Iran: A Nation Under Sanctions
September 17th, 2012
Via Time, an interesting look at Iran: On Tehran’s western outskirts is Iran’s first and only wholesale supermarket–a kind of Persian Walmart-Costco hybrid. Women push giant carts around on gleaming white floors, past rows of the latest Apple computers and Sony flat-screen televisions–perhaps contraband, perhaps fakes. They sift through racks stuffed with designer clothes and […]
Read more »The Sino Indian Vietnamese Triangle: Old Grudges, Hydrocarbons, And Geopolitical Gamesmanship
September 14th, 2012
Via Energy Tribune, a very interesting two-part series examining the complicated history of the relationships between India, China, and Vietnam, especially as they revolve around oil & gas resources: Vietnam is a country that has seen its share of war, suffering and hardship. From its days of French colonial rule and the 1950s war to […]
Read more »Zimbabwe: A Baffling Billion Dollar Bailout Bet
September 14th, 2012
Courtesy of the Financial Times, a look at Zimbabwe’s latest efforts to use financial engineering to escape its fundamental monetary problems: Since dollarisation in 2009, policymakers in Zimbabwe have failed to solve the problems created by weak banks in a bankrupt econokmy with an overcrowded financial sector. Policy – driven by politicians not technocrats – […]
Read more »Brazil: Multinationals Shift Focus in Response to Slow Down
September 14th, 2012
Via Emerging Markets Insight, some commentary on Brazil Brazil has been a cause of concern for multinationals as of late, with credit-fueled consumer spending and GDP growth both trending downwards in Q3. This slowdown is particularly worrisome for B2C companies, who fear for their ability to meet annual growth targets. The macroeconomic drivers of this […]
Read more »Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist: Betting On Pakistan
September 13th, 2012
Via the San Francisco Examiner, an interesting article on Tim Draper’s Pakistani investments: On the anniversary of 9/11, terrorism theorists may be surprised to learn that the smart money is on Pakistani agriculture. Local private equity kingpin Tim Draper, a renowned, international venture capitalist, is quietly investing in Pakistani agribusiness, one of the biggest providers […]
Read more »Tajikistan’s Massive Oil Deposits: A Curse Or Cure?
September 13th, 2012
Via The Business Insider, an interesting look at the potential impacts Tajikistan’s oil wealth could have upon the tiny nation: Tajikistan’s oil and gas reserves could be a “super giant”boon to the Tajik economy. A study shows that the country may have more oil and gas than the British sector of the North Sea. […]
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.