bahrain

Despite turbulent times, U.S. markets are rising again. But is this a temporary bump, or the return of a bull market? The sharp-eyed analysts of Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs say its the latter, and their money is on strong growth ahead.

Some investors have been running scared after the quake and tsunami that devastated parts of Japan and left it with an ongoing nuclear crisis. But when there's gloom in the air, there's also opportunity to buy on the dip and gain from the rebound.

The Japanese are the world's most voracious consumers of luxury goods, from Louis Vuitton handbags to Cartier jewelry to Hermes high fashion. So purveyors of those luxury goods are justifiably worried about the effect of the Japanese quake and tsunami on their bottom lines.

Political turmoil in the Middle East keeps growing, with the ouster of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, rebellion in Libya and riots in Bahrain. It's no wonder that businesses with investments in those countries are feeling nervous. And that's benefiting purveyors of political-risk insurance, who are seeing premiums rise.

Egypt's famed antiquities and tourism sites are reopening following the political unrest there. But heeding warnings from Washington, many American travelers are steering clear of the region for now -- disrupting the tourism industry in both the U.S. and Egypt.