Now, with the economic crisis spreading across Europe, the industry faces a different landscape.
Worries about the Eurozone debt crisis spreading even further afield also unnerved investors.
For the first time since the global credit crisis, spreading one's bets across different geographic regions is proving worthwhile.
It said it had sold the contracts because it was worried about the European crisis spreading to United States.
The United Nations is warning of a looming "large-scale humanitarian crisis" spreading beyond Ivory Coast's borders.
There are also concerns about the financial crisis spreading further, with Pakistan and Russia the latest to cause concern.
The Dow was down as much as 196 points earlier as the threat of a financial crisis spreading from Europe shook markets.
Mr. Cameron acknowledged on Wednesday that his government's austerity measures, designed to combat the debt crisis spreading through many European nations, had brought hardship.
Congress was persuaded to rescue the banking system because of the threat of the crisis spreading to other parts of the economy.
Adding to the anxiety, several immediate challenges face European officials as they try to calm markets worried about the debt crisis spreading.
It was a dense, technical presentation, packed with meaty thoughts on how Europe's financial system could navigate the credit crisis spreading from the United States.
