The dollar rebounded from three-year lows and US crude slid more than 1 percent on Monday after news al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in a firefight with US forces reduced the perception of security risks facing the United States.
The news appeared to have provided a reason for investors to unwind extended positions in many assets, including very short dollar positions in holiday-thinned Asian trade.
Earlier, investors had a taste of how vulnerable overbought assets can be to a sudden sell-off when silver dropped 10 percent after hitting a record high last week and the Australian dollar slumped nearly a full cent after reaching a post-float peak of $1.1011.
US President Barack Obama said the Al Qaeda leader was killed in a firefight with US forces and his body was recovered.
US stock index futures added to gains, Japan's Nikkei average rose 1.4 percent on the day, while US Treasury prices fell.
"By lowering national security risks overall, this is likely to bolster equity markets and lower US Treasury prices in a reverse flight to quality movement," said Mohamed El-Erian, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chief Investment Officer at PIMCO, which oversees $1.2 trillion in assets.
"Oil markets are likely to be the most volatile given their higher sensitivity to the tug of war between lower risk overall and the possibility of isolated disturbances in some parts of the Middle East and central Asia," he said.