Share Radio Breakfast

For the first time in 14 years the UK is changing its headline inflation measure, CPI, to one that has some representation of housing costs - called CPIH. But this is proving problematic for those concerned with statistics. Inflation expert Pete Comley, joined Nigel in the studio to discuss why.

With the final details of the impact of Brexit on UK firms still up to two years away, British businesses are already looking to expand new markets internationally. New research by Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), the largest and fastest growing Free Trade Zone in the UAE, with a community of over 87,500 people, reveals that just under half (42%) of UK businesses have more appetite for overseas expansion in the post-Brexit and Trump administration era. The CEO of DMCC Gautam Sashittal is in the UK to discuss how Dubai can help British businesses looking to expand international trade post-Brexit.

Since the 2014 vote, there have been sweeping changes in both the North Sea industry and to the UK's political landscape, the two most critical being the oil price plunge and last year's Brexit vote. Companies operating in the UKCS have faced a turbulent few years as they sought to survive the downturn by cutting costs to ensure cash flow. The offshore industry has been a cornerstone of the UK economy, and will play a vital role in a second referendum campaign. Nigel Cassidy was joined by Fiona Legate, senior analyst at Wood Mackenzie to discuss how, despite the oil price crash, (pre-tax) £44 billion is still attributed to fields in Scottish waters.

The average property asking price in England and Wales is close to hitting a new all-time high. It was £310,108 this month, according to Rightmove - only £363 below last June's record high. Prices are up 2.3% from a year earlier due to strong demand and a shortage of supply. Russell Quirk, Founder and CEO of eMoov spoke to Nigel Cassidy on Rightmove's latest house price index.

According to a leading industry thinktank, retailers will struggle in 2017 as rising food price inflation leaves shoppers with less disposable income for discretionary items such as clothing and homeware. Joining to discuss with Nigel Cassidy is Diane Wehrle, Marketing and Insights Director at Springboard, specialists in Customer Counting, Footfall and Performance Measurement in the UK within the retail sector to discuss the latest BRC/Springboard Footfall and Vacancies monitor.

Culture secretary Karen Bradley's referred the Fox/ Sky bid to Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority. 21st Century Fox is offering £11.7bn for the 61% stake in Sky it does not already own. The company said it was "confident" the takeover would be approved. Critics of the merger fear it will mean Rupert Murdoch has too much control of the UK media. So can the takeover succeed after failing in 2011? James Brydges recaps the issues the regulators will be looking into.

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel is meeting US President Donald Trump for the first time. So, can they establish a solid working relationship? Last year, Trump accused Merkel of 'going off the reservation' during the refugee crisis and characterised her policies as a 'total disgrace'. However, this could be water under the bridge as it will be strictly business for Merkel who is expected to raise issues including the Nato contributions, the fight against ISIS, and trade. Graham Lanktree, Foreign Reporter with the International Business Times, joined Share Radio Breakfast to look ahead to the meeting.

Research released by the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales) suggests that long-term business investment is set to shrink on the back of Brexit uncertainty. The long wait to see Theresa May trigger Article 50 and start Brexit negotiations has created much uncertainty among businesses, meaning they've put on the brakes when it comes to investment. Simon Thompson, ICAEW Business and Economic Spokesperson, joined Nigel Cassidy on Share Radio Breakfast to discuss the key points from the forecast.

It’s been a mixed week for the job market. The surveyor’s organisation, RICS, bemoaned the potential loss of 200,000 essential EU workers in the construction industry if Brexit bites. And on Thursday, Morgan Mckinley's London employment monitor picked up a fall in the number of jobs on offer, blaming Brexit uncertainty. To assess the mood of the market, Becky Barr of Adzuna, joined Nigel Cassidy on Share Radio Breakfast.

The MI5 made "substantial contributions" to an investigation into one of the largest data breach in US history. Four people, including two Russian spies, have been charged over the hack at Yahoo. The US Justice Department says the hack targeted around 500 million account in 2014. Share Radio's James Brydges spoke to Dr Simon Moores, an information security analyst.