Risk-Off Dominates, WTI Trades Below $50

 | Jan 06, 2015 06:18AM ET

h2 Market Brief

The limited risk appetite dominated the FX and equity trading overnight. Asian indices weakened on broad risk-off sentiment. The Nikkei lost 3%, Hang Seng, ASX 200 and Taiex are 1.15%, 1.6% and 2.4% lower at the time of writing.

The WTI crude steps below $50 for the first time since April 2009 as global growth concerns mount and the oil exporters’ fight for market share intensifies. The selling pressures remain tight on CAD, NOK and RUB. Option bids on USD/CAD trail above 1.17 for today expiry based on expectations for further deterioration in Canadian industrial products and raw material prices (data due later today). The bias in USD/CAD remains on the upside for a daily close above the MACD pivot (1.1664).