A packed podcast:

It may be the ultimate social faux pas, but dare we say the latest Revenue annual report contains a wealth of fascinating data?

Back taxes owed by SMEs could be - maybe are - a real problem

Short-termism: anyone wondering why some companies and countries don't inest enough in themselves need look no further than META's (Facebook) results this week. The shares tanked because the tech giant announced a huge capital spending program (mostly in AI). Financial markets want one thing only: instant gratification. That translates as "show us the cash". Dividends, share buybacks and increases in revenues are the golden trifecta that leads to higher share prices. But investment means spending cash. That's the big no-no. The paradox, of course, is that the only thing that leads to long-term growth in dividends, share buybacks and revenues is investment. Companies and countries that stint on investment don't grow. You couldn't make it up.

If (hopefully a big if) another European war is on the way, is being a member of the EU and remaining neutral mutually inconsistent?

And all the latest data!

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