At a time when America is faced with a crippling unemployment crisis, increased poverty, and general economic malaise, PNTR with Russia is about as much of a no-brainer as is possible to imagine.

FORBES: Russia, PNTR, Magnitsky, and Congress' Dereliction of Duty

Volumes were down sharply, stocks sold off and a general malaise gripped the industry as economic data in the U.S. and around the world turned sour.

FORBES: Goldman Sachs Profit Battered, Not Broken, In Rocky Second Quarter

With further disputes over bank capital laws also creating a significant split among EU states, the U.K. could well find itself prospering from the general economic malaise.

FORBES: Countries That Thrive On A Weak European Union