Stock values have reached levels not seen since Black Tuesday

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In both cases, sharp market ­declines followed these high readings.

There is a growing sense of foreboding amongst economists who believe the market is poised to repeat what happened during the dotcom bubble and the Wall street crash.

Stock values have reached levels not seen since those two disasters and a correction would throw the world economy - currently seeing an ongoing boom period - into disarray.

Graham Hacche at the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) said:“In both cases, sharp market ­declines followed these high readings.”

He went onto say the cyclically adjusted price-earning ratio (the Shiller CAPE ratio) has risen above 30 which shows "markets may have become increasingly vulnerable to shocks.”