Do share price falls signal a 'double-dip' recession?

Shares don't operate in a vacuum. Sure, sometimes stocks seem to have a mind of their own, partly because automated computer trading plays a far bigger part in price moves nowadays. But stock markets are actually much smarter at forecasting the future than many of their critics think. And when equity prices fall a long way fast – and economic surveys go very bearish – it generally means something serious is about to hit the 'real' world.