Fears persist over equity markets

One lesson from years of monitoring market sentiment and psychology is that they hate nothing more than uncertainty. Unfortunately, the problems befalling the Chinese economy have got the markets hot and bothered.

The recent currency devaluation, and a plethora of weak numbers out of that economy, are doing nothing to quell nervousness.

In the year to date, the US Dow Jones Industrial Average has lost 7.9%; the S&P 500 has lost 4.9% and the FTSE 100 has lost 5.1%.