Following on from Friday's corporate earnings worries, US markets continued downward on Monday with the Dow Jones Industrial over 0.5% lower and the Nasdaq almost 1.5% lower.
A boost for the markets was seen on Tuesday due to retail sales not falling as much as expected, after Christmas. Investor confidence was evident from the stronger markets.
News from the US on Wednesday depressed the UK equity markets and reinforced the view that there is still some way to go for an economic recovery. Industrial production figures showed a drop of 0.1% where growth of 0.1% was expected.
However, Thursday saw a technology and telecommunications rally, leaving the Dow Jones up by almost 1.5% and the Nasdaq up over 2%.
Friday saw US markets fall, wiping out the majority of gains made on Thursday. The Dow Jones closed down almost 1% and the Nasdaq closed down by 2%. US markets also seemed to be evenly yo-yoing throughout the week.