The bad news weighed not merely on the dollar but also on equity markets around the world. The FTSE 100 index fell by 111.12 points or 2.3pc to 4805.75 points - leaving it well shy of the psychologically important 5,000 mark. Its fall was mirrored across Europe, as investors took fright in the face of another day of disappointing data. Over in the US, the S&P 500 Index fell for a fourth straight day, down 1.2pc in late trading, while the narrower Dow Jones Industrial Average was 1.1pc down at 9669.35 points.