Bid for Vesuvius22:07 Future-proofing portfoliosListen to more podcasts from Investors’ Chronicle on Apple, Spotify and YouTubeInvestors' Chronicle has supported private investors in the UK for over 160 years by highlighting rewarding investment opportunities. Investors' Chronicle is a service by the Financial Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lord John Lee and Alex Newman are back on the mics to get into the nitty-gritty of small-cap stocks, looking at software provider Pebble Beach Systems (PEB).With a market capitalisation of £38mn, the company is a bright spot in Lord Lee’s portfolio and specialises in ‘playout’ automation and solutions for broadcasters and streamers.The duo are in the studio with the Aim stock’s chief executive Peter Mayhead to discuss how Pebble benefits services both traditional broadcasters and increasingly streamers. They also explore the group’s competitive advantage, its balance sheet turnaround and a potential dividend.Elsewhere, the podcast looks at tumultuous market conditions, what this means for Lord Lee’s portfolio and how he plans to ride out the volatility.Time stamps01:01 The markets04:47 Inside Pebble Beach20:22 Pebble’s turnaround36:41 What’s behind the growth42:42 Lord Lee’s portfolio updatesLet us know your thoughts, or if you have any questions or any suggestions for future guests, by emailing [email protected] to more podcasts from Investors’ Chronicle by clicking here or heading to Apple, Spotify and YouTubeInvestors' Chronicle has supported private investors in the UK for over 160 years by highlighting rewarding investment opportunities. Investors' Chronicle is a service by the Financial Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s episode kicks off with the latest batch of London-listed AI players. Up first are the IT resellers who are reaping the rewards of the boom; we discuss Computacenter and Softcat, the latter of which tapped investors for several hundred million pounds last week.On the other side of the ledger, there has been a fresh sell-off for the likes of Rightmove after Meta released its AI agent, Muse. But the question is: have these ups and downs gone too far? Our technology reporter Arthur Sants discusses the prospects for resellers, Meta, and online marketplaces.We then cast our ears to the burgeoning business of prize draws, be it high-profile ‘win your dream home’ competitions or all manner of niche prizes. Is this a new UK national obsession? Which companies are trying to muscle in on the sector? And what does all this say about our saving habits? Erin Withey has the answers.The show wraps up with a look at our pensions special report: all you need to know about using a personal pension, how to invest it and how to plan the perfect retirement, in one helpful guide. Helen Kirrane explains when to use a pension versus an Isa and outlines some quirks to watch out for.Timestamps: 00:00 Intro1:09 AI winners18:47 British prize draw boom31:30 Planning your pension: Our special report Listen to more podcasts from Investors’ Chronicle on Apple, Spotify and YouTubeInvestors' Chronicle has supported private investors in the UK for over 160 years by highlighting rewarding investment opportunities. Investors' Chronicle is a service by the Financial Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bankers Investment Trust is a global stock market fund with around £1.5bn in assets.It’s an exciting time for the trust as it says goodbye to longstanding manager Alex Crooke. Richard Clode, who joined as co-manager last year, is taking over.Funds editor Val Cipriani sits down with Clode to discuss what the switch-up means for the portfolio and what being a quality investor means to him. The duo also explores how Clode balances stockpicking with geopolitics, his attitude to risk management, and where he is finding new opportunities.You can listen to the interview, alongside all of our other podcasts, on ACast, Apple, Spotify or YouTube.Investors' Chronicle has supported private investors in the UK for over 160 years by highlighting rewarding investment opportunities. Investors' Chronicle is a service by the Financial Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s episode looks at two companies making a series of deals and partnerships in a bid to buck the troubling trends in their respective sectors. We begin with consumer staples company McBride, whose shares have been buoyant in recent weeks as the cleaning products manufacturer, known for brands such as Oven Pride, expands its horizons. Mark Robinson is in the studio to discuss the details.Hugh Moorhead then joins the conversation to look at the dealmaking plans at Supermarket Income Reit, seen by investors as a rare bright spot in the property sector at the moment. The show wraps up with an existential question that has been hitting headlines over the past week: Is AI going to destroy the world? Mark is back to give his view on whether the hype and hysteria have got out of hand.Timestamps00:00 Intro00:52 McBride12:24 Supermarket Income Reit20:26 Has the AI hysteria got out of hand?Listen to more podcasts from Investors’ Chronicle on Apple, Spotify and YouTubeInvestors' Chronicle has supported private investors in the UK for over 160 years by highlighting rewarding investment opportunities. Investors' Chronicle is a service by the Financial Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.