Developed market shares were fleeting between positive and negative territory this afternoon as US jobs data disappointed and investor confidence in the eurozone weakened.
A rally in tech shares led to Asian markets climbing overnight, after Apple's revealed it doubled last quarter's earnings.
India's main index suffered a sell-off this morning after an earthquake registering 8.7 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of nearby Indonesia.
Global markets continued their downward trend this morning as fears re-emerged about the state of European and the US economies.
Ron Sandler is to step down as chairman of Phoenix Group, the parent company of Ignis Asset Management.
European markets have added to early losses as concerns over Chinese growth hit miners and a military coup in Mali sent Rangold Resources shares plummeting.
Asian markets snapped gains made over the past week as renewed fears of a slowdown in China's economy weighed on investors.
Wall Street opened lower today, echoing losses seen in European and Asia, as investors took profits from the recent rally.
Shares across Europe rose in morning trading as the eurozone's decision to back a second €130bn (£109bn) bailout boosted hopes for an economic recovery.
Fears about slowing global growth forced markets sharply lower on Tuesday, with the FTSE 100 and indices across Europe tumbling.