While North Americans have had plenty to worry about in recent years, they’ve still been finding ways to amuse themselves. And the strong performance of many entertainment companies has made them attractive investment possibilities, Validea CEO John Reese writes in Canada’s Globe and Mail.

“Perhaps because of the stream of negative news, many entertainment companies — movie studios, casinos etc. — have been faring well, despite a sluggish economy, high unemployment and weak wage growth,” Reese writes. “People need escapes from the economic struggles, political rancour and violence, and they can find it in the products and services these companies offer.” He adds that “rapid changes in the way we access entertainment have no doubt also been at play,” discussing how much easier it has become to access entertainment content through phones or tablet computers.

Reese offers a quartet of stocks — two from the US and two from Canada — they get high marks from his Guru Strategies, each of which is based on the approach of a different investing great. Among them: Churchill Downs Inc., which owns the racetrack that is home to the Kentucky Derby.