S&P 500

Wall Street bounced back shortly after open today following a two day lock-down forced by extreme weather conditions in New York City.

Equity trading was suspended in the US today as Hurricane Sandy approached New York City with 70-mile an hour winds and a threat of an 11 foot sea surge.

Investors across Europe and the US are in flight-mode this afternoon, with US markets opening sharply lower as the weak corporate earnings season continues to plague sentiment.

A positive start to the third quarter earnings season has lifted equity prices higher on the major US and European markets.

Major European indices strengthened this afternoon as speculation over a Spanish bailout ramped up a notch.

Analysts have suggested the rest of October will be a 'make or break' period for US equity markets as companies continue to report their Q3 earnings.

Twenty-five years ago to this month, financial markets across the world went into freefall on a day that has come to be known as ‘Black Monday'.

JAPAN

The FTSE 100 was off over 1% mid-afternoon as investors spooked by the latest developments in Spain took risk off the table.

Asian and US markets closed lower overnight as the latest economic data emerging from leading economies around the world continued to worry investors.