Conversely, the ransoms mean higher insurance premiums for the rattled shipping industry, delays for customers as more ships choose the longer passage around the Cape of Good Hope, lower revenues for the Suez Canal, and for the oil markets yet another variable to work into already volatile prices.

ECONOMIST: Somalia

In a volatile atmosphere like the present you should think of capital structure as a variable that can greatly influence the success or failure of a business enterprise.

FORBES: Dow Jones Interactive