In the world of finance, “Investing in Oz” is usually taken to mean investing in Australia.  But with the recent interest in the 1939 classic movie The Wizard of Oz, the phrase has taken on a whole new meaning. In 2013, Oz is back in a big way.  Walt Disney Pictures, a division of the...Read More

It may sound like a harsh question.  But the man is seriously ill with cancer, and he has had no public appearances in over a month. Rumors abound that he is near death…or may already be dead.   As he is reported to be in Havana, some have even speculated that the Cuban government is essentially...Read More

Part of me really missed the guy.  There was something naturally endearing about Silvio Berlusconi. Perhaps it was his ability to charm women 50 years his junior or his complete disregard for the conflicts of interest involved with being your country’s national leader and one of its richest men and the owner of its most...Read More

Ah, to be back in South America.  Long-time Trading Deck readers might recall that I spend a fair bit of time in Peru (see “Going Long Two Beaten Down Euro Stocks”).  When you marry a Peruvian, you don’t really have a choice. Not that I’m complaining.  I can say in all seriousness that I’ve never...Read More

I read a fact this week that I never expected to read in my lifetime: “The Japanese government is expected to announce Wednesday that the country recorded its first annual trade deficit since 1980″ (see ” End of Era for Japan’s Exports “). Trade deficit? Japan? Japan’s economy has been a slow-motion train wreck for...Read More