Selling pressure in U.S. equities and global risk markets began early last week, stemmed from downbeat economic data from China, and the surprise devaluation of its currency , the Remnibi . This in turn resulted in a rout of Asian and European markets as well as a renewed plunge in oil prices. Share s came under renewed pressure last Friday afternoon trading as the U.S. oil benchmark slid below $40 a barrel for the first time since February 2009 in response to global demand concerns and a persistent supply glut. The decline has also impacted the price of commodities such as copper and the currencies of several emerging market countries, all of which have hit multi- year lows