By Pierpaolo Barbieri

Exactly a year ago, Argentina President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announced to the world the expropriation of 51% of Argentine oil company YPF from Spain's Repsol.

It had all been planned. The announcement, broadcast on all the television channels, between applause and ovations. The Argentine provinces, seduced with a stake in the new company. And the Spanish board, disoriented after failed negotiations.

The commercials were ready. Even the retro logo preferred by Kirchner's marketing was premeditated: It promised a back to the future featuring independent development, increased production, and “popular” prices to encourage consumption, culminating in precious energy independence. And this independence would be achieved with Argentina’s own resources, not as vassals of foreign companies.

The Kirchner rhetoric was, as always, both nationalistic and hopeful. The privatization of the hated neoliberal years was tinged with irregularities. A new era dawned.

The

Shares of McDonald's (MCD) are the highest they've ever been, a fact that's especially impressive considering all hasn't necessarily been well in the land of Ronald and friends of late.

McDonald's remains a gigantic company with ample devotees, but the last few months have been a little odd for the Oak Brook, Ill., fast-food chain. That's largely because the consistently positive monthly same-store sales numbers the company turned in for nearly a decade came to an end last fall. Since the streak was halted, comparable sales have continued on a disappointing path.

Source: McDonald's

While that trend contributed to a 12% drop in the stock last year, it clearly hasn't discouraged investors entirely, considering where the shares are now. So far this year, monthly comps have been negative for January and February, though the stock is up nearly 14% year to date, outpacing the Dow Jones Industrial Average, of which McDonald's is a component. On April 12, it closed at a record high of