Zimbabwe: Point of (Full) Return?
November 17th, 2007
As reported in the WSJ, intrepid investors are seeking out opportunities in some of the most challenging markets around the world. Take, for instance, Zimbabwe where the annual inflation rate is 8,000% and rising, and people don’t have food to eat. As the article notes: “…investors have started pouring millions of dollars into the country. […]
Read more »More Evidence that Big Oil Shrinking in Influence…
November 16th, 2007
In my 10 November post ($100 Oil: Creating a New World Order), I focused on the shift in power away from traditional Big Oil towards state run oil companies in some emerging nations. Steve LeVine, in his always informative Oil and Glory blog, offered further evidence today of the shrinking influence of Big Oil: “…After […]
Read more »A(D)MD: Abu Dhabi Buys Stake in AMD
November 16th, 2007
Via the WSJ, another case of Abu Dhabi’s strategic-investment arm – Mubadala Development Co. – continuing to build its presence in high-tech sectors as part of the broader trend of Middle East nations – rich on the exploding cost of oil – making their mark in global finance. As the article notes: “…An investment arm […]
Read more »C it go — Chavez’s Petrocracy Scales Back Profits at Citgo
November 16th, 2007
A very interesting WSJ article on Citgo – which Venezuela bought two decades ago to market its hard-to-refine heavy oil – changing its focus to feed cash to President Chávez’s social programs in Venezuela.  As the article notes: “…while other U.S. refiners have invested heavily to take advantage of historically wide profit margins in the […]
Read more »Signs of the Middle East’s Financial Colonization of American Capital Markets?
November 15th, 2007
The Financial Times recently reported that Colony Capital, the US private equity group and one of the world’s largest property investors, is considering selling a stake to a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund. While Colony declined to comment on which Middle Eastern sovereign fund it was discussing a deal with, the report noted that: “…Mubadala, […]
Read more »Approaching Eurasia’s Tipping Point?
November 15th, 2007
As noted in a recent Stratfor report (subscription required), upcoming Azerbaijani and Turkmen talks about the legal status of the two countries’ maritime border in the Caspian Sea could well change the balance of power in Eurasia. As it writes: “…Russia has a number of tools at its disposal for affecting countries near it, but […]
Read more »Focusing primarily on The New Seven Sisters - the largely state owned petroleum companies from the emerging world that have become key players in the oil & gas industry as identified by Carola Hoyos, Chief Energy Correspondent for The Financial Times - but spanning other nascent opportunities around the globe that may hold potential in the years ahead, Wildcats & Black Sheep is a place for the adventurous to contemplate & evaluate the emerging markets of tomorrow.