With the oil price collapse accelerating (Brent just dropped below $40 for the first time since Feb 2009), the currencies of major oil-exporting nations - such as the Canadian dollar and Norwegian crown - are plunging...
Not helped by weakness in China trade data, questions over global growth and inflation expectations are growing. Oil-exporting nations (and growth-linked currencies) are getting monkey-hammered...
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Just when traders thought the bottom was in...
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As Reuters notes, [10]with lower oil prices likely to add to global deflationary concern and Chinese data doing little to improve sentiment, risk appetite remained fragile.
The Canadian currency fell 0.4 percent against the U.S. dollar, to C$1.3555. That was the U.S. dollar's strongest level since mid-2004.
Similarly the Norwegian crown fell a six-week low against the euro.
"If you are looking to play weak oil prices, you would want to sell the Canadian dollar and the Norwegian crown," said Jeremy Stretch, head of currency strategy at CIBC World Markets. "With oil prices falling and some even talking about oil falling to $30 a barrel, revenues for these countries will take a beating and hence their currencies will remain under pressure."
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The Australian dollar fell 0.6 percent to $0.7220 AUD=D4 as this week's tumble in iron ore and the latest Chinese data weighted on the currency's woes.
Citi recommended that investors sell the Aussie through options. "The weakness in the Chinese economy will spill over to Australia through commodities demand as well as reduced demand for the Australian dollar via reserves and other channels. This should leave it vulnerable to an eventual leg higher in the dollar," they said.
Charts: Bloomberg
