Common causes of slipping margins include increased product costs, increased shipping expense, finance costs, sales and discounting or inventory shrinkage due to theft or waste (food business).

FORBES: There Is Nothing Gross About Profit

Over the last two years Yorkville has continued to make investments, focusing on the shipping sector and reaching finance agreements with companies like Oceanfreight and Top Ships.

FORBES: New Jersey Hedge Fund Posts Its First Down Year In A Decade

Cook also has been a big buyer of shipping stocks, including Ship Finance International, which returned 53% in 2006.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Sandy affected a broader geographic area than most storms, hitting a bigger population and a range of industries from manufacturing and finance to retail and shipping.

WSJ: Sandy Exacts Toll on the Economy

Extraordinarily, although raising money to buy second-hand ships is proving hard, shipping lines still seem to have little trouble arranging finance for new ones.

ECONOMIST: Shipping