Fear stalks shares despite US recovery

US stocks rose yesterday and helped stem a decline in global equities still roiled by concern that slowing growth will spread, as crude’s advance past $31 a barrel boosted energy shares.

Stock markets from Europe to Asia retreated in the wake of the rout in American stocks on Wednesday, while the cost of insuring corporate debt climbed.

Traders have been whipsawed in 2016, with equities around the world off to their worst-ever start to a year as oil plummeted to levels last seen more than a decade ago and China struggled to maintain control over its markets.