Over the past day or two, the BBC headlines have been expressing some pessimism about the global economy.

Tough outlook for emerging markets

Three long trending factors that have supported economic growth – and financial market returns – across the developing economies appear to be either reversing or slowing…

Add together slowing world trade, collapsing commodity prices and less easy global financial conditions, and you’ve got a recipe for a tough time for emerging economies. Not necessarily for a 1997-style meltdown, but certainly for an environment for lower growth and lower returns for investors.

Chinese economic winter ‘cooling’ world economy

There are growing fears about the health of the global economy after a day of market turmoil.

Across the world share prices and currencies have fallen and the London stock exchange has dropped to its lowest level for seven months.

The slowdown in China, the world’s second largest economy, is being blamed.

US stocks hit by global growth fears

Stocks on Wall Street fell sharply on Thursday as worries about global economic growth continued to hit markets around the world.

The Dow Jones closed down 358.04 points, or 2.1%, at 16,990.69.