Zangani interviews Raymond King, Senior Manager - Global Business Development for TSX Group, a North American exchange and the world's largest exchange for small and mid cap companies.

Raymond discusses the TSX business model, and talks about the value proposition it offers both American and international companies, including those from Italy.

The Middle East has been growing date palms for centuries. The average tree is about 18-20 feet tall and yields about 38 pounds of dates a year. Israeli trees are now yielding 400 pounds/year and are short enough to be harvested from the ground or a short ladder.

Israel, the 100th smallest country, with less than 1/1000th of the world's population, can lay claim to the following:

The cell phone was developed in Israel by Israelis working in the Israeli branch of Motorola, which has its largest development center in Israel.

Most of the Windows NT and XP operating systems were developed by Microsoft-Israel.

The Pentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel. Both the Pentium-4 microprocessor and the Centrino processor were entirely designed, developed and produced in Israel.

By Nick Hodge

Are Oil Prices Still the Main Energy Indicator?

In the early days of what is now called the "cleantech industry," it was assumed that the price of oil would be the main indicator of the value of new technologies. In other words, as the price of oil fluctuated up and down, so would the perceived value of clean energy companies.

And so it went for the next few years. Whenever oil prices spiked, the stock prices of cleantech companies followed soon after.

It makes sense--at least initially. Oil was one of the cheapest energy resources on the planet, dwarfed by the cost of renewable energy technologies at the time.

So when oil prices went up, newer energy sources became all the more competitive. Simple.

By Nick Hodge

The debate has once again been renewed about the extension of federal tax credits for energy produced from wind, solar, geothermal, cellulosic ethanol, biofuels and other renewable sources.

If you remember, the last time this discussion surfaced was in December, when the proposed tax credits were rolled into the Energy Bill. But, after a filibuster from the Republicans won by one vote, the credits were cut out and the bill went on to be signed with lackluster provisions--including a despicable rise in CAFÉ standards.

At the heart of the debate is where the money is coming from to fund the tax credits. As you probably know, the money would be shifted away from Big Oil--to the tune of $18 billion.

Please Note: ActiveX Windows Media Player plug-in required for video playback. Direct link to video available here.

InTimeTV features Prof. Steven Kaplan (AB’81 AM’82 PhD’88) - Neubauer Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance at the University of Chicago.

This internet TV interview sheds light on some of the perennial questions and issues important to venture capital investors, private equity fund managers and others.

By Adam Kritzer, CurrencyTrading.net

The majority of forex traders, whether amateur or professional, can be expected to have some degree of familiarity with the fundamental factors which weigh on the Dollar. One can plainly understand, for example, how the threat of inflation and the twin deficits make the Dollar less valuable. In fact, currencytrading.net has already compiled a comprehensive list of such factors, entitled 50 Factors that Affect the Value of the US Dollar. However, many of these factors are common knowledge, and, thus, it can be difficult to gain a competitive advantage over other traders who have access to the same information. After all, when certain closely-watched economic indicators are released, the markets react almost instantaneously, making it difficult for the average retail investor to squeeze out a profit.

Venue: Swissôtel Düsseldorf, Germany
Website: www.supplychainawards.com

Forming the focal point of this year’s SCL Europe 2008 summit, the leading supply chain and logistics professionals from all over the globe are gathering for the inaugural European Supply Chain Distinction Awards.

Visit www.supplychainawards.com for full details

With nominees and winners independently chosen by the supply chain community after thorough evaluation by a world-class judging panel, the Awards will recognise leading enterprises for their success over the past twelve months in driving logistics excellence and delivering supply chain innovation from concept to contract.

Location: Swissôtel Düsseldorf, Germany
Contact Name: Oliver Sloane
Contact email: oliver.sloane@wtgevents.com
Contact Phone: 44 (0) 207 202 7558
Website: www.supplychain.eu.com

Company: World Trade Group

Taking place from the 13th to 15th May 2008, SCL Europe 2008 will bring together the leading practitioners and providers of supply chain management and logistics from all over Europe, giving you the opportunity to evaluate latest best practice and the movement of the supply chain agenda into the boardroom.

By Nick Hodge

Everyone Pays, You Profit

It’s been some time--over two months--since we discussed the water industry, and I figured it was time we dove back into it.

Right now, there’s a story erupting in California that brings increased validity to what I’ve been telling you would happen to the world’s supply of freshwater. It’s disappearing.

In California, just inland from the San Francisco Bay, the Sacramento Delta is facing increased pressure to remain the state’s natural purifier of water. It’s where the freshwater from California’s rivers meets the salinity of the Pacific Ocean, and where more than 55% of Californians get at least some of their drinking water.

Source: SVILUPPO DEL MEDITERRANEO

The Euro-Mediterranean Region is one of expanding opportunity. Including the all EU, Euro-Med Region, with 720 millions inhabitants could become a common market by 2010. Such a large market – bigger by far than China – is one that businesses and investors must reckon with.

The Mediterranean region, among three continents, enjoyed its greatest prosperity when it was open to trade, ideas, innovation and private enterprise.

Nowadays, between the two shores, the Mediterranean area holds the world record gap for GDP differential per capita: 1 to 10 between South and North, versus 1 to 7 between Mexico and USA.

Mutual Fund Companies without the Fees

By Nick Hodge

London-based Guinness Atkinson Asset Management has a knack for making money. Their storied past dates back to 1993, when their first US division was born from Guinness Flight Global Asset Management, LTD.

Its first US-based mutual funds were launched in 1994, and the company was subsequently bought out by South Africa’s Investec in 1998. In 2002, Investec decided to make a departure from US markets and Guinness Atkinson was created to take over management of the abandoned American funds.

Of course, I’m telling you all of this for a reason. Guinness Atkinson is headed up by two formidable financial gurus, Tim Guinness and Jim Atkinson, who have a flair for capitalizing on emerging markets around the globe.

$100 Billion Strong, and Growing

By Nick Hodge

For the first time, global investment in renewable energy investments will spill over $100 billion in 2007, according to a report released over the weekend at the Bali Climate Conference.

Investments in wind power led the way, surpassing hydropower, which, more times than not, isn’t considered a renewable energy source anyway.

Also in 2007, electricity produced from renewable resources grew to 240 gigawatts (GW)--excluding hydropower--and accounted for about 6% of worldwide capacity. That’s a significant amount, considering renewables accounted for just 2.1% of global electricity in 2004--a growth of over 185%!

This Is No Bubble, Carbon’s Set to Double

By Nick Hodge

Well, you knew it was coming. The Australian Labor Party’s Kevin Rudd is the new Prime Minister. His first order of business--and a large part of his platform--is to streamline his country’s ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, leaving the US as the only major industrialized nation still abstaining from participation.

Now, I know Kyoto isn’t everything. And every time I mention it, several of you write in to tell me about its flaws or about the countries that aren’t going to meet their targets.

But if Kyoto isn’t everything, at least it’s something--a start, a beginning. A gateway to emissions mitigation and, for us, an opportunity to profit.

Green Chip Stocks managing editor Jeff Siegel kicks off Green Week discussing his top alternative energy sectors for 2008 and beyond. (November 5th, 2007)

Jeff Siegel is the managing editor of Green Chip Stocks, an investment advisory service that focuses on stocks in the renewable energies markets and emerging and lucrative organic and natural foods industry. An environmentalist and self-professed health nut, Jeff is also a raging capitalist, and believes the dawn of the LOHAS market (lifestyles of health and sustainability) will usher in a new way of life... as well as a new generation of wealth.

By Nick Hodge

Officially Out of Water

He’s at it again. But this time, instead of picking on kids’ healthcare or limited funding for the war, Bush has set his crosshairs on a bill that would provide $23 billion to fund much-needed water projects and other solutions to the water shortage.

Congress, however, is well on its way to overriding the veto. If successful, it will be the first time Congress has stood up (and won) against Bush in his entire time as president. And it looks like it’s actually going to happen.

ONELIFE ADVISORS SA today announced signature of management agreement with Luxembourg Prospera Senectute Fund Sicav-Sif (PSF).

PSF is an open-ended specialized investment fund (“fonds d’investissement spécialisé”) organized as a public limited liability investment company with variable capital and is subject to the Luxembourg SIF Law. PSF invests in a diversified portfolio of equities and other direct or indirect investments on a global basis in the life science sector. PSF focuses mainly in the research, development and commercialization of treatments, drugs or other services for diseases and disabilities related to later life (aging conditions). PSF is reserved for well informed” investors and its objective is to maximize the total return over the long-term in US Dollar terms.

By Nick Hodge

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. And although the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol doesn’t end until 2012, there is already some speculation going on as to how it will turn out.

The treaty’s host country has come under the most fire of late, with industry experts calling for them to miss their target by more than 2%.

You see, to meet their target, Japan has to reduce its emissions to 6% below 1990 levels by 2012. But, as it stands right now, emission levels in Japan are 7.8% above 1990 levels, meaning they have to accomplish a 13.8% reduction of current emission levels in the next four years.

Italy's Recordati has agreed to acquire Orphan Europe for €135 million ($191 million). Orphan Europe is a Paris-based pharmaceutical group that specializes in rare diseases. The deal should close by the end of 2007. Orphan Europe currently markets ten products that target mostly chronic and life-threatening diseases.

"The acquisition of Orphan Europe fits well with Recordati's growth strategy based on expansion and the strengthening of its product portfolio and pipeline," noted Giovanni Recordati, Chairman and CEO. "Orphan Europe represents a unique opportunity to strengthen our R&D capabilities and to establish even closer relationships with academic researchers and eminent scientists."

Transatlantic acquisitions of US targets are running at a seven-year high and are expected to continue to increase

Investors may have lost their appetite for US mortgages but the country’s businesses have rarely looked more attractive to European companies as American acquisitions by European groups hit their highest level since 2000.

European companies have spent nearly $150bn (€106bn) this year on buying US businesses, $21bn more than last year – the highest figure since 2000 and the fourth highest total.

Some of Europe’s largest companies have joined the spree. Two weeks ago Deutsche Telekom paid $2.4bn for SunCom Wireless, a US mobile phone operator.

By Nick Hodge

Water is starting to do what I’ve been predicting it would do for quite some time. Right now, the best water stocks are boiling hot.

There have been myriad announcements in the past few days that illustrate exactly what I’m talking about, but one, in particular, caught my eye.