George Soros fuels global market jitters over China

European and US stocks fell for the third time in four days, mirroring declines that shook global equities in August, as they extended the worst start to a year since 2000 amid a China-fuelled selloff in mining and energy shares.

Comments by billionaire George Soros exacerbated market jitters after he told an economic forum in Sri Lanka yesterday that global markets are facing a crisis and investors need to be very cautious.

European equities tumbled 5.4% in the first four days of the year, and companies with the most sales in the world’s second-biggest economy are bearing the brunt.