Oil is down more than 11% since briefly trading above $100 at $100.09 on January 3, 2008. Oil hit an all-time high, in inflation-adjusted terms, of $102.80 per barrel in April 1980.
Oil fell after global equities markets sold-off amid both increased concerns that the world's other major economic regions will be hurt by the U.S. economic slowdown and talk of additional write-downs/asset losses stemming from the U.S. subprime mortgage sector.
The Finanical Times reported that shares in China plunged 5.1%, Hong Kong shares sank 4.5%. In Europe, London's FTSE dropped 5.5% to 5,578.20, the German Dax plunged 7.2 to 6,790.19, and France's CAC-40 sank 6.8% to 4,744.45.



